Judge Nancy De la Peña

Judge Nancy De la Peña has served on the Santa Cruz County Superior Court since January 4, 2021, following her election to the bench in 2020. She made history as the first openly LGBTQ+ judge in Santa Cruz County. Prior to joining the bench, she worked as a private attorney, and her campaign materials consistently identified her as 'Attorney Nancy de la Peña.' The case record available from public sources confirms that Judge De la Peña has presided over serious criminal matters, including a vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run case resolved by guilty plea in October 2024, and a homicide-related sentencing involving a defendant convicted of secretly recording himself killing his girlfriend in November 2024. These cases reflect assignment to, or handling of, significant felony criminal matters in Santa Cruz County. Because no analyzed rulings, attorney observations, or ingested content are available at this time, no patterns regarding her judicial philosophy, sentencing tendencies, motion practice preferences, or courtroom demeanor can be stated with confidence. The intelligence in this profile is drawn exclusively from verified biographical and case-assignment data. Attorneys should treat this profile as a baseline and supplement it with direct courtroom observation and local practitioner consultation before appearing before Judge De la Peña.

Given that Judge De la Peña came to the bench from private practice rather than a prosecutorial or public defender background, attorneys in criminal matters cannot assume a built-in institutional alignment with either the prosecution or defense. Her background as a private attorney is the only pre-bench career data available, and no specific practice area has been confirmed in the source data. The confirmed case types — vehicular manslaughter, hit-and-run, and a violent homicide sentencing — indicate that Judge De la Peña handles serious felony criminal matters. Attorneys appearing in these case types should be prepared for substantive engagement on sentencing factors, victim impact, and the factual record. No data is available to characterize her approach to plea agreements, sentencing departures, or evidentiary rulings, so attorneys should not assume any particular disposition. In the absence of ruling data or attorney observations, the most effective preparation strategy is to consult with Santa Cruz County practitioners who have appeared before her, review any publicly available minute orders or transcripts from her courtroom, and approach her courtroom with the standard professionalism expected in any serious felony matter.

• critical

  Consult Local Santa Cruz Practitioners

  No attorney observations are in this database. Direct consultation with attorneys who have appeared before Judge De la Peña in Santa Cruz County Superior Court is the highest-value preparation step available.

• critical

  Review Publicly Available Minute Orders and Transcripts

  Search Santa Cruz County Superior Court records for minute orders, sentencing transcripts, and hearing records from Judge De la Peña's courtroom to identify any observable patterns in her rulings and courtroom management.

• important

  Prepare Thoroughly on Sentencing Law for Felony Matters

  Confirmed case assignments include vehicular manslaughter and homicide sentencing. Any attorney appearing in a serious felony matter before her should be fully briefed on applicable sentencing statutes, enhancements, and relevant case law.

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  Review Local Court Rules for Santa Cruz Superior Court

  Familiarize yourself with Santa Cruz County Superior Court's local rules, standing orders, and any department-specific procedures that apply to Judge De la Peña's courtroom.

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  Monitor Recent News Coverage of Her Courtroom

  Public news coverage has documented at least two notable cases she presided over in late 2024. Monitoring local Santa Cruz news sources can surface additional case outcomes and procedural patterns.

• ›Treat all proceedings with the formality appropriate to a serious felony court; confirmed case assignments involve violent crimes and manslaughter, indicating a high-stakes docket.
• ›Arrive fully prepared on the factual record; the cases documented in her courtroom involved complex fact patterns requiring command of the evidence.
• ›Respect the historical significance of her position as the first openly LGBTQ+ judge in Santa Cruz County — conduct yourself with professionalism and avoid any conduct that could be perceived as dismissive of the court's dignity.
• ›Consult Santa Cruz County local rules and any posted department-specific procedures before your first appearance to ensure compliance with her courtroom's administrative requirements.