California judicial news

• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 5/16/2012, May 16, 2012
• Three Senior Federal Judges pass away in past week, May 11, 2012
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 5/9/2012, May 09, 2012
• Jacqueline Nguyen confirmed to Ninth Circuit, May 08, 2012
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 5/2/2012, May 02, 2012
• Temporary bankruptcy judgeships extended, Apr 22, 2012
• Happy Meal Lawsuit Dismissed, Apr 16, 2012
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 3/28/2012, Mar 28, 2012
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 3/21/2012, Mar 22, 2012
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 3/7/2012, Mar 07, 2012
• DOMA Key Provision Struck Down, Feb 25, 2012
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 2/15/2012, Feb 15, 2012
• California bill drives wedge in judiciary, Feb 10, 2012
• Federal 9th Circuit judges uphold overturning of California Proposition 8, Feb 07, 2012
• Donations Capped for San Diego Politicians, Jan 29, 2012
• Supreme Weekly: Redistricting, ethics charges and major rulings, Jan 12, 2012
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 1/11/2012, Jan 11, 2012
• Supreme Weekly: Redistricting in the state Supreme Courts, Jan 05, 2012
• Governor Brown announces first Superior Court appointments, Jan 03, 2012

• Judge McManus to retire from Nevada County Superior Court, Dec 23, 2011
• Proposition 8 supporters ask appeals court to overturn ruling, Dec 09, 2011
• Supreme Weekly: Freshman governors and their 2011 Supreme Court appointments, Dec 08, 2011
• Two death penalty sentences reversed in California, Dec 06, 2011
• California Supreme Court gives standing to ballot measure sponsors, Nov 17, 2011
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 11/16/2011, Nov 16, 2011
• Judge Ishii announces move to senior status, Nov 15, 2011
• Federal Circuit Court judge passes away after 31 years on the bench, Oct 26, 2011
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 10/19/2011, Oct 19, 2011
• Real estate investor sentenced in federal court, Oct 13, 2011
• Judge Wanger retires at age 70, Oct 06, 2011
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 9/28/2011, Sep 28, 2011
• Ninth Circuit Judge Pamela Rymer passes away at the age of 70, Sep 23, 2011
• Supreme Weekly: All over the map, Sep 01, 2011
• California Judicial Council to consider new fees in trial courts, Aug 29, 2011
• Supreme Weekly: Judicial surveys and court room confrontation, the truth may hurt, Aug 11, 2011
• Supreme Weekly: Headlines in California, Alabama and Virginia, Jul 28, 2011
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 7/27/2011, Jul 27, 2011
• Goodwin Liu nominated to California Supreme Court, Jul 26, 2011
• Supreme Weekly: The news in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Missouri, Jul 21, 2011
• Orange County judge publicly admonished, Jul 19, 2011
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 7/13/2011, Jul 13, 2011
• Supreme Weekly: Budgets and pensions hit the courts, Jun 16, 2011
• California Chief Justice appoints judges to Judicial Council, Jun 03, 2011
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 5/18/2011, May 18, 2011
• Facebook privacy suit decided in favor of the company, May 16, 2011
• Three nominated to federal district courts, May 12, 2011
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 5/11/2011, May 11, 2011
• Obama appoints six to district court, one to appellate court, May 05, 2011
• California Legislature commends African-American justices, Apr 25, 2011
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 4/13/2011, Apr 13, 2011
• Supreme Weekly: Vacancies in California, Virginia and New Jersey, Apr 07, 2011
• Federal Courts, Empty Benches:The Wednesday Vacancy Count 4/6/2011, Apr 06, 2011
• Superior Court judge calm about next year's election, Apr 04, 2011
• Supreme Weekly: Tensions mounting in the states, Mar 24, 2011
• Senate votes confirm three federal judges to posts in Illinois and California, Mar 09, 2011
• McAdams retires from California Court of Appeal, Mar 03, 2011
• Senior Ninth Circuit Court judge passes away, Feb 23, 2011
• U.S. Senate confirms Edward Davila to federal court, Feb 18, 2011
• Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye addresses Sacramento area legal community, Feb 11, 2011
• Three new judges join the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Central California, Jan 26, 2011
• Moreno to leave California Supreme Court, Jan 08, 2011

