Judge Gregory S. Tavill

Judge Gregory S. Tavill has served on the San Bernardino County Superior Court since his appointment by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in March 2007, making him a long-tenured member of the bench in the Inland Empire region. He received his legal education at the University of San Diego School of Law. The available public record documents his involvement in serious felony criminal matters, specifically high-profile sentencing proceedings in cases involving violent crime. Documented cases include the 2014 Ontario body parts case sentencing, a 2016 sentencing in an Ontario toddler beating death case, and a 2018 sentencing in which a defendant received 25 years to life for a 2013 Fontana beating and stabbing slaying. No disciplinary records exist with the California Commission on Judicial Performance, reflecting a clean record across more than 17 years on the bench. The cases documented in the public record are exclusively serious violent felony matters at the sentencing phase. This pattern reflects assignment to, or handling of, high-stakes criminal proceedings involving significant prison terms. The sentencing outcomes documented — including a 25-years-to-life term — indicate Judge Tavill has presided over cases where the prosecution sought and obtained substantial custodial sentences. No civil, family law, or other case type data is available from the provided sources. Because no ruling analyses, attorney observations, or ingested content are available beyond the biographical and appointment data, the intelligence picture for Judge Tavill is limited to confirmed structural facts: appointment year, appointing authority, law school, court assignment, and three documented high-profile criminal sentencing matters. Attorneys should treat this profile as a starting point and supplement it with direct research into San Bernardino County Superior Court records and local practitioner networks.

Given that the documented case record for Judge Tavill consists entirely of serious violent felony sentencing proceedings, attorneys appearing before him in criminal matters — particularly at sentencing — should prepare with the understanding that he has experience handling the most serious categories of violent crime cases in San Bernardino County. The documented outcomes include a 25-years-to-life sentence, which reflects willingness to impose substantial terms where the facts and law support them. Defense counsel at sentencing should ensure mitigation packages are thorough, well-documented, and presented with supporting evidence rather than bare argument. No data is available regarding Judge Tavill's preferences on motion practice, evidentiary rulings, civil procedure, or courtroom management style. Attorneys in non-criminal matters, or in pre-trial criminal proceedings, cannot draw direct inferences from the available data. Local San Bernardino County practitioners who have appeared before Judge Tavill in his current assignment at the San Bernardino Justice Center are the most reliable supplemental source for tactical guidance beyond what this profile can support. Judge Tavill's 17-plus years on the bench without any California Commission on Judicial Performance disciplinary action is a factual baseline. Attorneys should approach his courtroom with the standard professionalism expected of an experienced jurist with a long institutional record.

• critical

  Research Current Department Assignment at San Bernardino Justice Center

  Confirm Judge Tavill's current department and case type assignment at the San Bernardino Justice Center before any appearance. Court assignments can change, and knowing his current docket type is essential for targeted preparation.

• critical

  Prepare Comprehensive Sentencing Materials in Violent Felony Cases

  Given the documented pattern of serious sentencing proceedings, defense counsel must prepare detailed, evidence-supported mitigation packages. Prosecution counsel should ensure aggravating factors are fully documented in the record.

• important

  Consult Local San Bernardino County Practitioners

  No attorney observations are available in this profile. Attorneys unfamiliar with Judge Tavill should consult local criminal defense attorneys and prosecutors with direct courtroom experience before him to supplement this data gap.

• important

  Review San Bernardino County Superior Court Local Rules

  In the absence of judge-specific procedural preference data, strict compliance with San Bernardino County Superior Court local rules and the San Bernardino Justice Center's standing orders is the baseline standard.

• important

  Search Trellis and CourtConnect for Recent Rulings

  No ruling analyses were available at the time this profile was generated. Attorneys should independently search Trellis, CourtConnect, and San Bernardino County case records for any recent written orders or minute orders from Judge Tavill's courtroom.

• ›Treat Judge Tavill as an experienced jurist with over 17 years on the bench — avoid over-explaining foundational legal concepts without cause.
• ›Arrive fully prepared on sentencing matters; the documented case record reflects high-stakes proceedings where thorough preparation is essential.
• ›Maintain strict professional decorum consistent with standards expected in serious felony proceedings, which constitute the documented record of his courtroom.
• ›Confirm all local rules and any standing orders specific to Judge Tavill's current department at the San Bernardino Justice Center before appearing.