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Court of Appeal, Second District: 2026 retention votes
Voters in Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura decide Yes or No on these 18 justices.
Tip: tap "+ Compare" on up to 3 judges to see them side by side.
Associate Justice, Division 1
About 15 years as an LA County public defender; LA civil trial judge 2018 to 2024. Upheld the law letting childhood sexual abuse survivors sue school districts.
Motions granted: 51.1% (County avg 54.4%)Average case length: 865 days (County avg 545)
First retention voteExceptionally Well Qualified (State Bar, 2024)Trellis trial record
Outside rating. Exceptionally Well Qualified (State Bar, 2024)
Conduct. No public discipline or controversies found.
What others recommend. Yes 2 No 2 Yes: Indivisible Marin (Yes on all California justices), Southern California Appellate News (legal blog). No: Craig Huey voter guide, Los Angeles County Republican Party.
Mostly heard injury and civil-harm cases. Granted motions somewhat less often than the county average, and cases took longer than the county average, which usually reflects the kind of cases assigned.
Their trial court record, compared with other judges in the county
Motions granted
Average case length
Associate Justice, Division 1
Former federal prosecutor and Major Frauds chief, then Munger Tolles partner; LA family law judge 2017 to 2022. Cut $1.3 billion from a family real estate judgment.
Motions granted: 53.6% (County avg 54.4%)Average case length: 908 days (County avg 545)
First retention voteExceptionally Well Qualified (State Bar, 2022)Trellis trial record
Outside rating. Exceptionally Well Qualified (State Bar, 2022)
Conduct. No public discipline or controversies found.
What others recommend. Yes 2 No 2 Yes: Indivisible Marin (Yes on all California justices), Southern California Appellate News (legal blog). No: Craig Huey voter guide, Los Angeles County Republican Party.
Mostly heard family law cases. Granted motions at about the same rate as other judges in the county, and cases took longer than the county average, which usually reflects the kind of cases assigned.
Their trial court record, compared with other judges in the county
Motions granted
Average case length
Associate Justice, Division 2
About 20 years as a civil rights lawyer, then Public Counsel directing attorney; LA trial judge 2018 to 2024. Ruled defamation litigants cannot use fake names by agreement.
Motions granted: 50.3% (County avg 54.4%)Average case length: 857 days (County avg 545)
First retention voteExceptionally Well Qualified (State Bar, 2024)Trellis trial record
Outside rating. Exceptionally Well Qualified (State Bar, 2024)
Conduct. No public discipline or controversies found.
What others recommend. Yes 2 No 2 Yes: Indivisible Marin (Yes on all California justices), Southern California Appellate News (legal blog). No: Craig Huey voter guide, Los Angeles County Republican Party.
Heard a mix of cases, most often family law cases (47%). Granted motions somewhat less often than the county average, and cases took longer than the county average, which usually reflects the kind of cases assigned.
Their trial court record, compared with other judges in the county
Motions granted
Average case length
Associate Justice, Division 2
Former federal prosecutor, SEC attorney and teacher; LA trial judge 2015 to 2026, where he ruled LAUSD violated Prop 39 by barring charter schools from campuses.
Motions granted: 51.7% (County avg 54.4%)Average case length: 837 days (County avg 545)
First retention voteTrellis trial record
Outside rating. None found. The State Bar rates nominees before appointment, but we could not find this rating in public sources.
Conduct. No public discipline or controversies found.
What others recommend. Yes 1 No 2 Yes: Indivisible Marin (Yes on all California justices). No: Craig Huey voter guide, Los Angeles County Republican Party.
Mostly heard injury and civil-harm cases. Granted motions at about the same rate as other judges in the county, and cases took longer than the county average, which usually reflects the kind of cases assigned.
Their trial court record, compared with other judges in the county
Motions granted
Average case length
Presiding Justice, Division 3
Former employment and whistleblower lawyer and Court of Appeal research attorney; LA juvenile dependency judge 2017 to 2023. Dissented on lemon-law buybacks conditioned on confidentiality.
