Tips from the Bench: Judge Herbert Exarhos
If you have the chance to have a case in the East County Courthouse you may hear the legend of Judge Herbert Exarhos. Judge Exarhos rides his motorcycle to work every day and has been a pillar of the East County Courthouse since 1993. He loves serving the community and does not see retirement in his future.
A Breadth of Experience Like No Other
Judge Exarhos was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and moved with his family as a kid to San Diego County’s East County area in 1949. He has called East County his home ever since and loves life in this area.
As a teenager, Judge Exarhos attended San Miguel School, which is now a part of the Bishop’s School in La Jolla, CA, and graduated at 15 years old. He then attended California Western University and finished college at 19 years old. After college, a time when others normally might take time for a job, Judge Exarhos went straight to law school and would ultimately graduate from California Western School of Law (now known as Cal Western) at the age of 22.
Judge Exarhos then served as a Captain in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps (“JAG”) first at Fort McClellan, first in Alabama, then in Vietnam. It was difficult to get into the JAG program at this time because the country needed soldiers for the war effort. Judge Exarhos attributes a recommendation letter he received from the dean of Cal Western with getting him into the JAG program. He earned a Bronze Star during the war because he was willing to go into unsafe areas of combat and defend soldiers in military court-martial hearings, which had to be tried where the case arose. After Vietnam, Judge Exarhos took a position at Fort Carson in Colorado. There he developed his love for skiing and motorcycles.
After his time in the JAG was over, he became a Deputy City Attorney for the City of San Diego. At this time, it was a one-year program and not a career focused position. He was able to get some trial experience under his belt and moved on to private practice, where he would become a Certified Family Law Specialist.
Life as a Judge
Judge Exarhos has served on the bench since 1983. He was appointed by Governor George Deukmejian and was moved from his family law practice to serving as the Supervising Judge of the East County Division. At the time of his appointment, the East County Courthouse was a municipal court handling smaller cases. He served on the bench when the courts in San Diego decided actions were to be heard where they arose (sometime between 2001 and 2002). Ever since then he has handled all types of criminal or civil cases which have found their way before his bench. He has seen thousands of cases but does not have a favorite.
Judge Exarhos’ office shows his home personality as well. Neatly kept but with photographs from his many different motorcycle trips on the back of one of his Harley-Davidson motorcycles. He still rides to work and takes the occasional long-distance trip with his daughter, who also rides motorcycles. He has been to Sturgis, the Harley Davidson 100th Anniversary celebration in Milwaukee, WI, the Tail of the Dragon in Tennessee, and other places as well. During his time in the JAG, he crossed every roadway which went over the Continental Divide. Nowadays when he has spare time, Judge Exarhos enjoys riding missions with the Patriot Guard Riders. Recently, Judge Exarhos led a group of mostly motorcycle-riding veterans from El Cajon to Miramar National Cemetery to honor deceased military veterans and law enforcement officers. Judge Exarhos has been a member of this group for over 10 years and has ridden in 350 missions with the group.
Due to his judicial experience, he was able to choose his office in the Courthouse. He has taken up the penthouse of the East County Courthouse which is situated just below the old jail cells with a beautiful view of El Cajon Mountain (or El Capitan as some call it). And the old jail cells are exactly that: old jail cells. Prior to their removal, the East County Courthouse was one of the only courthouses with a functioning jail at the top. The walls were poorly constructed, which resulted in a few prisoners attempting to carve holes and rappel down the sides of the courthouse; of course, some wouldn’t make it that far safely.
Judge Exarhos is a terrific representation of East County mainly because he lives in it. He knows the people, the landscape, and the way of life. He feels no urgency to retire because he truly loves serving on the bench. For him it is not just a career but also his life’s purpose. He will continue riding his motorcycle to work to serve the East County community as long as he is able to do so.
Words of Wisdom from 40+ Years on the Bench
Judge Exarhos’ advice is simple: concentrate on the facts of your case and maintain a sense of humor. He likes to keep things in perspective with each case he presides over. Judge Exarhos wants to advise young lawyers to maintain a realistic view when managing a case before him. He doesn’t always critique lawyers in his courtroom as he has to remain impartial with what he says. He notes that if he does critique a lawyer, it will come through in his rulings or in a sidebar conference during trial. Even if you feel lost, there will be a guidepost to put you back on the right trail to success in Judge Exarhos’ courtroom.