Retired OC Judge Francisco Briseno dies at 85; praised as ‘gold standard’ for judicial integrity

Retired Orange County Superior Court Judge Francisco Briseno, considered one of the giants of the county justice system, died early Thursday, March 7. He was 85.

Briseno, who presided over some of the biggest criminal cases in county history, was described this week as patient, dignified and even-handed as both a prosecutor and then a judge.

“He was and will always be known as the gold standard for judicial temperament and integrity,” said veteran defense attorney Paul Meyer, who worked with Briseno in the homicide unit at the Orange County district attorney’s office and later tried cases before him.

“The word ‘inspiration’ is way too mild when you talk about Frank,” Meyer said, adding that Briseno was an expert in building trust. “He was a legendary judge … at the top of the top of the judiciary.”

A memo from Superior Court Presiding Judge Maria D. Hernandez to court staff said Briseno died surrounded by family members and other loved ones.

“Judge Briseno leaves an illustrious legacy not only on our court but also on the broader legal community in Orange County and the California judiciary,” Hernandez wrote. “His legacy is a testament to a remarkable legal career and a profound impact on the lives of many.”

Briseno was a Vietnam-era U.S. Marine who earned the Bronze Star and the Joint Service Commendation Medal, according to Hernandez. He was admitted to the state bar in 1969.

Briseno joined the Orange County district attorney’s office and led its homicide unit from 1975 to 1977. He was appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown to the then-Santa Ana Municipal Court as one of the youngest judges in the state and the second Latino judge in Orange County, according to Hernandez.

Briseno moved to the Orange County Superior Court in 1979 and retired from the bench in 2014 after 37 years wielding the gavel, one of the longest tenures for a judge in county history. Even in retirement, he continued his service as an assigned judge for more than a decade, said the memo.

As a judge, Briseno in 2010 received the Orange County Hispanic Bar Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, later renamed the Francisco P. Briseno Lifetime Achievement Award. Briseno also won the Franklin G. West Award, the highest honor given by the Orange County Bar Association.

Briseno was known for his patient and dignified manner on and off the bench and presided over many highly publicized trials. He handed down the death sentence to notorious serial killer Rodney Alcala, convicted in 2010 of five slayings, including that of a 12-year-old Huntington Beach girl. Alcala, dubbed the “Dating Game Killer” after appearing on the television show, took his victims’ earrings as trophies.

Alcala died in prison in 2021 before he could be executed.

Longtime defense attorney John Barnett tried cases against Briseno the prosecutor and appeared before Briseno the judge. Barnett said he always felt that Briseno gave him a fair shake.

“He was so calm and even-handed and patient in all his cases … he never lost his patience or his composure, Barnett said. “(He was) an aggressive but fair prosecutor. Just a dedicated guy, just the fairest guy. Nothing ruffled him, very dignified.”

Retired veteran Orange County Register court reporter Larry Welborn added, “We lost a giant. He was the epitome of a Superior Court judge administering justice.”

U.S. District Court Judge David Carter, who worked for Briseno as a prosecutor in the homicide unit at the DA’s office, remembered receiving his first homicide case and being counseled by Briseno, who drove him out to the crime scene. Briseno’s sage advice during that drive had a calming effect on Carter.

“It was just a nice, quiet, calm time,” Carter remembered. “He took the time just to say, ‘Let’s take a drive.’ “

Carter said it is not difficult to understand why Briseno was so loved by those in the legal system.

“He was a decent person, first, and, luckily, someone made him a judge,” he said.

Briseno is survived by two daughters and four grandchildren.

Source: Orange County Register