Nonpartisan Judicial Offices

Note: this post will be periodically updated! (10/07/2026)

VOTER GUIDE – QUICK LINKS:

OMG!!! There’s a whole page of these on my ballot! How do I know if they’re good or bad?

The GOP have historically paid A LOT MORE ATTENTION TO JUDGES than we have, pushing toxic ones into lifetime seats, including those of the Supreme Court, through their powerful Federalist Society. We pay attention to those who earn the approval of right-wing groups like the far-right’s Election Forum, the Christian Nationalist Craig Huey and Carl (Mini-Trump) DeMaio’s Reform California.

Here’s the questionnaire they use to make their decisions…No worries. Nothing to see here. Move along!

Election Forum/Craig Huey Judicial Questionnaire.

“The questions below cover your judicial outlook. You are allowed under the law to respond to questions regarding issues (Republican Party of Minnesota v. White 536 U.S. 765 (2002)). We already have your professional biography.  You may answer these questions on a separate document and attach the document to this questionnaire.

  1. What is your name and what office are you running for?
  2. How could the judicial system be improved? Please provide your top 2-3 ideas.
  3. What well-known U.S. or California Supreme Court judge (living or deceased) do you most admire?
  4. What is your opinion regarding the use of homeschooling as a choice by parents for the education of their children?
  5. Many lawsuits have been filed against Christian bakers, florists and photographers over refusing to violate their conscience on the marriage issue. How do you view religious liberty/civil rights tension?
  6. Do you consider yourself a strict constructionist or judicial activist? Why?
  7. What is your judicial philosophy on constitutional matters?
  8. What do you believe is the basis for law?
  9. Do you believe the Constitution is a living document?
  10. When do you believe life begins?
  11. Have you held public office previously? If yes, please list which office(s) and the years you held that office(s).
  12. Published writings: If you have authored any published writings (not judicial decisions), please provide applicable links/URLS.
  13. Please describe/list any pro bono or community service activities you have engaged in.
  14. What person(s) and/or organization(s) have endorsed your candidacy?
  15. Please detail anything else you believe would assist us in rating you as a judicial candidate.
  16. Do you believe in absolute truth? Why or why not?  If you believe in absolute truth, what is the source of absolute truth?  If you do not believe in absolute truth, how do you determine what is true?

These organizations also appear to use the party of the nominating governor as part of their analysis, so we’ve also marked that in as well.

https://electionforum.orghttps://voterguide.craighuey.com/vencounty_voter/https://www.reformcalifornia.org/voter-guides/venturaNominating governors
Governor George Deukmejian (R)

Governor Newsom (D)

Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.(Jerry Brown) (D)

Governor Gray Davis (D)

This is their grading system.

(Note: If there is a conflict between the analysis done by Election Forum/Craig Huey and Reform California, we consider the recommendation by the former group more indicative.)

Judges who either answer in a way that makes them sad, or those who ignore their questionnaire entirely (we think this is the majority) get a 1 or 2-star rating and a “DO NOT RETAIN” grade.

However, one candidate in the list, Kenneth R. Yegan, definitely filled out their questionnaire and his answers landed him in their “VERY GOOD” range. Coincidentally, he was one of the few appointed by a Republican governor and the only one Reform California approves of.

There is basic quality control for ALL the candidates on your ballot!

QUALIFICATIONS: To serve as a justice, a candidate must have practiced law for at least 10 years in California or served as a judge in California for at least 10 years.

So why are we involved in all this?

Following confirmation from the Commission on Judicial Appointments, the appointed justice is sworn into office and is subject to voter approval at the next gubernatorial election. The appointed justice must be confirmed by voters via a “YES-NO” retention election. “(laist) Elections for appellate courts work differently than when you vote for county judges. Candidates don’t run against each other to become justices. Instead, voters are asked whether to keep sitting justices in their posts. These nonpartisan races are called retention elections, which are fairly common in the U.S…

…Lots of people have questioned whether it’s a good idea to elect our judiciary because of concerns that it politicizes the roles. Efforts to stop doing so have failed. Last year, a state assemblymember introduced an amendment to scale back voting here, but the measure, ACA 8, was gutted and turned into California’s high-profile redistricting bill.”

Ready?…here we go!

For Associate Justice of the Supreme Court

Kelli M. Evans – Appointed to Vacancy

(supreme.courts.ca.gov) “Justice Kelli M. Evans serves as an Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court. Before joining the Supreme Court, Justice Evans served as a Judge in the Alameda County Superior Court, presiding over both criminal and civil matters.

Prior to her appointment to the Alameda County bench, Justice Evans served as Chief Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary in the Office of Governor Newsom, where she advised the Governor and executive agencies on a variety of legal, policy, and legislative issues.

Justice Evans previously served as Special Assistant to the Attorney General at the California Department of Justice with a focus in criminal justice, public safety, and civil rights law and policy.

Justice Evans has had a career of public service. Before joining the California Department of Justice, she served as Senior Director for the Administration of Justice at the California State Bar. Prior to joining the State Bar, she was Associate Director of the ACLU of Northern California and served as a Senior Trial Attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and as an Assistant Public Defender at the Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office. Justice Evans also has served as a member of federal court-appointed monitoring teams for the Oakland and Cleveland Police Departments.

Justice Evans has sat on the governing boards of a number of non-profit organizations and currently serves on the California Commission on Access to Justice. She has received numerous awards and recognition including the King Hall Distinguished Alumna Award, the Stanford Trailblazer Award, Judge of the Year Award, Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service, State Bar President’s Award, and a Medal of Achievement from the Washington Metropolitan Police Department.    

