Judge Arthur Garcia
Arthur Garcia was born and raised in Santa Maria, California. Graduating from St. Joseph High School in 1971, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola Marymount University in 1975 and Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School in 1978. He was in private practice from 1978 until he was appointed Superior Court Commissioner in July 1996 to preside over the North county Juvenile Court. In 2003 he was appointed Judge of the Superior Court in Santa Barbara by Governor Gray Davis.
Judge Garcia is currently the Presiding Judge of the Juvenile Court.
Judge Garcia’s previous assignments include Assistant Presiding Judge for 2007, 2008, 2011 and 2012, Presiding Judge for 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2014, Presiding Judge of the Juvenile Court, adult criminal trials (felony and misdemeanor), family support cases, criminal arraignments, family law contested hearings, and the domestic violence calendars. He was also the back-up judicial officer for the Proposition 36 court, the adult drug court and the Mental Health Treatment Court and helped to establish the first juvenile drug courts in Lompoc and Santa Maria.
Judge Garcia has also been a member of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, California Juvenile Judges Association, California Judges Association and California Association of Drug Court Professionals.
In private practice Judge Garcia was in a general practitioner with an emphasis in family law matters. In addition, he served as volunteer arbitrator and Judge Pro Tempore for the Superior Court. Judge Garcia was also active with the Northern Santa Barbara County Bar Association and served as a director, newsletter editor and member of its Judicial Evaluation Committee.
Judge Garcia presides over Juvenile Court in Santa Maria.