Hon. Michael A. Caves
Judge
Judge Michael Caves presides over civil and criminal cases at all stages of litigation, including trial, in Kern County. He was a licensed attorney and a fulltime criminal prosecutor in California for over 15 years before he became a Judge on the Superior Court of California. Prior to becoming an attorney, Judge Caves served on active duty in the U.S. Army for five years as an intelligence interceptor and analyst. He served overseas for over a year after 9/11, and is a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Judge Caves has a Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Communication; J.D.; LL.M; a Master of Public Administration; a Master of Arts in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peacebuilding; and a BA in Communication. Since 2009, Judge Caves has taught and designed graduate and undergraduate courses in subjects related to ethics, law, criminal prosecution, intellectual property, politics, mediation, negotiation, and public policy. These courses have had recent teaching appointments through both the California State University system and the University of California system. Judge Caves has written eight books, and has been published over 35 times in academic, literary, and research journals. Judge Caves is a member of a number of academic honor societies, including Golden Key International Honour society, Pi Gamma Mu, Phi Theta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Delta Phi, and Omicron Delta Kappa, among others. In 2024, Judge Caves was named to the Fulbright Specialist roster in law by the U.S. Department of State.
Commissioner Gina M. Cervantes
Commissioner
Commissioner Gina Cervantes has been a commissioner for the Kern County Superior Court since 2022 and presides over small claims, civil harassments, civil limited, unlawful detainers, and labor appeals. Commissioner Cervantes received her BA in Psychology from California State University at Fresno in 1997 prior to earning her J.D. from the California Pacific School of Law in 2002. After law school, she worked as an associate at Borton Petrini, LLP from 2002 to 2010. Commissioner Cervantes worked in her own private practice for one year, and then became an associate at Thomas Anton & Associates from 2011 to 2015. Commissioner Cervantes was the director of litigation for Greater Bakersfield Assistance from 2016 to 2018 and a senior research attorney for the Kern County Superior Court before joining the bench.
