County Employee Appointed to Superior Court Bench

Presiding Judge Jeffrey B. Barton (left) swore in Frank Birchak (right) on July 6

Deputy Public Defender Frank Birchak is on the move – to the other side of the bench. Birchak, 42, was appointed to a judgeship in the San Diego County Superior Court.

Birchak, whose final day at the County was last week, spent 12 years with the Public Defender’s Office. He was first assigned to the Alternate Public Defender’s in 2004 where he represented parents and minors in cases with child victims.

In 2008, he was transferred to the downtown section of the Alternate Public Defender’s Office and soon became the division’s large-scale financial crimes specialist. He handled cases involving multimillion dollar theft and fraud.  And in 2010, his role expanded to include serious and violent felonies, and homicides with special circumstance.

Birchak was then appointed director of training for all divisions of the Public Defender’s Office in 2014. In addition, he worked on issues related to Prop. 47, police body camera evidence and Electronic Communications Privacy Act waivers.

“The hallmark of Frank’s tenure with this office has been his singular devotion to the causes of our clients and his unrelenting pursuit of excellence,” Public Defender Henry Coker said in an announcement email.

Birchak was sworn in on July 6 and started his new post Monday. He’s uncertain which court he will be assigned to—such as civil, criminal, family or juvenile court.

“It’s a new challenge and it’s really exciting,” Birchak said. “There are a lot of great judges that I’m proud to call colleagues now.”