• Four down, thirty-four judicial confirmations to go, Dec 21, 2010
• Governor Schwarzenegger appoints 18 to California's Superior Courts, Dec 20, 2010
• Senate confirms four federal judgeships, Dec 20, 2010
• Magistrate Mueller confirmed to U.S. District Court judgeship, Dec 18, 2010
• 19 new judges named to California superior courts, Dec 09, 2010
• Replacement appointed for Tulare County Superior Court judge, Dec 08, 2010
• Schwarzenegger appoints four to Superior Courts, Dec 03, 2010
• Judge Holmer announces retirement, Oct 18, 2010
• Federal judges Walker and Jack to retire in 2011, Sep 30, 2010
• Governor Schwarzenegger announces five judicial appointments, Aug 13, 2010
• Los Angeles Superior Court judge to retire in November, Aug 11, 2010
• Tani Cantil-Sakauye nominated for California Chief Justice, Jul 21, 2010
• Chief Justice George will retire from California bench, Jul 15, 2010
• Schwarzenegger announces 17 appointments, Jul 06, 2010
• New California Judges Association president elected, Jun 17, 2010
• Superior Court Judge Gutman dies, Jun 15, 2010
• Koh confirmed to federal judgeship, Jun 09, 2010
• Unofficial primary election results: California, Jun 09, 2010
• Liu's nomination approved by Senate committee, May 15, 2010
• Superior Court Judge Salcido files lawsuit against colleague, May 14, 2010
• Judges in California county resistant to pay waivers, May 12, 2010
• California Superior Court Judge sworn in, May 04, 2010
• New magistrate judge to join the Central District of California, Apr 13, 2010
• California court rules that electronic signitures are invalid, Apr 09, 2010
• SBX2 11, Mar 28, 2010
• New candidates in race for retiring California judge's position, Mar 08, 2010
• California Supreme Court overturns rulings against bike footrests, Feb 10, 2010
• California high court refuses to hear murder case, Feb 04, 2010
• California high court ruling on Jessica's Law, Feb 02, 2010
• California judge to retire, Jan 29, 2010
• California Supreme Court challenges state's sexual predator law, Jan 28, 2010
• Candidate drops out of race for Los Angeles Superior Court, Jan 27, 2010
• California judge retires, Jan 23, 2010
• California high court rules against law setting limits on medical marijuana possession, Jan 22, 2010
• President renominates two judicial candidates, Jan 22, 2010
• Federal nomination made for the Northern District of California, Jan 22, 2010
• New candidate for Los Angeles Superior Court announced, Jan 20, 2010
• Federal judge Florence-Marie Cooper deceased, Jan 15, 2010
• Tobacco firms ordered to pay woman who died from lung cancer, Jan 15, 2010
• Court-ordered plan to reduce prison overcrowding approved, Jan 14, 2010
• U.S. Supreme Court blocks TV cameras in Prop 8 courtroom, Jan 11, 2010
• Governor's budget means cuts for prisons, health, welfare, and state pay, Jan 09, 2010
• Federal trial on Proposition 8 to be televised, Jan 07, 2010

• Ninth Circuit suspends disclosure order on Prop 8 backers, Dec 04, 2009
• Nguyen confirmed to Central District of California, Dec 02, 2009
• Four federal judge nominees approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, Oct 16, 2009
• District judge to resign due to insufficient pay, Sep 17, 2009
• California courts seeking budget deficit solutions, Aug 12, 2009
• Four nominees named for federal California district courts, Aug 10, 2009
• LAPD consent decree case, Jul 20, 2009
• Judge, state conflict over pay cut, Jul 15, 2009
• Public pension data released, Jul 06, 2009
• Legislation reviewed by the Judicial Council, Jul 02, 2009

Legislation reviewed by the Judicial Council
The Judicial Council of California has reviewed legislation suggested by the 2009 Senate and Assembly, and offer this summery of approved bills: Status of 2009 legislation considered by the Policy Coordination and Liaison Committee.