Justice Evans received her undergraduate degree from Stanford University and her law degree from the University of California at Davis, where she was the recipient of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for Public Service.“

We recommend “YES”
on Kelli and appreciate her one star rating.		equality CA

DO NOT RETAIN

For Associate Justice of the Supreme Court

Joshua P. Groban – Elected

(supreme.courts.ca.gov) “Justice Groban began serving on the California Supreme Court in January 2019. Previously he was the Senior Advisor to Governor Jerry Brown and advised the governor on judicial appointments, legal policy and legislative issues.

Justice Groban advised the governor on the appointment of over 600 judges, or roughly one out of every three judges in the state. He received numerous awards from bar groups and other legal organizations for his work on judicial appointments. He also served on a local school board, participated in mentor programs for college and law students, and frequently lectured on judicial appointments. Justice Groban has also taught State Appellate Practice at the UCLA School of Law.

Justice Groban had previously been in private practice, where he specialized in complex civil litigation, with a focus on antitrust, internal investigations, and intellectual property. 

Justice Groban grew up in San Diego, where he attended public schools. He received his bachelor’s degree with honors and distinction from Stanford University. He received his J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he graduated cum laude. Following graduation, he clerked for the Honorable William C. Conner in the Southern District of New York.”

They both hate him, so definitely vote “YES”
on Joshua!

DO NOT RETAIN

For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal 2nd Appellate District, Division 1

Michelle C. Kim – Appointed to Vacancy

(appellate.courts.ca.gov) “Justice Michelle C. Kim was nominated to serve on the Second District Court of Appeal, Division One by Governor Gavin Newsom. She was unanimously confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments after receiving an “exceptionally well qualified” rating by the Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation. 

Justice Kim was appointed to the Los Angeles Superior Court by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.  She served as Assistant Supervising Judge in limited jurisdiction for the Criminal Division and Site Judge at several courthouses.  She also presided over an unlimited civil calendar at the Spring Street Courthouse and an unlimited civil independent calendar court at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, both in downtown Los Angeles.  

Justice Kim received her B.A. in American Studies from Stanford University. She received her J.D. from UCLA School of Law.

After law school, Justice Kim served as a Deputy Public Defender and then Deputy Alternate Public Defender for Los Angeles County.  She tried numerous felony jury trial cases to verdict as sole trial counsel representing indigent clients.  Just prior to her appointment to the bench, she served as a departmental Head Deputy at the Alternate Public Defender’s Office.

Justice Kim is currently Vice Chair of the Los Angeles Judicial Selection Advisory Committee (LA JSAC) and is active in local bar associations and community organizations, including the Executive Committee of the LACBA Litigation Section.

Justice Kim was honored with the 2025 Judicial Service Award from the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association (SCCLA) for her service to the bar and bench. Justice Kim is a Girl Scout Gold Awardee.”

They both hate her, so definitely vote “YES”
on Michelle!

DO NOT RETAIN

For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal 2nd Appellate District, Division 1

Gregory Weingart – Appointed to Vacancy – Appointed to Vacancy

(appellate.courts.ca.gov) “Justice Gregory J. Weingart is an Associate Justice of the Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division One. He was nominated by Governor Gavin Newsom to the Court of Appeal in October 2022. The Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation rated him “exceptionally well qualified,” and the Commission on Judicial Appointments unanimously confirmed him in November 2022.

Justice Weingart grew up in Arizona before attending Pomona College, where he graduated cum laude, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and won the senior prize in philosophy. He thereafter attended Harvard Law School, where he graduated magna cum laude and along with his teammates won the Ames Moot Court competition.

Upon graduation from law school, Justice Weingart clerked for the Honorable Wm. Matthew Byrne, Jr. in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. After his clerkship, he was an associate at Munger Tolles & Olson LLP in Los Angeles from 1992 until 1995. He served as an Assistant United States Attorney in Los Angeles from 1995 until 2004, where he specialized in the criminal prosecution of white collar and corporate crime and served as the chief of the Major Frauds section. As a federal prosecutor, Justice Weingart tried numerous cases to verdict and argued frequently in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He received many accolades for his service as a federal prosecutor, including twice winning the Department of Justice’s Director’s Award, and frequently taught other prosecutors at the Department’s National Advocacy Center.

After leaving government service, Justice Weingart was a partner at Munger Tolles & Olson for nearly 15 years, where he practiced in the areas of complex civil litigation, criminal defense, and internal investigations. While at Munger Tolles, he sat on the firm’s management committee and co-chaired its recruiting committee. He had an active pro bono practice, and served on the boards of non-profit organizations including Mental Health Advocacy Services and Bridges Academy, a school for children with learning differences. His involvement with bar associations included the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Litigation Section and Judicial Elections Evaluation Committee, and the American Bar Association’s White Collar Crime committee.

Justice Weingart was appointed to the Los Angeles Superior Court by Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. in December 2017. While a Superior Court judge, he presided primarily over family law matters, and was involved in various committees and court initiatives focused on victims of domestic violence. He also was actively involved in judicial and bar education events.

In his personal time, Justice Weingart enjoys spending time with his family and being outdoors. He has summited Denali, Mount Rainer, and peaks in the Ecuadorian Andes, rock climbed the East Face of Mount Whitney, and enjoys fly fishing, cycling and snow sports.”

They both hate him, so definitely vote “YES!”

DO NOT RETAIN

For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal 2nd Appellate District, Division 2

Anne K Richardson – Appointed to Vacancy

(appelate.courts.ca.gov) “Justice Richardson has served on the Court of Appeal since November 2024. She was unanimously confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments after receiving an “exceptionally well qualified” rating by the Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation.

