New presiding judge steps into role at San Diego Superior Court

With the start of the new year, San Diego Superior Court has a new presiding judge, a technology supporter who steps in as the court moves toward providing digital access to criminal cases — a project years in the making.

Presiding Judge Michael Groch also takes the helm of California’s second-largest trial court system as it continues working through how best to implement Proposition 36, a year-old measure that toughened penalties for petty theft and drug possession for repeat offenders.

Groch, 59, will lead in the oversight and management of a court system with 154 judicial officers, nearly 1,100 employees and a budget topping $220 million. The term lasts two years.

Groch is a fan of both technology and efficiency, and several years ago was the driving force behind taking the process of getting a judicial warrant to the digital realm. That means police officers no longer have to drive to the court, track down an available judge, then head to the business office to file the warrant.

“Wherever I see inefficiency, I know we can do better than that,” he said Monday. “I’ve always been of that mindset that if there’s a better way to do something, let’s do it.”

A prosecutor for nearly 20 years, Groch said he was one of the co-founders of the District Attorney’s Office’s high-tech task force created more than two decades ago. And as a judge, he has been appointed to consecutive terms on the state’s Judicial Council’s Information and Technology ...