Meet Gerald Pfohl

Gerald Pfohl’s entire life has led to this moment. He is a product of Riverside County. He has built a career here based on integrity and justice. He has served the community professionally and personally to make a positive impact. Now, he wants to continue to serve as a Riverside County Superior Court Judge.

Public service is a part of Gerald’s DNA. Gerald's father Harry was a Captain in the California Highway Patrol. Gerald has been a dedicated member of the Riverside Community for over 30 years, having moved to Temecula in 1993. Gerald attended undergrad at UCLA, graduating in 2004 and earning bachelor’s degrees in history and political science. During high school and college (2000-2003,) Gerald worked at the Lake Elsinore Storm as the on-field announcer. In-between half innings, Gerald would announce promotions and contests. After college, Gerald attended the University of San Diego School of Law. In 2007, he graduated from USD with his juris doctorate.

After graduating law school, Gerald had two goals: to make his own roots in Riverside County and to serve the people of his community by working in the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. Gerald joined the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office in the summer of 2007. For more than 16-years since, Gerald has been one of the top prosecutors in the office. He has forged a well-rounded career where he has prosecuted every kind of criminal offense, including child molestation and murder. In 2023, Gerald made national news for prosecuting the first jury trial in the nation where the jury returned a guilty verdict for murder for a defendant who furnished fentanyl to a victim that died taking it. Gerald has spoken at schools throughout Riverside County on the dangers of fentanyl, he has provided numerous trainings to law enforcement throughout the state, and he has written for the California District Attorney’s Association. In 2023, the Riverside County Southwest Bar Association named Jerry as their Attorney of the Year.

As part of his dedication to service, Gerald has been a longtime volunteer with the Riverside County Mock Trial program, the same program that he competed in in high school. Mock Trial gives students the opportunity to be attorneys and witnesses in a competition against other high schools. Gerald volunteered for his alma mater, Temecula Valley High School, for 16 years, helping TV win the county championship in 2008 and giving kids the skills to strive for careers in the law and the confidence to feel empowered through public speaking.

Gerald has been married to Marianna Maxwell for over 10 years. Marianna is a local physical therapist and another hometown Temeculan. They have two children, their eight-year old daughter Rory and their five-year old son Cooper. As a family, they are excited and hopeful for the road ahead. Gerald is excited to continue to serve the people of his community as a fair and knowledgeable judge, who will treat all with respect and strive to make sure that everyone who comes into his courtroom that their case will be handled the right way.

A note from Gerald Pfohl

This election is special to me in ways that are beyond description. John Davis has served the people of Riverside County for decades, both as a deputy district attorney and as a superior court judge. I met John while I was in the seventh grade. His son remains one of my best friends. In high school, he was my mock trial coach. He taught me more about courtroom work than any law school course could. I am an attorney because of the skills that he taught me. The judicial seat I am running for is Judge Davis’s seat. Judge Davis recently made the decision to retire from the bench. All these years later, in a full circle moment that is more poetic than I could have imagined, he gave me his blessing to run for his judicial seat. That is one of many reasons this race is so personal to me. No matter what, I hope that the work I have done and will continue to do will make him proud.