SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Sacramento Superior Court proudly celebrates the contributions of historic women leaders who have blazed trails within the court.

Presiding Judge Bunmi O. Awoniyi is the first Black woman to preside over the unified Superior Court of Sacramento. Judge Awoniyi was appointed to the bench by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2012. During her tenure, she has served rotations in Family Law, Criminal Domestic Violence, Criminal Trials, and Master Calendar for all Criminal assignments. She also served as the Supervising Judge for Family Law and Probate for four years and served two years as the court’s Assistant Presiding Judge.

Juvenile Court Supervising Judge Dena M. Coggins is the first Black woman from the Sacramento County bench to be nominated by a sitting president to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. Judge Coggins was appointed to the bench by Gov. Gavin Newsom in March 2021. She presides over dependency matters.

Veteran court employee Ginger Durham is the first Black woman to serve as Jury Commissioner for Sacramento Superior Court. Durham is a Nationally Certified Court Manager through the National Center of State Courts and has worked at the court for 18 years. In addition to Jury and Interpreter Services, she has also managed the court reporters and court attendants throughout her career, is an active participant in several statewide pilot programs, is the Language Access Representative for the Sacramento Superior Court and is on the bargaining team for the Region 3 Courts in the court’s labor relationship with the California Communications Workers Union.

Laetesia Ible is the first Black woman to serve as the court’s Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining the court in 2023, Ible had more than 15 years of experience with Sacramento County in various fiscal roles. She previously managed the Sacramento County Probation Department’s Fiscal Unit as a Senior Administrative Analyst, overseeing all budgetary, purchasing, accounting, contracting, and grant reporting for the department.

In honor of Women’s History Month, the Sacramento Superior Court recognizes all women leaders who have made indelible marks on the judicial system. Their courage, determination, and commitment to justice are inspiration for an equitable and inclusive future.