She was appointed to the Los Angeles Superior Court in October 2018 by Governor Brown. She served there for six years, first in family law and then in a civil courtroom. She actively served on many committees during her time there, including Ethics, Rules Committee, Domestic Violence, and Mentorship. She also served as a Justice pro temfor the Second Appellate District, Division Three.

Justice Richardson received her B.A. in Philosophy from Swarthmore College. She received her J.D. with Distinction from Stanford Law School, where she was an editor on the Stanford Law Review. She began her legal career by clerking for the late Mariana R. Pfaelzer, District Court Judge for the Central District of California. After her clerkship, she worked in private practice at Hadsell Stormer Richardson & Renick and its predecessors for 24 years. In that capacity, she litigated in state and federal court at both the trial level and in the courts of appeal. She then worked at Public Counsel for four years, where she directed the litigation of complex consumer cases before her appointment to the bench.

Justice Richardson has taught at Loyola Law School and the University of California, Irvine School of Law.  Over the course of her career, Justice Richardson has taught at many legal conferences and in judicial education. She has written articles, book chapters, and book reviews. She is currently on the Executive Board of the California Judges Association and a member of the National Association of Women Judges, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and the American Bar Association.

Justice Richardson has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including two California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) awards and an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell. An avid hiker, skier, and baker, she lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their rescue cat. She has one adult son.”

Oooh! One star for Anne.
That’s a “YES” for us!

DO NOT RETAIN

For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal 2nd Appellate District, Division 2

Stephen Goorvitch – Appointed to Vacancy

(appellate.courts.ca.gov) “Stephen Goorvitch is an Associate Justice of the Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Two.

Justice Goorvitch was born and raised in California and attended public schools K-12. Justice Goorvitch began his legal career in Washington, D.C., where he worked for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Division of Enforcement. Justice Goorvitch then served as a law clerk to the Honorable Nora M. Manella of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, and to the Honorable Rosemary S. Pooler of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Justice Goorvitch worked in private practice at O’Melveny & Myers, LLP. Justice Goorvitch also served as a federal prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. 

On November 13, 2015, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. appointed Justice Goorvitch to the Los Angeles Superior Court, where he presided over civil and criminal cases. Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Justice Goorvitch to the Court of Appeal on February 19, 2026, and he was unanimously confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments on May 22, 2026.   

Justice Goorvitch graduated from the University of California at San Diego and received his law degree from the University of California at Berkeley. Justice Goorvitch was a high school teacher between college and law school.

Justice Goorvitch is committed to animal rescue and has volunteered with his local humane society and a non-profit dog rescue organization.”

They both hate him, so definitely vote “YES!”

DO NOT RETAIN

For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal 2nd Appellate District, Division 3

Mark K. Hanasono – Appointed to Vacancy

(appellate.courts.ca.gov) Mark Hanasono is an Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Three.  In May 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom nominated him for the Court of Appeal.   In June 2025, the Commission on Judicial Appointments unanimously confirmed Justice Hanasono, after receiving an “exceptionally well qualified” rating from the Judicial Nominees Evaluation Commission.

Justice Hanasono received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley, graduating summa cum laude with membership in the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.  He received his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. 

After graduating from law school, Justice Hanasono worked as a judicial law clerk in the District of Columbia Superior Court.  From 2000 to 2004, he was an attorney for the Office of the Los Angeles County Public Defender, representing indigent adult and juvenile clients.  In 2004, Justice Hanasono transferred to the Office of the Los Angeles County Alternate Public Defender, where he represented indigent clients in all felony cases, including capital murder.  He also served as a Team Leader, supervising a team of felony attorneys assigned to the Central District.

In 2013, Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. appointed Justice Hanasono to the Los Angeles Superior Court, where he served in the Criminal Division for nearly twelve years.  From 2018 to 2019, Justice Hanasono was the Assistant Supervising Judge of the Criminal Division, Limited Jurisdiction Courts.  From 2020 to 2022, he was the Assistant Supervising Judge of the Criminal Division.  

Justice Hanasono has taught as a lecturer in law at UCLA School of Law.  He has served on the faculty of the Center for Judicial Education and Research and the Los Angeles Superior Court’s Judicial Education Seminars program and presented for the University of California’s Continuing Education of the Bar.  Justice Hanasono has published articles in the UC Law Constitutional Law Quarterly, the State Bar’s Criminal Law Journal, and Berkeley Law’s Asian American Law Journal.

They both hate him, so definitely vote “YES!”

DO NOT RETAIN

For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal 2nd Appellate District, Division 3

Rashida A. Adams – Appointed to Vacancy

(appellate.courts.ca.gov) “Rashida Adams is the Presiding Justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Three.

Justice Adams began her legal career in Washington, D.C., where she worked at a law firm specializing in employment discrimination and whistleblower litigation. In 2005, she joined a boutique firm in Los Angeles, where she practiced civil litigation. In 2008, Justice Adams joined the Court of Appeal as a research attorney in the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Eight.

In 2017, Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. appointed Justice Adams to the Los Angeles Superior Court, where she presided over juvenile dependency and criminal courtrooms. In 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Justice Adams to the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Three, as an Associate Justice.  In 2026, Governor Newsom appointed Justice Adams to serve as the Presiding Justice of Division Three.  The Judicial Nominees Evaluation Commission rated her “exceptionally well qualified” for both roles and the Commission on Judicial Appointments unanimously confirmed her in April 2023 as an Associate Justice, and in August 2026 as Presiding Justice.  

Justice Adams graduated from Harvard University and received her law degree from Yale Law School.”

Noticing a trend that it’s the women who are getting the one star ratings! Vote for Rashida!

DO NOT RETAIN

For Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal 2nd Appellate District, Division 4

Helen Zukin – Appointed to Vacancy

(appellate.courts.ca.gov) “Justice Zukin has served on the Court of Appeal since July 2023. She served as an Associate Justice in Division Four for two years and began serving as the Presiding Justice of Division Four in 2025.

