He was 14 when he killed a man. She was the sentencing judge. The law left her no choice: The youth before her would get 25 years to life in prison for first-degree murder. The courtroom was in tears, both for the college student who’d been fatally shot during a robbery and for the far-too-young s hooter himself. What unfolded in the decades that followed melded that heartbreaking case into part of the legacy of San Diego Superior Court Judge Joan Weber. Inspired by the victim’s father, who saw victims on both ends of the gun, Weber gave ardent support to the grieving father’s work in restorative justice. She helped him spread his message and decades later wrote in support of the youth’s successful bid for parole. Even-handed and eloquent, Weber has a keen mind — and heart — for the law, with a passion for criminal law in particular. “I think I have absolutely one of the most fascinating jobs of any person in San Diego County,” she told the Union-Tribune. Over the last 35 years, Weber has presided over thousands of criminal matters, including hundreds of homicide cases. Before her have stood the broken parents of slain victims and countless defendants — many remorseful, a few defiant. Outside the courtroom, she has been devoted to community outreach and civics education, even founding an annual program that introduces school kids to the courts. She has received multiple awards — state, local and national — for her work. At 70, Weber has spent half her life putting on the black robe. Now, as one of the region’s longest-serving and most highly regarded jurists, Weber is retiring, closing a remarkable career that leaves an enduring mark on those who’ve seen her at work. “Irreplaceable,” Chief Deputy Public Defender Jo Super said of Weber. “Exceptional,” said District Attorney Summer Stephan. “A judicial icon,” said San Diego Superior Court Presiding Judge Michael Groch. “Caring,” said Tony Hicks, the former youth she sentenced to life three decades ago. ‘Firm, fair and consistent’ Weber was relatively young, 35 years old, when she first took the bench in 1990. “She distinguished herself very early as one of the elite criminal judges,” said retired Superior Court Judge David Danielsen, who was appointed to the judiciary the same year as Weber. “She was someone court leadership knew they could trust with even the biggest cases,” said Danielsen. Complex criminal matters were routinely intentionally sent her way. “It’s a combination of equanimity, intelligence, no nonsense,” he said, quickly adding, “She’s just whip smart.” San Diego Superior Court Judge Joan Weber puts on her robe while in her chambers at the San Diego Central Courthouse on Dec. 29. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune) Attorneys and judges praise her steady hand and devotion to fairness. They agree she has a presence, a je ne sais quoi that commands respect. “Judge Weber never viewed a case as just another case; she always understood the significance of justice to crime victims and to those accused of crimes,” Stephan said. “I have no doubt that she will be remembered in the history of the judiciary as an exceptional judge who lives and breathes the principles of an independent and courageous judiciary that is only beholden to justice and the rule of law.” Chief Deputy District Attorney Tracy Prior said she learned by watching Weber that “being firm, fair and consistent can almost look melodic” when it’s done with the “excellence” she said Weber brings. Defense attorneys bring equal applause. “Her courtroom is a place where every voice is heard with respect and where the rule of law was applied with both strength and compassion. She approaches each case thoughtfully and diligently,” Super said. Defense attorney Jose Badillo has tried complex murder cases before her and says he always assured his clients that they would get a fair trial there. “Judge Weber is the very definition of a jurist who honors the law by protecting those who stand before it,” he said. Decades ago, Groch appeared in front of Weber as a young prosecutor and he remembers thinking, ‘Oh, man, this is Judge Weber. I’ve got to up my game even further.’” “She has that presence,” he said. “She makes you feel comfortable, but you darn well better know your stuff.” A former prosecutor herself, Weber found her legal passion in handling criminal cases. She has presided over difficult matters, including the murder of an Oceanside police officer, the torture and abuse death of an Escondido toddler by his mother’s boyfriend, the slaughter of four boys by their mother in their San Marcos home. She has handed down the death penalty twice. She also gives second chances. Weber was still a relatively new Superior Court judge when she was assigned what she calls her legacy case. ‘The most difficult sentencing’ In January 1995, Hicks, then an eighth-grade gang member, shot and killed San Diego State University college student and pizza delivery driver Tariq Khamisa during a robbery in North Park. Under a then-brand-new law, Hicks became the first 14-year-old to be tried as an adult in California. Hicks pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, and Weber handed him the mandatory sentence: 25 years to life. His sentencing, Weber said, “will remain the most difficult sentencing of my entire judicial career.” In the jury lounge of the Vista Courthouse, local high school students participating the Youth In Court program listen to convicted murderer Tony Hicks, at right, speak in March. Back to camera is Judge Joan Weber, who presided at his trial. (Charlie Neuman / U-T file) But in the months that followed, “something amazing happened,” she said. Azim Khamisa, father of the 20-year-old victim, created the Tariq Khamisa Foundation, dedicated to stopping youth violence. He also approached Hicks’ grandfather (who’d been raising Hicks) with an outstretched hand. TKF flourished