Judge Kristi J. Peariso: Professional Background and Legal Expertise

The Hon. Kristi J. Peariso is a judge for the Ventura County Superior Court in California. She was appointed to the bench by Governor Gavin Newsom on March 18, 2022, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Kevin J. McGee.

Prior to her appointment, Peariso was a sole practitioner in her own private practice, a law firm she opened in 2007. She supplemented her practice by teaching at the Southern California Institute of Law.

Peariso earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She then completed a J.D. at California Western School of Law in 1998.

After graduating from law school, Peariso began her legal career as a deputy public defender in the Mendocino County Public Defender’s Office. She served in that capacity until 2000, at which time she transferred to the Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office (2000). However, her time in Santa Barbara was brief. Later that year, she moved to the Ventura County Public Defender’s Office.

Peariso was a resident of Camarillo, California, at the time of her appointment.

She is registered as a Democrat.