In 2018, Justice Zukin was appointed to the Los Angeles Superior Court by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr., where she served for five years. Justice Zukin presided over family law, general jurisdiction civil trials, and an unlimited independent civil calendar court. She also served as the West District Site Judge for the Beverly Hills Courthouse.

At the Los Angeles Superior Court, she worked to establish the court’s Judicial Mentor Program and was involved in the development of the California Judicial Mentor Program. Also at the Los Angeles Superior Court, she served as an active member of the Diversity & Inclusion, Access and Fairness, and Community Outreach Committees, as well as the Equity and Inclusion and Civil Engagement Initiative Working Groups, and the New Judicial Officers Judicial Education Seminar Subcommittee. She has lectured on a broad range of legal subjects to judges, attorneys, and law students.

Justice Zukin was born and raised in Los Angeles. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree with high academic honors from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and her law degree from Loyola Law School.

After law school, Justice Zukin began her legal career as an associate at Greene, O’Reilly, Agnew & Broillet. She moved to Simke, Chodos, Silberfeld & Anteau, where she became a partner. Justice Zukin joined Kiesel Law in 2006, becoming a partner in 2010. Throughout her career, Justice Zukin practiced plaintiffs complex civil litigation, including mass toxic torts, pharmaceutical and defective device actions, product liability, environmental property damage, and health care actions.

Justice Zukin’s community engagement includes serving as Chair of the State Bar of California’s Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation (JNE) and Chair of its Review Committee. She has served as Chair of the LACBA Judicial Appointments Committee (JAC), Chair of the United States District Court, Central District of California Merit Selection Panel (MSP), and currently is Chair of the Los Angeles Judicial Selection Advisory Committee (LA JSAC). Justice Zukin is currently the Co-Chair of the Appellate Judicial Mentor Program. Justice Zukin is a member of the LACBA President’s Advisory Committee on Women in the Legal Profession (PAC-Women) and Co-Chair of the Promoting Women to Lead Subcommittee. Justice Zukin served as a member of the Board of Governors of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles. She is a current member of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers’ Board of Directors. Justice Zukin is a long-time member of the LACBA Litigation Section Executive Committee and served as its Chair in 2017. Justice Zukin has served as President of the Los Angeles Ethics Commission.

Justice Zukin is the recipient of LACBA’s 2025 Philip H. Lam Diversity Impact Award. She is also a recipient of the 2025 Armenian Bar Association Judges Night Award.”

Pattern is holding. A one star rating for a woman judge and a “YES” from us!

DO NOT RETAIN

For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal 2nd Appellate District, Division 4

Audra M. Mori – Appointed to Vacancy

(appellate.courts.ca.gov) “Justice Zukin has served on the Court of Appeal since July 2023. She served as an Associate Justice in Division Four for two years and began serving as the Presiding Justice of Division Four in 2025.

In 2018, Justice Zukin was appointed to the Los Angeles Superior Court by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr., where she served for five years. Justice Zukin presided over family law, general jurisdiction civil trials, and an unlimited independent civil calendar court. She also served as the West District Site Judge for the Beverly Hills Courthouse.

At the Los Angeles Superior Court, she worked to establish the court’s Judicial Mentor Program and was involved in the development of the California Judicial Mentor Program. Also at the Los Angeles Superior Court, she served as an active member of the Diversity & Inclusion, Access and Fairness, and Community Outreach Committees, as well as the Equity and Inclusion and Civil Engagement Initiative Working Groups, and the New Judicial Officers Judicial Education Seminar Subcommittee. She has lectured on a broad range of legal subjects to judges, attorneys, and law students.

Justice Zukin was born and raised in Los Angeles. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree with high academic honors from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and her law degree from Loyola Law School.

After law school, Justice Zukin began her legal career as an associate at Greene, O’Reilly, Agnew & Broillet. She moved to Simke, Chodos, Silberfeld & Anteau, where she became a partner. Justice Zukin joined Kiesel Law in 2006, becoming a partner in 2010. Throughout her career, Justice Zukin practiced plaintiffs complex civil litigation, including mass toxic torts, pharmaceutical and defective device actions, product liability, environmental property damage, and health care actions.

Justice Zukin’s community engagement includes serving as Chair of the State Bar of California’s Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation (JNE) and Chair of its Review Committee. She has served as Chair of the LACBA Judicial Appointments Committee (JAC), Chair of the United States District Court, Central District of California Merit Selection Panel (MSP), and currently is Chair of the Los Angeles Judicial Selection Advisory Committee (LA JSAC). Justice Zukin is currently the Co-Chair of the Appellate Judicial Mentor Program. Justice Zukin is a member of the LACBA President’s Advisory Committee on Women in the Legal Profession (PAC-Women) and Co-Chair of the Promoting Women to Lead Subcommittee. Justice Zukin served as a member of the Board of Governors of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles. She is a current member of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers’ Board of Directors. Justice Zukin is a long-time member of the LACBA Litigation Section Executive Committee and served as its Chair in 2017. Justice Zukin has served as President of the Los Angeles Ethics Commission.

Justice Zukin is the recipient of LACBA’s 2025 Philip H. Lam Diversity Impact Award. She is also a recipient of the 2025 Armenian Bar Association Judges Night Award.”

OK, Audra rated two stars but they still dislike her! Yay for Audra!

DO NOT RETAIN

For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal 2nd Appellate District, Division 4

Armen Tamzarian – Appointed to Vacancy

(appellate.courts.ca.gov) “Armen Tamzarian was confirmed as an associate justice by the Commission on Judicial Appointments in June 2025.  After being nominated for the position by Governor Gavin Newsom, he was rated as “exceptionally well qualified” by the Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation. 

