SANTA ANA – Former Superior Court Judge Donald E. Smallwood, who was the presiding judge of the Orange County bench in 1992-93, died Thursday after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his esophagus. Full Article at The Orange County Register

Survived by: Godfather Byron Sher; Sons; Mike Frost, Jess Huff, Wes Chesbro, George Larson, Ralph Chandler, Ed Heidig, Dan Pennington, Paul Relis, Steve “Moose” Jones, Danny Eaton, Jose Medina, Mike Paparian, David Roberti, Carl Washington, Mark Leary,... Full Article at Capitol Weekly

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has complained that he doesn't get to pick his own lieutenant governor, a position he thinks should be more first mate than political detractor if it must exist at all. He could soon get his wish. If Democratic Lt. Gov. Full Article at Sacramento Bee

Born: Jan. 7, 1939 Died: Oct. 26, 2009 Survived by: Wife, Janet of Sacramento; sons, Matthew and Evan, both of Sacramento; sisters, Mary Pat Ziegler of Corona, and Judy Eagan of Salt Lake City; brothers, Larry of Park City, Utah, Gary of Salt Lake... Full Article at Sacramento Bee

By Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Tony Beard and Greg Schmidt, Secretary of the Senate. The day started with the usual grey West Coast beach overcast which, as the bagpiper played, soon began to break. Full Article at California's Capitol

Robert G. Beverly, a Republican who served in the state Legislature for nearly 30 years and may be best known for consumer-protection legislation that led to California's lemon laws, has died. He was 84. Full Article at Los Angeles Times