Commissioner Belasco presides over Dept. SM5 in the
Santa Maria Miller Division
as well as the Solvang and
Lompoc Divisions.

A second generation Californian Commissioner Belasco came to Santa Maria in 1976 after receiving his J.D. at U.C.L.A.. He received his B. A. at Claremont Men’s College and, as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow, earned an M.A. at the University of Chicago in 1967.

He served four years as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Kingdom of Lesotho before entering law school in 1971. His selection as a Court Commissioner followed 13 years in private practice. In court he emphasizes the need for mutual respect and understanding.