Justice Tamzarian began his legal career as a research attorney at the Los Angeles Superior Court.  He then worked at the law firm of Case, Knowlson, Jordan & Wright LLP, first as an associate and then as a partner.  His practice focused on business, real estate, employment, and professional malpractice litigation, as well as constitutional law, in state and federal trial and appellate courts.  

Justice Tamzarian also worked as a senior appellate court attorney and then as lead attorney for the Honorable Patti Kitching in the Second District Court of Appeal, Division 3.

In December 2013, he was appointed as a judge at the Los Angeles Superior Court by Governor Edmund G. Brown.  There, he had family law, civil trial, and civil independent calendar assignments.  He presided over 100 jury and non-jury trials.  

Justice Tamzarian received a BBA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, double majoring in business and finance and history.  He received a JD from Southwestern Law School, where he received a full-tuition merit scholarship.

Justice Tamzarian is married and has one adult child.”

Definitely vote “YES”
on Armen!

DO NOT RETAIN

For Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal 2nd Appellate District, Division 5

Brian M. Hoffstadt – Appointed to Vacancy

(appellate.courts.ca.gov) “Justice Hoffstadt has served on the Court of Appeal since August 2014. He served as an Associate Justice in Division Two for ten years, and began serving as the Presiding Justice of Division Five in 2024.

Justice Hoffstadt is a third-generation Southern Californian. He grew up in the eastern San Gabriel Valley, and attended public schools from kindergarten through law school. In 1992, he graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a degree in business administration. Three years later, he graduated first in his class from UCLA School of Law.

Following law school, Justice Hoffstadt spent two years as a law clerk—first for the late Ninth Circuit Judge Cynthia Holcomb Hall, and then for the late Associate Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. For the next three years, he held legal policy posts at the Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Justice Department’s Office of Policy Development, both in Washington, D.C.

Justice Hoffstadt returned to Los Angeles, and joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office as a criminal prosecutor. He spent the next six years investigating, charging, and trying criminal cases involving everything from white-collar fraud and international extortion to computer hacking and trademark infringement. He also served in the Criminal Appeals section, where he regularly briefed and argued appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

He then entered private practice as a partner at Jones Day. For the next three and a half years, he helped run the Issues & Appeals practice group in the law firm’s Los Angeles office. In that capacity, he briefed and argued complex trial court motions in civil cases, and briefed and argued civil appeals and writs before the California and federal appellate courts.

His judicial nominations have come from Governors of both major political parties.  He was appointed to the Los Angeles Superior Court in 2010 by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and then spent the next four years presiding over criminal and civil calendars, including 50 trials. He was appointed to Division Two by Governor Jerry Brown, and appointed as the Presiding Justice of Division Five by Governor Gavin Newsom.

Justice Hoffstadt has devoted many years to teaching. He has taught as an adjunct professor at USC Gould School of Law, Loyola Law School, and The George Washington University Law School. He currently teaches Evidence at USC Gould School of Law. He has also taught judicial education courses all over the State of California on evidence, habeas corpus, domestic violence law, arbitration, civil jury instructions and verdicts, and criminal law. He has been a faculty member of the Judicial College since 2012. He chaired the 2017 Appellate Judges Education Institute Summit, and served on its Board of Directors and on the Executive Committee of the Appellate Judges Conference of the American Bar Association’s Judicial Division. He chaired the 2023 Appellate Justices Institute for California appellate judges. 

Justice Hoffstadt has also written extensively. He has authored or co-authored two books:  California Criminal Discovery (5th ed. 2015, 6th ed. 2020, 7th ed. forthcoming), and Evidence Law:  Practice, Problems, and Policy (1st ed. 2023) (co-authored with Professor Laurie Levenson). He has written nearly 100 columns for the Daily Journal.  He has published articles in the UCLA Law Review, Duke Law Journal, Texas Law Review, Northwestern University Law Review, and Southern California Law Review. He was elected to the American Law Institute in 2018, and serves as an Advisor on the Restatement (Third) of the Law of Torts: Defamation and Privacy.

Justice Hoffstadt is married to a public middle-school English teacher. They have two school-aged children.”

Hmmm…Reform CA wants him gone, the other says he’s barely acceptable. He is notable in that he was nominated by governors of both parties. We’re a yes here.


DO NOT RETAIN

For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal 2nd Appellate District, Division 6

Kenneth R. Yegan – Elected

(appellate.courts.ca.gov)

  • 1969: B. A. degree University of California, Santa Barbara.
  • 1972: J. D. degree University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.
  • 1972: Admitted to California State Bar; United States District Court (Eastern); United States Court of Appeal (Ninth Circuit).
  • 1972-1975: Deputy Public Defender, County of Ventura.
  • 1975-1982: Judicial Attorney, Court of Appeal, State of California, Second Appellate District.
  • 1976: Admitted to the Bar, United States Supreme Court.
  • 1982-1983: Private practice, Thousand Oaks, Ventura County.
  • 1983-1986: Judge, Municipal Court, County of Ventura.
  • 1983: Graduate, California Judicial College.
  • 1986: Assigned by Chairperson of Judicial Council to sit as pro tem Justice, Court of Appeal, Second District, Division Six, Ventura.
  • 1986-1990: Judge, Superior Court, County of Ventura.
  • 1990-Present: Associate Justice, Court of Appeal, State of California, Second Appellate District, Division Six (appointed by former Governor George Deukmejian)
  • 1991: Graduate, Institution of Judicial Administration, New York University School of Law.

