![\"SAN](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SUT-L-JUDGE-RETIREMENT03.jpg\")
San Diego Superior Court Judge Joan Weber puts on her robe while in her chambers at the San Diego Central Courthouse on Dec. 29. (Hayne Palmour IV \/ For The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\nHe was 14 when he killed a man. She was the sentencing judge. The law left her no choice: The youth before her would get 25 years to life in prison for first-degree murder. The courtroom was in tears, both for the college student who\u2019d been fatally shot during a robbery and for the far-too-young shooter himself.<\/p>\n
What unfolded in the decades that followed melded that heartbreaking case into part of the legacy of San Diego Superior Court Judge Joan Weber. Inspired by the victim\u2019s father, who saw victims on both ends of the gun, Weber gave ardent support to the grieving father\u2019s work in restorative justice. She helped him spread his message and decades later wrote in support of the youth\u2019s successful bid for parole.<\/p>\n
Even-handed and eloquent, Weber has a keen mind \u2014 and heart \u2014 for the law, with a passion for criminal law in particular. \u201cI think I have absolutely one of the most fascinating jobs of any person in San Diego County,\u201d she told the Union-Tribune.<\/p>\n
Over the last 35 years, Weber has presided over thousands of criminal matters, including hundreds of homicide cases. Before her have stood the broken parents of slain victims and countless defendants \u2014 many remorseful, a few defiant.<\/p>\n
Outside the courtroom, she has been devoted to community outreach and civics education, even founding an annual program that introduces school kids to the courts. She has received multiple awards \u2014 state, local and national \u2014 for her work.<\/p>\n
At 70, Weber has spent half her life putting on the black robe. Now, as one of the region\u2019s longest-serving and most highly regarded jurists, Weber is retiring, closing a remarkable career that leaves an enduring mark on those who\u2019ve seen her at work.<\/p>\n
\u201cIrreplaceable,\u201d Chief Deputy Public Defender Jo Super said of Weber. \u201cExceptional,\u201d said District Attorney Summer Stephan. \u201cA judicial icon,\u201d said San Diego Superior Court Presiding Judge Michael Groch.<\/p>\n
\u201cCaring,\u201d said Tony Hicks, the former youth she sentenced to life three decades ago.<\/p>\n
\u2018Firm, fair and consistent\u2019<\/p>\n
Weber was relatively young, 35 years old, when she first took the bench in 1990. \u201cShe distinguished herself very early as one of the elite criminal judges,\u201d said retired Superior Court Judge David Danielsen, who was appointed to the judiciary the same year as Weber.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was someone court leadership knew they could trust with even the biggest cases,\u201d said Danielsen. Complex criminal matters were routinely intentionally sent her way.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a combination of equanimity, intelligence, no nonsense,\u201d he said, quickly adding, \u201cShe\u2019s just whip smart.\u201d<\/p>\n
San Diego Superior Court Judge Joan Weber puts on her robe while in her chambers at the San Diego Central Courthouse on Dec. 29. (Hayne Palmour IV \/ For The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n
Attorneys and judges praise her steady hand and devotion to fairness. They agree she has a presence, a je ne sais quoi that commands respect.<\/p>\n
\u201cJudge Weber never viewed a case as just another case; she always understood the significance of justice to crime victims and to those accused of crimes,\u201d Stephan said. \u201cI have no doubt that she will be remembered in the history of the judiciary as an exceptional judge who lives and breathes the principles of an independent and courageous judiciary that is only beholden to justice and the rule of law.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chief Deputy District Attorney Tracy Prior said she learned by watching Weber that \u201cbeing firm, fair and consistent can almost look melodic\u201d when it\u2019s done with the \u201cexcellence\u201d she said Weber brings.<\/p>\n
Defense attorneys bring equal applause. \u201cHer courtroom is a place where every voice is heard with respect and where the rule of law was applied with both strength and compassion. She approaches each case thoughtfully and diligently,\u201d Super said.<\/p>\n
Defense attorney Jose Badillo has tried complex murder cases before her and says he always assured his clients that they would get a fair trial there. \u201cJudge Weber is the very definition of a jurist who honors the law by protecting those who stand before it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Decades ago, Groch appeared in front of Weber as a young prosecutor and he remembers thinking, \u2018Oh, man, this is Judge Weber. I\u2019ve got to up my game even further.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe has that presence,\u201d he said. \u201cShe makes you feel comfortable, but you darn well better know your stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n
