Meet Yosemite’s Federal Judge

When I first started on the California courts beat I was surprised to learn that a federal judge holds court inside what I think is the most beautiful setting in the country: Yosemite Valley.

Magistrate Judge Helena Barch-Kuchta is nearing five years into her tenure overseeing cases in Yosemite, the country’s third oldest national park and one of the most visited. Crimes committed on park land — from drunk driving to illegal poaching — are charged under federal law.

I drove out to Yosemite this summer to talk with Barch-Kuchta about what it’s like to live and administer justice in ...