ARTICLES WRITTEN:

  • Penal Code section 12022.5, Circa 1977 L.A. Bar Journal (March 1977).
  • Faretta – The California Experience, Vol. 53, No. 6, Cal. (1978) State Bar Journal.
  • Depublication, The Missing Determinate Sentence Law Opinions, L.A. Lawyer Magazine. (April 1982)

COMMUNITY SERVICE

  • California Judge’s Assn., Judge of the Year Humanitarian Award, 2009
  • Volunteer Ski Instructor, Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra 2003 to present
  • Wounded Warriors Ski Instructor, 2007 to present
  • Wounded Warrior Regimental Medal, 2012
Both Refore CA and Craig Huey are salivating over this guy – his answers on the questionnaire we posted at the top earned him a 4-star rating!
Truly, his record describes a person who has done a lot of charitable work and who is skilled at his job. 		Amy Coney Barrett got all the way to her Congressional confirmation hearing before the rest of us got proof that she didn’t consider Roe v. Wade a “super precedent,” i.e. settled law. Far-right groups had that proof long before.

Judge Yegar has not had to rule on the continuing existence of laws protecting abortion care, or the rights of the LGBTQ community in our state.		So , as of now, he is a black box of hidden possibilities were he to attain power over such decisions on a nationwide stage.

He will assuredly retain his seat, but until we know exactly how he answered on the questionnaire, we’re just stating that we don’t want him in higher seats, like SCOTUS.

This is interesting!

RETAIN!

History on the selection of judges back when Yegan was first getting started.

(LATimes – Article is from 1990) “For the past eight years, a small group of influential Ventura County Republicans has played a pivotal role in the selection of every new judge in the Superior and Municipal courts.

Working out of the public eye, this little-known group of judicial advisers has helped pick almost half the judges now serving in the Ventura County courts–its recommendations almost always accepted by Gov. George Deukmejian.

The most influential of the advisers–according to several sources–is Dist. Atty. Michael D. Bradbury, who has helped secure judicial appointments for nine assistant prosecutors out of the 11 judgeships that have opened up since Deukmejian’s election in 1982.

In addition to Bradbury’s input, three of the county’s top Republican Party stalwarts serve as an informal judicial screening panel for Deukmejian.

They are Paul Leavens of Ventura, former county campaign chairman for Deukmejian; Gwen Tillemans of Oxnard, county Republican chairwoman; and Katherine H. Haley of Ojai, a major Republican fund-raiser…

… Bradbury said that all 11 judges appointed by Deukmejian in the last eight years were recommended by him during the initial review process, including the nine former prosecutors from Bradbury’s office.

All the judges are white, nine of the 11 are Republicans and all but one are men.

Deukmejian appointed five out of the 15 sitting Superior Court judges, including Robert C. Bradley in 1984 and Barbara A. Lane, Kenneth R. Yegan, Frederick A. Jones and Edwin M. Osborne in 1986. All were elevated from Municipal Court positions. Osborne, a Democrat, is now presiding Superior Court judge.

Deukmejian also installed half of the 12 Ventura County Municipal Court judges, including Democrat Herbert Curtis III in 1984, John R. Smiley in 1986, Barry B. Klopfer in 1987, Charles W. Campbell Jr. and Ken W. Riley in 1988 and Thomas J. Hutchins in 1989.”…

…Bradbury said that party loyalties play no role in his recommendations to Deukmejian. As for the fact that nearly all of Ventura County’s judges are Republican, he said:

“I have a hunch it’s because people that go into law enforcement organizations, for example, prosecutors, tend to be Republican. But we’ve got our share of Democrats in the office.”

Although the three review panel members do not automatically reject Democrats, Leavens and Tillemans said they screen the legal records, family background and political views of potential nominees to make sure that they will hew to Republican philosophies.

“Through the years, we’ve had so many judges that were very lenient in so many ways . . . so we look for the good Republican principles,” Tillemans said. Asked to outline the principles that are reflected in nominees’ legal briefs and judicial rulings, she said, “It’s more government by the people than government for the people.”

For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal 2nd Appellate District, Division 6

Tari Cody – Appointed to Vacancy

(appellate.courts.ca.gov) “Justice Cody was unanimously confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments in 2023 as an Associate Justice to the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Six and in 2026 as the Presiding Justice. She was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom and received an “exceptionally well qualified” rating from the Judicial Nominees Evaluation Commission.

Before joining the Court of Appeal, Justice Cody was appointed by Governor Gray Davis and served on the Ventura County Superior Court for 22 years. Justice Cody presided over family law, civil, criminal, appellate, probate and juvenile cases. She served as the Supervising Juvenile Judge for several years. 

Justice Cody attended Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. After graduating, she began work as an associate with the Oxnard law firm of Nordman, Cormany, Hair & Compton later becoming a partner. In 1994, she joined the Westlake Village firm of Lemieux & O’Neill. Justice Cody served on the Ventura County Bar Association Board of Directors, and was a member and President of the Women Lawyers of Ventura County. 

Justice Cody has devoted many years to developing and improving judicial education in the area of juvenile law. She has worked on judicial education committees, taught judicial education courses, and is currently the co-chair of the California Judicial Council’s Family and Juvenile Law Advisory Committee where she helps lead the committee in advising the Judicial Council on pending legislation and the creation and amendment of state court rules and forms affecting family and juvenile law. Justice Cody was recognized by the Ventura County Trial Lawyers as Judge of the Year in 2018 and received the Women Lawyers of Ventura County Legacy Award in 2022. 

Justice Cody grew up in Southern California and attended the University of California, Irvine on an athletic scholarship. She graduated cum laude with degrees in economics and anthropology.”

Hmmm…Another mixed bag – Reform CA wants her gone, the other says she’s barely acceptable. We’re a yes here based on what we see in her bio.


