Maura Dolan reports in today’s Los Angeles Times. (I’m quoted in the article.)
“Brown’s failure to fill the spot for so long has puzzled the legal community and led to widespread speculation that he may be planning to appoint someone from his administration whose services he will need until he leaves office.” That someone, the article says, could be Joshua Groban (a senior advisor to Governor Brown most responsible for advising the Governor on judicial appointments), Peter Krause (the Governor’s legal affairs secretary who, among other things, advises on clemency requests), or Anne Gust Brown (a close aide and the Governor’s wife).