A former prosecutor herself, Weber found her legal passion in handling criminal cases. She has presided over difficult matters, including the murder of an Oceanside police officer, the torture and abuse death of an Escondido toddler by his mother\u2019s boyfriend, the slaughter of four boys by their mother in their San Marcos home.<\/p>\n
She has handed down the death penalty twice. She also gives second chances.<\/p>\n
Weber was still a relatively new Superior Court judge when she was assigned what she calls her legacy case.<\/p>\n
\u2018The most difficult sentencing\u2019<\/p>\n
In January 1995, Hicks, then an eighth-grade gang member, shot and killed San Diego State University college student and pizza delivery driver Tariq Khamisa during a robbery in North Park. Under a then-brand-new law, Hicks became the first 14-year-old to be tried as an adult in California.<\/p>\n
Hicks pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, and Weber handed him the mandatory sentence: 25 years to life. His sentencing, Weber said, \u201cwill remain the most difficult sentencing of my entire judicial career.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"In](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SUT-L-TONY-HICKS-0308004.jpg\")
In the jury lounge of the Vista Courthouse, local high school students participating the Youth In Court program listen to convicted murderer Tony Hicks, at right, speak in March. Back to camera is Judge Joan Weber, who presided at his trial. (Charlie Neuman \/ U-T file)<\/p>\n
But in the months that followed, \u201csomething amazing happened,\u201d she said. Azim Khamisa, father of the 20-year-old victim, created the Tariq Khamisa Foundation<\/a>, dedicated to stopping youth violence. He also approached Hicks\u2019 grandfather (who\u2019d been raising Hicks) with an outstretched hand. TKF flourished as the two men worked together, sharing their story from small rooms to TED Talks<\/a>.<\/p>\n Weber was watching. \u201cI got involved fairly early on because I realized they were on to something,\u201d she said. More than 30 years on, the foundation has connected with 600,000 youths across the country.<\/p>\n For many years, Weber has brought in TKF leadership to speak at events, from high school presentations to a meeting of the California Judges Association and a national conference of the National Association of Women Judges. \u201cI bring them everywhere because I think they have a remarkable story to tell,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Azim Khamisa said last week that Weber has a \u201cperfect blend of understanding punishment and empathy.\u201d His daughter and Tariq\u2019s sister, Tasreen Khamisa, says Weber \u201creally cares about young people and the future of the youth.\u201d<\/p>\n Hicks earned parole on his first try<\/a> after 25 years in prison, with TKF behind him and Weber among his supporters<\/a>. He is now in his mid-40s and has for years been a part of the organization named for the man he killed, sharing his story of redemption<\/a>.<\/p>\n Hicks said last week that he was \u201cvery aware\u201d of how unusual it was to have the sentencing judge on his side at his parole hearing.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s committed to service and helping her fellow human beings,\u201d Hicks said. \u201cThat says more to me about an individual than anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n Hicks and TKF leadership will be on hand in Vista next month to speak to high school students attending San Diego Superior Court\u2019s annual Youth In Court program. Happenstance, but this year the program is slated for March 6, which would have been Tariq\u2019s 52nd birthday.\u00a0<\/p>\n Weber is the creator and driving force, along with Judge Richard Cline, behind Youth in Court, an annual daylong program designed to expose students to the judicial system \u2014 from mock trials for elementary students<\/a> to breakout sessions for high school students.\u00a0In 2005, the American Bar Association hailed it as one of the best outreach programs in the country.<\/p>\n Because of Weber, the older kids have heard from a wide mix, including a gang member scarred in a shooting<\/a>, defense attorneys<\/a> who\u2019ve represented murder defendants, and former youths who had been in high school when they drove drunk, crashed and killed a friend. Last year, about 300 students heard from Hicks<\/a>, his first time speaking at the event.<\/p>\n There\u2019s more to her efforts to bring the law to young minds. For more than a decade, she has judged the San Diego County High School Mock Trial competition\u00a0and also written mock trials that continue to be used across the state.