DO NOT RETAIN

For Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal 2nd Appellate District, Division 7

Gonzalo Martinez – Appointed to Vacancy

(appellate.courts.ca.gov) “Justice Martinez is the Presiding Justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Seven.  

He was nominated by Governor Newsom to serve as an Associate Justice in Division Seven from 2023 until his confirmation as Presiding Justice in 2024 by the Commission on Judicial Appointments.

Justice Martinez previously served in the Governor’s Office as deputy judicial appointments secretary and also worked in legal affairs. He also served as a deputy solicitor general in the Office of the Solicitor General in the California Attorney General’s Office. He represented the State in significant civil and criminal matters in state and federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court and the California Supreme Court. 

Justice Martinez was previously in private practice. He was a partner in the Appellate and Supreme Court Practice Group at Squire Patton Boggs (U.S.) LLP, practicing before appellate and trial courts nationwide. He also worked at Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP and Morrison & Foerster. As an attorney, he was certified as a specialist in Appellate Law by the State Bar of California. The Daily Journal recognized him as one of the “Top 100 Lawyers in California.” 

He graduated from Harvard Law School and Harvard College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and literature, magna cum laude with highest honors. He earned a master’s degree in English from Stanford University. He clerked for the Honorable Maxine M. Chesney at the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, and for the Honorable Anthony W. Ishii at the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, both after several years of practice. 

Martinez was born in Porterville, California, where he attended public schools. He was an appellate lawyer representative and a district court lawyer representative to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Council. Martinez also served on the national board of governors for the Hispanic National Bar Association and in leadership roles in several local bar associations. He also coached high school mock trial teams and regularly speaks to law, college, and high school students.

He was elected to the American Law Institute in 2025.”

A one-star rating from them and a”YES” from us
on Gonzalo!”

DO NOT RETAIN

For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal 2nd Appellate District, Division 7

Natalie P. Stone – Appointed to Vacancy

(appellate.courts.ca.gov): “Justice Natalie P. Stone is an Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Second District, Division Seven.  After Governor Gavin Newsom nominated her for the position, the Commission on Judicial Appointments unanimously confirmed her in May 2024.

Justice Stone grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, before attending Duke University, from which she graduated cum laude.  She attended UCLA School of Law.  During law school, she was co-chair of El Centro Legal, the law school’s student-coordinated network of volunteer legal aid projects, including homeless youth, landlord-tenant, and disability rights clinics.

After law school, Justice Stone clerked for the Honorable A. Wallace Tashima of the United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.  She then joined Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP in Los Angeles, where she practiced complex civil litigation for 10 years.  She also spearheaded the creation of the Los Angeles Food from the Bar, an annual volunteer and fundraising drive benefiting the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank that has since raised over $8 million from legal organizations across Los Angeles.

Justice Stone served as an appellate court attorney to the Honorable Thomas Willhite of the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Four, for five years.  During her tenure in that position, she chaired Los Angeles County’s Food from the Bar steering committee and each year led the Court of Appeal’s award-winning participation in the campaign.

Justice Stone was appointed to the Los Angeles Superior Court by Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. in July 2015.  During her nine years as a superior court judge, she presided over juvenile dependency and criminal matters.  She was actively involved in various court committees and presided over the Teen Court at Venice High School.  She also taught judicial education to California judges statewide.

Justice Stone is a member of the California Judges Association Appellate Committee, which vets new legislation that may affect the California Courts of Appeal. 

In her free time, Justice Stone enjoys gardening, traveling, and playing beach volleyball.”

Back to the women-folk getting one-star!

DO NOT RETAIN

For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal 2nd Appellate District, Division 8

John Shepard Wiley, Jr. – Elected

(appellate.courts.ca.gov) “Equal justice under law is our national ideal. It is so important that, every day, judges do their best to make this dream come true for the people who bring their disputes to court for fair resolution under the rule of law.  

John Wiley was born in Iowa. When he was 12, his family moved to California, where he attended public school from junior high through law school.

John was appointed to the Superior Court in 2002 by Governor Gray Davis and to the Court of Appeal in 2018. He clerked for Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr. of the Supreme Court of the United States and for Judge Frank Coffin of the First Circuit. John has published in the Harvard Law Review, Yale Law Journal, University of Chicago Law Review, Virginia Law Review, Duke Law Review, Michigan Law Review, Columbia Law Review, and American Economics Review. John was tenured at UCLA Law School, where he won UCLA’s Distinguished Teaching Award.  John was a visiting professor at Harvard Law School. He was a federal prosecutor. John has been happily married for more than 40 years, and he and his wife have two grown children.

In Yosemite, John climbed The Nose on El Capitan and the Northwest Face of Half Dome as a young guy. These days, though, he more often is climbing indoors at a gym in central Los Angeles.  

John enjoys working with his hands, fixing old chairs and sawing up wood. Lately he has been making furniture for people who lost their homes in the Los Angeles fires.”

Another mixed-bag from the far right, but as it’s only a 3-star, we’re going with the “YES.”


DO NOT RETAIN

For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal 2nd Appellate District, Division 8

Matthew Scherb – Appointed to Vacancy

(appellate.courts.ca.gov) “Matthew A. Scherb is an Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Eight.  Governor Gavin Newsom nominated Justice Scherb to this position on August 7, 2025, and the Commission on Judicial Appointments confirmed that nomination on November 17, 2025.

Justice Scherb holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Yale University and a Juris Doctor from Northwestern University School of Law.

