The Honorable Peter L. Gallagher has retired from the San Diego Superior Court bench after serving for more than 20 years as a judge. Judge Gallagher spent most of his career presiding over criminal trials.
Before he became a judge, Judge Gallagher worked as a prosecutor with the San Diego District Attorney's Office for over 13 years. His early legal career began in private practice in New Orleans before he moved to San Diego in 1989. He received his law degree from Temple University School of Law and is a bar member in four states, including California, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
Throughout his career, Judge Gallagher focused on assisting victims of domestic violence, persons with addictions, homeless and economically challenged veterans. He helped design a pilot program with the District Attorney’s Child Support Division and Vietnam Veterans of San Diego to assist in resolving veterans’ child support issues and arrangements for future payments.
In addition to his contributions to the justice system, Judge Gallagher was also active in the community. He served as the chairman of the San Diego Lions Baseball Tournament, the oldest, largest, and most prestigious high school baseball tournament in the nation. He was also a member of the St. Paul’s Senior Services Foundation Board and served as the San Diego Downtown Lions Club president.
Judge Gallagher received several accolades during his distinguished career, including the Community Connections Drug Treatment organization award for his work as a prosecutor in the various treatment courts in San Diego. He was also awarded the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Director Award for community endeavors with veterans’ groups. The San Diego Crime Commission awarded Judge Gallagher with the Blue Knight Award, and he received the 2017 Richard Thurman Award from the San Diego branch of Mental Health America.
Judge Michael Smyth, San Diego Superior Court Presiding Judge, said, “The court will miss his ability to handle any type of case sent his way, from petty thefts to difficult homicides, as well as his willingness to juggle multiple cases at once. Just as much, though, we will miss his larger-than-life personality and his huge heart. He cares deeply about the human side of the justice system, and it showed in every case he touched. His well-deserved retirement is a great loss to the court.”
After retiring from the bench, Judge Gallagher plans on continuing community endeavors while enjoying sunny days at the beach.
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