First retention voteExceptionally Well Qualified (State Bar, 2026)No trial data
Outside rating. Exceptionally Well Qualified (State Bar, 2026)
Conduct. No public discipline or controversies found.
What others recommend. Yes 2 No 2 Yes: Indivisible Marin (Yes on all California justices), Southern California Appellate News (legal blog). No: Craig Huey voter guide, Los Angeles County Republican Party.
From the trial court record. Trellis profile exists but has no trial-court analytics (juvenile dependency records are largely confidential).
Associate Justice, Division 3
Former LA County public defender who handled capital cases; LA trial judge 2013 to 2025, mostly criminal. Appointed 2025; no widely reported appellate rulings yet.
First retention voteExceptionally Well Qualified (State Bar, 2025)No trial data
Outside rating. Exceptionally Well Qualified (State Bar, 2025)
Conduct. No public discipline or controversies found.
What others recommend. Yes 2 No 2 Yes: Indivisible Marin (Yes on all California justices), Southern California Appellate News (legal blog). No: Craig Huey voter guide, Los Angeles County Republican Party.
From the trial court record. Trellis profile exists but has no analytics; his trial career was in criminal courts, where Trellis coverage is limited.
Presiding Justice, Division 4
About 30 years as a plaintiffs' lawyer in toxic tort and drug cases; LA trial judge 2018 to 2023. Struck USC's employee arbitration agreement as one-sided.
Motions granted: 58.3% (County avg 54.4%)Average case length: 646 days (County avg 545)
First retention voteExceptionally Well Qualified (State Bar, 2025)Trellis trial record
Outside rating. Exceptionally Well Qualified (State Bar, 2025)
Conduct. No public discipline or controversies found.
What others recommend. Yes 2 No 2 Yes: Indivisible Marin (Yes on all California justices), Southern California Appellate News (legal blog). No: Craig Huey voter guide, Los Angeles County Republican Party.
Heard a mix of cases, most often injury and civil-harm cases (36%). Granted motions somewhat more often than the county average, and cases took about as long as the county average.
Their trial court record, compared with other judges in the county
Motions granted
Average case length
Associate Justice, Division 4
Former litigator in media, entertainment and appeals; LA trial judge 2022 to 2026, where he ordered Kanye West to pay a former employee's legal fees.
Motions granted: 52.3% (County avg 54.4%)Average case length: 984 days (County avg 545)
First retention voteExceptionally Well Qualified (State Bar, 2026)Trellis trial record
Outside rating. Exceptionally Well Qualified (State Bar, 2026)
Conduct. No public discipline or controversies found.
What others recommend. Yes 1 No 2 Yes: Indivisible Marin (Yes on all California justices). No: Craig Huey voter guide, Los Angeles County Republican Party.
Heard a mix of cases, most often injury and civil-harm cases (27%). Granted motions at about the same rate as other judges in the county, and cases took longer than the county average, which usually reflects the kind of cases assigned.
Their trial court record, compared with other judges in the county
Motions granted
Average case length
Associate Justice, Division 4
Former intellectual property litigator and Perkins Coie LA managing partner; LA trial judge 2018 to 2023. Ruled the County Assessor illegally raised taxes on rebuilt homes.
Motions granted: 57.9% (County avg 54.4%)Average case length: 1,069 days (County avg 545)
First retention voteExceptionally Well Qualified (State Bar, 2023)Trellis trial record
Outside rating. Exceptionally Well Qualified (State Bar, 2023)
Conduct. No public discipline or controversies found.
What others recommend. Yes 2 No 2 Yes: Indivisible Marin (Yes on all California justices), Southern California Appellate News (legal blog). No: Craig Huey voter guide, Los Angeles County Republican Party.
Mostly heard injury and civil-harm cases. Granted motions somewhat more often than the county average, and cases took longer than the county average, which usually reflects the kind of cases assigned.