Following law school, Justice Scherb clerked for the Honorable Royce C. Lamberth of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.  From 2005-2011, he practiced litigation at the San Francisco office of Winston & Strawn LLP, focusing on copyright and trademark matters.  He then served, from 2011-2017, as a senior and lead appellate court attorney for Justice Kathleen M. Banke of the California Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Division One.  Justice Scherb then returned to practice, joining, from 2017-2021, the Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney and its section of lawyers devoted to civil appeals and writs.  During this time, Justice Scherb volunteered at Public Counsel’s Appellate Clinic for Self-Represented Litigants, which helps those in need navigate the appellate process at the Second District.  For the five years before joining the Second District’s bench, Justice Scherb, from 2021-2025, served as a Chambers Attorney for the Honorable Martin J. Jenkins of the Supreme Court of California at his chambers in Los Angeles.  Justice Scherb previously served as a member of the California Lawyers Association Committee on Appellate Courts and the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Appellate Courts Section Executive Committee.”

Mixed again! Seems to specialize in helping the public work through the process, so in the absence of other information, we’re a “YES.”


DO NOT RETAIN

For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal 2nd Appellate District, Division 8

Victor Viramontes – Appointed to Vacancy

(appellate.courts.ca.gov) “Victor Viramontes is an Associate Justice of the Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Eight.

Justice Viramontes began his legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable Carlos R. Moreno in the federal district court for the Central District of California in 1999. Thereafter, he was an associate at Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe, where he practiced from 2000 to 2001. He joined the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) as a staff attorney in 2001 and worked there until 2005. Between 2005 and 2008, he served as a trial attorney at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and then as a senior trial attorney from 2008 to 2010. Justice Viramontes rejoined MALDEF as national senior counsel in 2010. 

In November 2017, former Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. appointed Justice Viramontes to the Los Angeles County Superior Court. In October 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom nominated Justice Viramontes to the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Eight. He was rated “exceptionally well qualified” by the Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation. The Commission on Judicial Appointments unanimously confirmed him in November 2022. 

Justice Viramontes received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University and a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School.”

Easy. Both a “Do not Retain” and the coveted one-star rating. “YES” from us!

DO NOT RETAIN

For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal 2nd Appellate District, Division 4

Nicholas Daum – Appointed to Vacancy

(appellate.courts.ca.gov) “Governor Gavin Newsom has nominated two justices to the Second District Court of Appeal.

Tari Cody has been nominated to serve as Presiding Justice of Division Six, where she has served as an Associate Justice since 2023. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Presiding Justice Arthur Gilbert.

Nicholas Daum has been nominated to serve as an Associate Justice in Division Four. Daum has served as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2022. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Audrey B. Collins. 

Both nominations require confirmation by the Commission on Judicial Appointments, which consists of Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and Senior Presiding Justice Francis Rothschild.”

They both hate him, so definitely vote “YES!”

DO NOT RETAIN

For Associate Justice, Court of Appeal 2nd Appellate District, Division 6

Denise Hippach – Appointed to Vacancy

(calcoastnews.com) “California Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday announced the appointment of San Luis Obispo County resident and Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Denise Hippach to a state appellate court.

After only four years as a judge, Hippach was awarded the role of associate justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, according to a governor’s office news release. Newsom appointed Hippach to the Division 6 branch of the appellate court, which is located in Ventura.

The Commission on Judicial Appointments must still confirm Hippach’s appointment for it to take effect. State Attorney General Attorney General Rob Bonta is a member of the three-person commission.

Like Newsom and Bonta, Hippach is a Democrat.

The judge earned her law degree from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. Hippach worked as an attorney with the Santa Barbara County Counsel’s Office from 2018 to 2022. In addition, she served as a deputy attorney general at the Idaho Attorney General’s Office from 2015 to 2018.

Hippach is slated to fill the vacancy created by the elevation of Justice Tari Cody to presiding justice.”

Just a jury of one on this one, but we’re chancing it with a “YES.”

DO NOT RETAIN

More information on the CA Appellate Districts

In California, there are 6 appellate districts that are divided into different counties. Each district has its own court of appeals. This is a map that outlines the various counties and their respective districts.

THE SECOND DISTRICT: It’s now made up of four counties, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo. There are eight Divisions of four justices each. Divisions 1-5, 7, and 8 are located in Los Angeles and handle all matters arising from the Los Angeles Superior Court.

VENTURA: Division 6 is located in Ventura and handles all matters from the Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Superior Courts.

JUDICIAL SELECTION: The 106 judges of the California Courts of Appeal are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments. The state bar’s Commission on Judicial Nominee Evaluation—also known as the “Jenny Commission”—is required to perform an extensive investigation on prospective appointees. The commission recommends candidates to the governor after examining their qualifications and fitness, ranking them as exceptionally well qualified, well qualified, qualified, or not qualified. The commission is composed of attorneys and public members.Although the governor is not bound to these recommendations, the Commission on Judicial Appointments can approve or veto the appointment by majority vote.

According to the California Constitution, the term for a court of appeals justice is 12 years. If retained by the voters, the appointed justice remains in office but their term may depend on their predecessor’s term. If the predecessor served part of their term before leaving office, the appointed justice would be retained to serve the remainder of their predecessor’s term. This would be for either four or eight years. At the end of that term, the justice again must be confirmed by the voters at a gubernatorial election to begin a new 12-year term.[6][7] If a justice has been appointed to a seat where the predecessor’s term would have expired the January 1 immediately after that November gubernatorial election, then the justice would serve a full 12-year term

QUALIFICATIONS: To serve as a justice, a candidate must have practiced law for at least 10 years in California or served as a judge in California for at least 10 years.

Following confirmation from the Commission on Judicial Appointments, the appointed justice is sworn into office and is subject to voter approval at the next gubernatorial election. The appointed justice must be confirmed by voters via a “YES-NO”  retention election.