California Court of Appeal Associate Justice Elena J. Duarte retired at the end of May after 15 years on the court and more than 19 years of judicial service. Duarte was appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2010 after serving on the Sacramento and Los Angeles Superior Courts.

According to a court press release, her appointment helped mark the first time three women served simultaneously on the 11-member court, and in 2012 she sat on the first all-female panel to hear oral argument at the Third District.

In May, she was honored as the Sacramento County Bar Association’s Judge of the Year and received a lifetime achievement award from the Cruz Reynoso Bar Association. “The decision to serve the public and be visible in the community for my entire career thus far has been the best decision I ever made,” Duarte said in the press release. SL