Twice, the California Supreme Court has unanimously adopted 3rd District Justice Jonathan Renner's reasoning. The former legal...
New 4th District Presiding Justice Joanne Motoike, whose dissents were twice vindicated by the state Supreme Court, faces rete...
Smiley's rulings trace limits of law from flagpoles to criminal courts
By Laurinda Keys
Justice Charles A. Smiley III has ruled on flag displays, criminal sentencing and probation conditions since joining the 1st D...
Justice Stone reversed murder conviction after judge advised prosecutors
By Laurinda Keys
Justice Natalie Stone reversed a murder conviction over a judge's efforts to aid prosecutors and has written on rent control, ...
Justice Shama Mesiwala, a former 3rd District research attorney, has written on prison credits, tribal child welfare and crimi...
Martinez's eviction ruling reaches high court ahead of retention vote
By Laurinda Keys
Presiding Justice Gonzalo C. Martinez, Jr., whose L.A. eviction ruling is before the California Supreme Court, has written opi...
New presiding justice Cody brings close reading, collegiality to Division 6
By Laurinda Keys
Presiding Justice Tari L. Cody of the 2nd District Court of Appeal, Division 6, a former juvenile court judge known for taking...
Wilson pairs focus on courtroom fairness with mentoring future lawyers
By Laurinda Keys
Justice Charles E. Wilson II of the 6th District Court of Appeal has written on courtroom fairness, worker pay and government ...
Justice Audra Mori, whose family's wartime internment shaped her views on fairness and equal treatment, has written opinions e...
Justice Laurie Earl helped lead the 3rd District out of a yearslong case backlog while emphasizing quality over speed, an appr...
Justice Zukin helped build state's judicial mentor program, faces first retention vote
By Laurinda Keys
Presiding Justice Helen Zukin of the 2nd District Court of Appeal, Division 4, a former complex-litigation lawyer who helped d...
Desautels' rulings weigh deference, responsibility and litigation choices
By Laurinda Keys
Justice Tara Desautels' appellate opinions examine burdens, deference and trial tactics, reflecting an approach shaped by her ...
Justice Danny Chou, an appellate lawyer at heart, faces first retention vote
By Laurinda Keys
Justice Danny Y. Chou of the 1st District Court of Appeal, a longtime public-law appellate lawyer who helped win marriage equa...
Justice Victor G. Viramontes of the 2nd District Court of Appeal, a former civil rights litigator and sixth-grade teacher, fac...
Justice Gregory J. Weingart, a former federal prosecutor, Munger Tolles partner and family law judge, brings a varied backgrou...
Stewart, who argued San Francisco's marriage-equality cases before joining the bench, has written a series of opinions reversi...
Presiding Justice Tracie L. Brown of the 1st District Court of Appeal, a former federal prosecutor who wrote the opinion large...
Presiding Justice Brian M. Hoffstadt of the 2nd District Court of Appeal, Division 5, known for questioning lawyers early and ...
Government
He napped on a courthouse bench. Now he's asking voters to keep him on one.
By Laurinda Keys
Justice Victor A. Rodríguez of the 1st District Court of Appeal, who spent his career in public service and ran Alameda County...
New Division 3 presiding justice faces voters with record of rulings that cut both ways
By Laurinda Keys
A former dependency judge who put off applying to the appellate bench to gain trial experience, Justice Rashida Adams now lead...
Petrou's PG&E defamation ruling heads to high court as she faces voters
By Laurinda Keys
Justice Ioana Petrou, whose ruling wiping out a $2.16 million verdict against PG&E is before the state Supreme Court, face...
Burns' rulings trace boundaries of fairness in government proceedings
By Laurinda Keys
Kim rulings weigh what public agencies owe employees, litigants, ratepayers
By Laurinda Keys
Judges and Judiciary
Justice's dissents question results he says law cannot support
By Laurinda Keys
Justice Kenneth R. Yegan, on the appellate bench since 1990, brings a direct writing style to disputes over criminal law, stat...
Judges and Judiciary
Banke's rulings emphasize substance over labels as she seeks new term
By Laurinda Keys
Justice Kathleen M. Banke, who struck down San Francisco's vacancy tax this month, seeks a new 12-year term as her recent opin...
Judges and Judiciary
Richardson rulings explore who may turn to California courts and how
By Laurinda Keys
Judges and Judiciary
Election 2026: Longest-serving 1st District justice seeks new 12-year term
By Laurinda Keys
Justice Mark B. Simons, the 1st District's longest-serving member, seeks a new 12-year term after recent rulings show his focu...
Judges and Judiciary
Election 2026: Wiley brings writer's approach to work on appellate bench
By Laurinda Keys
Justice John Shepard Wiley Jr.'s appellate opinions reflect his emphasis on clear judicial writing, practical consequences and...
The results for the primary judicial elections in 34 counties have been certified. See the full results here.
Judges and Judiciary
LA Judge Pat Connolly survives razor-thin reelection race
By Laurinda Keys
Judge Patrick E. Connolly narrowly won reelection after a campaign focused on his judicial discipline history, highlighting th...