as the two men worked together, sharing their story from small rooms to TED Talks. Weber was watching. “I got involved fairly early on because I realized they were on to something,” she said. More than 30 years on, the foundation has connected with 600,000 youths across the country. For many years, Weber has brought in TKF leadership to speak at events, from high school presentations to a meeting of the California Judges Association and a national conference of the National Association of Women Judges. “I bring them everywhere because I think they have a remarkable story to tell,” she said. Azim Khamisa said last week that Weber has a “perfect blend of understanding punishment and empathy.” His daughter and Tariq’s sister, Tasreen Khamisa, says Weber “really cares about young people and the future of the youth.” Hicks earned parole on his first try after 25 years in prison, with TKF behind him and Weber among his supporters. He is now in his mid-40s and has for years been a part of the organization named for the man he killed, sharing his story of redemption. Hicks said last week that he was “very aware” of how unusual it was to have the sentencing judge on his side at his parole hearing. “She’s committed to service and helping her fellow human beings,” Hicks said. “That says more to me about an individual than anything else.” In the jury lounge of the Vista Courthouse in March 2025, Tony Hicks hugs Judge Joan Weber after Hicks addressed hundreds of high school students participating in Youth in Court. At left is Azim Khamisa, the father of the man Hicks killed. (Charlie Neuman / U-T file) Hicks and TKF leadership will be on hand in Vista next month to speak to high school students attending San Diego Superior Court’s annual Youth In Court program. Happenstance, but this year the program is slated for March 6, which would have been Tariq’s 52nd birthday.  Weber is the creator and driving force, along with Judge Richard Cline, behind Youth in Court, an annual daylong program designed to expose students to the judicial system — from mock trials for elementary students to breakout sessions for high school students. In 2005, the American Bar Association hailed it as one of the best outreach programs in the country. Because of Weber, the older kids have heard from a wide mix, including a gang member scarred in a shooting, defense attorneys who’ve represented murder defendants, and former youths who had been in high school when they drove drunk, crashed and killed a friend. Last year, about 300 students heard from Hicks, his first time speaking at the event. There’s more to her efforts to bring the law to young minds. For more than a decade, she has judged the San Diego County High School Mock Trial competition and also written mock trials that continue to be used across the state. And aside from all that, she is an advocate for wellness. Over the years, Weber came to realize that the horrors of criminal cases can spill over onto everyone in the courtroom. Jurors, she said, would write to share that they were “very traumatized” by what they saw during trial. A staffer once had a panic attack in the courtroom. Weber began speaking at conferences and workshops to encourage people exposed to vicarious trauma in the courtroom to be “very vigilant” about their mental health. ‘Fascinated’ by criminal law The Cincinnati native graduated cum laude from Ohio State University and earned a law degree from the University of Arizona (third in a class of 135). In 1980, she headed west to San Diego and spent a year clerking for 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Clifford Wallace, who is still active in that position. She got a taste of criminal law — Miranda issues, search and seizure questions — and was “fascinated.” But first followed a short stint in civil litigation in Arizona. Then came seven years as a federal prosecutor in San Diego — “the greatest job a young lawyer could have, hands down,” she said. She prosecuted a Navy sailor for espionage. She handled several cases involving child sexual abuse material and several more involving major drug trafficking. She argued about 15 cases before the 9th Circuit, and she assisted the U.S. solicitor general when her cases landed before the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1987, Weber earned the Attorney General of the United States Director’s Award for Superior Performance. In 1990, then-Gov. George Deukmejian appointed her to the San Diego Municipal Court. Four years later, then-Gov. Pete Wilson elevated her to be a San Diego Superior Court judge. Weber continued moving up on the judicial administrative side in many supervisory roles. She also spent several years as a member of the court’s Executive Committee. Weber is a former president and vice president of the California Judges Association and also served a year as an advisory member of the California Judicial Council. Her honors and awards include the American Bar Association Pursuit of Justice Award in 2016.  A few years ago, California Women Lawyers presented her with the Joan Dempsey Klein Distinguished Jurist Award. And just last year, the San Diego County Bar Association tapped her with a Certificate of Recognition for Community Impact. More than two decades earlier, the same group chose her for its Outstanding Jurist Award for 2004. Weber has been married to a (now-retired) attorney for more than 39 years, and they have two daughters — one a schoolteacher, the other an attorney. They also have three grandsons. “There comes a time for everyone,” Weber said when asked about stepping away. “I really feel we have a lot of fabulous new judges coming on the bench, and they deserve to start moving into major cases and taking over important positions.” Even in retirement, she will continue to be on the bench now and again, on assignment as needed. She loves her work. ...read more read less