Judge Amy Holliday

Judge Amy Holliday was appointed to the Sacramento County Superior Court by Governor Gavin Newsom on January 6, 2025, making her one of the newest members of the bench at the Gordon D. Schaber Sacramento County Courthouse. Her entire pre-bench career was spent as a prosecutor at the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office, where she handled serious felony matters. Her most notable prosecutorial work was her role on the People v. Joseph James DeAngelo case — the Golden State Killer prosecution — in which DeAngelo pleaded guilty in June 2020 to 13 murders and 161 uncharged crimes. That case involved extensive coordination of victim impact testimony, complex evidentiary issues, and high-stakes plea negotiations. Because Judge Holliday was appointed in January 2025 and no ruling analyses, attorney observations, or ingested content are currently available, her judicial philosophy and courtroom tendencies as a judge cannot be characterized from observed patterns. What is established is that she brings a prosecutorial background exclusively — no defense-side or civil practice history is reflected in the available data. She also ran for Sacramento Superior Court Judge in 2023 prior to her appointment, demonstrating a sustained interest in transitioning to the bench. Attorneys appearing before Judge Holliday should treat her as a judge whose judicial temperament and ruling tendencies are not yet documented in available sources. Her prosecutorial background in serious felony cases is the primary lens through which her professional experience can be understood at this time.

Given Judge Holliday's exclusive background as a prosecutor — particularly in serious felony cases — criminal defense attorneys should be prepared for a judge with deep familiarity with prosecution-side procedures, evidentiary standards in criminal matters, and the mechanics of plea negotiations. Her experience on the Golden State Killer case means she has direct exposure to complex, multi-victim criminal proceedings, victim impact considerations, and high-profile plea resolutions. Defense counsel should not assume unfamiliarity with prosecutorial tactics or evidentiary arguments. For civil practitioners, no data exists to characterize her civil litigation preferences, procedural tendencies, or motion practice style. Until rulings and observations accumulate, civil attorneys should approach her courtroom with thorough preparation on procedural rules and be ready to educate the court on civil-specific doctrines without assuming a civil litigation background on her part. Because no ruling data is available, attorneys in all practice areas should prioritize clarity and precision in written submissions and oral argument. Establishing a clear factual record and grounding every argument in statutory or case authority is a sound baseline approach for any newly appointed judge whose preferences have not yet been documented.

• critical

  Research Any Available Rulings Post-January 2025

  Because no rulings are currently in the dataset, attorneys should independently search Trellis, the Sacramento Superior Court docket, and legal research platforms for any orders or tentative rulings issued since her January 2025 appointment before any appearance.

• critical

  Prepare Thorough Statutory and Case Authority Citations

  With no documented judicial preferences available, grounding every argument in clear statutory text and on-point case authority is essential. Do not rely on the judge's familiarity with civil procedural nuances given her prosecutorial background.

• important

  Anticipate Victim-Centered Framing in Criminal Matters

  Her prosecutorial career, including the Golden State Killer case, involved significant victim impact components. In criminal proceedings, attorneys should be prepared for the court to take victim impact and victim rights considerations seriously.

• important

  Review Sacramento Superior Court Local Rules

  As a newly appointed judge, she operates under the court's established local rules and general orders. Strict compliance with local rules on formatting, filing deadlines, and motion procedures is a baseline requirement.

• important

  Consult Colleagues Who Have Recently Appeared Before Her

  Given the absence of documented observations, direct outreach to attorneys who have appeared before Judge Holliday since January 2025 is the most reliable way to gather current courtroom intelligence.

• ›Treat her courtroom as one where prosecutorial procedure and criminal law are deeply familiar to the bench — do not over-explain basic criminal procedure concepts in criminal matters.
• ›Arrive fully prepared on the facts and procedural posture of your case; her background in a highly complex, multi-victim prosecution suggests comfort with detailed factual records.
• ›Follow all Sacramento Superior Court local rules and standing orders precisely, as no data exists indicating any deviation from standard court expectations.
• ›In criminal proceedings, address victim rights and victim impact issues with care and specificity, consistent with her prosecutorial background in serious felony cases.