New Judge Spent More Than $360,000 to Win Seat, Records Show

(9/22/2008) Financial intakes and expenditures for Los Angeles County judge races.

How to judge the judges

(5/29/2008) Point-counterpoint opinion in the LA Times notes the difficulty of running for judicial offices is that the posts are countywide, and it is difficult to connect with voters. Los Angeles County municipal courts to have consolidated with the larger Superior Court. Now in L.A. County, voters have a difficult time acquainting themselves with the would-be jurists.

California Supreme Court overturns gay marriage ban

(5/15/2008) Los Angeles Times coverage of the 4-3 supreme court ruling that declared the state's consitution protects "a fundamental 'right to marry' that extends equally to same-sex couples." The majority opinion was written by Chief Justice Ronald M. George.

Do county payments to judges amount to bribes?

(4/22/2008) Two California "activists" lobbied Attorney General Michael Mukasey to investigate what they deem courtroom corruption by Los Angeles County Superior Court judges who receive "unwarranted" payments from Los Angeles County (i.e. the state). Even though legislation that requires judges to file financial disclosure forms already exists, the two argue that inquring minds have to unnecessarily probe the Secretary of State and County Registrar’s Office for said documentation.

Web site boasts quick lawsuits

(4/15/2008) Monterey, CA-- Sueeasy.com, an online portal that "allows users to browse pending court actions online and join other consumers' cases" starts to make headwaves.

California Supreme Court rejects living wage appeal

(4/11/2008) Los Angeles County hoteliers were dealt a major setback when the state high court declined to hear hotel management appeals to a lower court ruling, which held the city's living wage ordinance is lawful. The Hotel Association for Los Angeles may yet appeal the case on different grounds.

Judge quits after another admonishment

(4/9/2008) James M. Brooks, a former Orange County Superior Court judge resigned from his seat after repeated public admonishment from the state's Commission on Judicial Performance. Brooks's final offense materialized during a 2005 employee-discrimination case, in which he over-ruled objections using hand-lettered signs and egged on an attorney who had taunted a plaintiff with the "Twilight Zone" theme. The Commission ruled that Brooks had failed to maintain order and decorum in his court.^[1]

Carson minister targets Latino judges to make way for Filipinos

(March 28, 2008) A Los Angeles County pastor initiated a write-in campaign designed to unseat Latino judges, and get Filipino ones elected in their place. The pastor said he targeted Latino judges since their names are "almost the same" as Filipino ones.

• Judicial candidates: Show us the money! (3/24/2008) A Los Angeles Times blog entry discusses the role of money in judicial campaigns.

Six more judges must face the ballot

(3/24/2008) One hundred thirty-eight unchallenged Los Angeles Superior Court judges were automatically re-elected in 2008; 16 judicial races were contested. See also: "Carson minister targets Latino judges to make way for Filipinos".

"Followed Rates" and Leading State Cases, 1940-2005

A study conducted by UC Davis confirms earlier data that showed the California Supreme Court is the most "followed" state supreme court. According to the study, "many of the California decisions have undergone a gestation period before garnering multiple follows by out-of-state cases. This phenomenon is most pronounced in the pre-1970 decisions." Some of the most followed cases include:

• Bernhard v. Bank of America
• Temple Community Hospital v. Superior Court
• Dillon v. Legg
• Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California
• Foley v. Interactive Data Corp.
• Seely v. White Motor Co.
• Barker v. Lull Engineering Co.
• Ray v. Alad Corp.
• Rowland v. Christian
• Lucas v. Hamm

(See report for more cases, especially of civil and criminal natures.)