<\/p>\n And aside from all that, she is an advocate for wellness. Over the years, Weber came to realize that the horrors of criminal cases can spill over onto everyone in the courtroom. Jurors, she said, would write to share that they were \u201cvery traumatized\u201d by what they saw during trial. A staffer once had a panic attack in the courtroom. Weber began speaking at conferences and workshops to encourage people exposed to vicarious trauma in the courtroom to be \u201cvery vigilant\u201d about their mental health.<\/p>\n \u2018Fascinated\u2019 by criminal law<\/p>\n The Cincinnati native graduated cum laude from Ohio State University and earned a law degree from the University of Arizona (third in a class of 135).<\/p>\n In 1980, she headed west to San Diego and spent a year clerking for 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Clifford Wallace, who is still active in that position<\/a>. She got a taste of criminal law \u2014 Miranda issues, search and seizure questions \u2014 and was \u201cfascinated.\u201d<\/p>\n But first followed a short stint in civil litigation in Arizona. Then came seven years as a federal prosecutor in San Diego \u2014 \u201cthe greatest job a young lawyer could have, hands down,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n She prosecuted a Navy sailor for espionage. She handled several cases involving child sexual abuse material and several more involving major drug trafficking. She argued about 15 cases before the 9th Circuit, and she assisted the U.S. solicitor general when her cases landed before the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1987, Weber earned the Attorney General of the United States Director\u2019s Award for Superior Performance.<\/p>\n In 1990, then-Gov. George Deukmejian appointed her to the San Diego Municipal Court. Four years later, then-Gov. Pete Wilson\u00a0elevated her to be a San Diego Superior Court judge.<\/p>\n Weber continued moving up on the judicial administrative side in many supervisory roles. She also spent several years as a member of the court\u2019s Executive Committee.<\/p>\n Weber is a former president and vice president of the California Judges Association and also served a year as an advisory member of the California Judicial Council.<\/p>\n Her honors and awards include the American Bar Association Pursuit of Justice Award<\/a> in 2016.\u00a0 A few years ago, California Women Lawyers presented her with the Joan Dempsey Klein Distinguished Jurist Award<\/a>. And just last year, the San Diego County Bar Association tapped her with a Certificate of Recognition for Community Impact. More than two decades earlier, the same group chose her for its Outstanding Jurist Award for 2004.<\/p>\n Weber has been married to a (now-retired) attorney for more than 39 years, and they have two daughters \u2014 one a schoolteacher, the other an attorney. They also have three grandsons.<\/p>\n \u201cThere comes a time for everyone,\u201d Weber said when asked about stepping away. \u201cI really feel we have a lot of fabulous new judges coming on the bench, and they deserve to start moving into major cases and taking over important positions.\u201d<\/p>\n Even in retirement, she will continue to be on the bench now and again, on assignment as needed. She loves her work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"He was 14 when he killed a man. She was the sentencing judge. The law left her no…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":189975,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[7,1312,138,181,23,100,74,84,76,75,1696],"class_list":{"0":"post-189974","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-diego","8":"tag-california","9":"tag-courts","10":"tag-crime-and-public-safety","11":"tag-latest-headlines","12":"tag-local-news","13":"tag-news","14":"tag-san-diego","15":"tag-san-diego-county","16":"tag-san-diego-headlines","17":"tag-san-diego-news","18":"tag-top-stories-sdut"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189974","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=189974"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189974\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/189975"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=189974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=189974"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=189974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"In](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SUT-L-TONY-HICKS-0308013.jpg\")
In the jury lounge of the Vista Courthouse in March 2025, Tony Hicks hugs Judge Joan Weber after Hicks addressed hundreds of high school students participating in Youth in Court. At left is Azim Khamisa, the father of the man Hicks killed. (Charlie Neuman \/ U-T file)<\/p>\n