Gov. Gavin Newsom appoints deputy public defender Jennifer O'Keefe to Monterey County judicial bench.

It's been more than 40 years since a deputy public defender was appointed as a judge of the Monterey County Superior Court. Today, March 25, that streak was broken when Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Monterey County Deputy Public Defender Jennifer O'Keefe to the bench.

O'Keefe (who also goes by the last name Davenport) has served as chief deputy public defender since 2017 and has been with the office since 2010. Prior to that, she served as a deputy public defender in Fresno County from 2005-2010. She earned her lawdegree from the Catholic University of America School of Law.

O'Keefe is filling a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Efren Iglesia. In recent months, several other judges have retired, including Susan Matcham and Lydia Villarreal.

What that means is other appointments could be in the works.

O'Keefe did not immediately respond to a request for comment. She will be sworn in on March 29.

Public Defender Sue Chapman says it's been multiple decades since an attorney from the public defender's office has been appointed to the bench. That was Mike Fields, who was appointed in 1979 and retired in 2007.

"It's huge. It's been a long-time coming and Jennifer so deserves it," Chapman says. "She's highly qualified, has a strength of character, a keen intellect and she's an experienced trial attorney defending the most serious cases.

"We're dying we're going to lose her," Chapman adds. "She's an incredible woman and always does the right thing."