Their trial court record, compared with other judges in the county
Motions granted
Average case length
Associate Justice, Division 4
Former business litigator; LA trial judge 2013 to 2025 with about 100 trials. Upheld a gag order on Microsoft about an LAPD email warrant.
Motions granted: 53.2% (County avg 54.4%)Average case length: 709 days (County avg 545)
First retention voteExceptionally Well Qualified (State Bar, 2025)Trellis trial record
Outside rating. Exceptionally Well Qualified (State Bar, 2025)
Conduct. No public discipline or controversies found.
What others recommend. Yes 2 No 2 Yes: Indivisible Marin (Yes on all California justices), Southern California Appellate News (legal blog). No: Craig Huey voter guide, Los Angeles County Republican Party.
Heard a mix of cases, most often family law cases (28%). Granted motions at about the same rate as other judges in the county, and cases took longer than the county average, which usually reflects the kind of cases assigned.
Their trial court record, compared with other judges in the county
Motions granted
Average case length
Presiding Justice, Division 5
Former federal prosecutor and U.S. Supreme Court clerk; author of a criminal discovery treatise. In 2024 publicly criticized a Supreme Court decision reversing one of his opinions.
Motions granted: 53.5% (County avg 54.4%)Average case length: 268 days (County avg 545)
First vote as Presiding JusticeTrellis trial record
Outside rating. None found. The State Bar rates nominees before appointment, but we could not find this rating in public sources.
Conduct. In 2024 he publicly criticized a California Supreme Court decision that reversed one of his opinions, which is unusual for a sitting judge.
What others recommend. Yes 3 No 1 Yes: Indivisible Marin (Yes on all California justices), Southern California Appellate News (legal blog), Craig Huey voter guide. No: Los Angeles County Republican Party.
Heard a mix of cases, most often injury and civil-harm cases (36%). Granted motions at about the same rate as other judges in the county, and cases moved faster than the county average, which usually reflects the kind of cases assigned.
Their trial court record, compared with other judges in the county
Motions granted
Average case length
Presiding Justice, Division 6 (Ventura)
Former civil litigator for public agencies; Ventura trial judge 2000 to 2023. First California ruling treating surfing collisions as an inherent risk; upheld large-capacity magazine bans.
Motions granted: 54.3% (State avg 54.8%)Average case length: 2,062 days (State avg 651)
Remainder of predecessor's termExceptionally Well QualifiedTrellis trial record
Outside rating. Exceptionally Well Qualified
Conduct. No public discipline or controversies found.
What others recommend. Yes 3 No 1 Yes: Indivisible Marin (Yes on all California justices), Southern California Appellate News (legal blog), Craig Huey voter guide. No: Los Angeles County Republican Party.
Mostly heard debt collection cases. Granted motions at about the same rate as other judges in the state, and cases took longer than the state average, which usually reflects the kind of cases assigned.
Their trial court record, compared with other judges in the county
Motions granted
Average case length
Associate Justice, Division 6 (Ventura)
Former public defender; on the Court of Appeal for 36 years. His 2025 opinion upholding a conviction despite a prosecutor's racially charged language drew criticism.
Full 12-year termNo trial data
Outside rating. None found. The State Bar rates nominees before appointment, but we could not find this rating in public sources.
Conduct. His 2025 opinion in People v. Wilson drew criticism for upholding a conviction despite a prosecutor's racially charged language.
What others recommend. Yes 3 No 1 Yes: Indivisible Marin (Yes on all California justices), Southern California Appellate News (legal blog), Craig Huey voter guide. No: Los Angeles County Republican Party.
From the trial court record. Trial court service in the 1980s predates Trellis coverage.
Presiding Justice, Division 7
Former appellate partner and deputy solicitor general; never a trial judge. Upheld LA's rule barring evictions of tenants owing less than one month's rent.
First retention voteWell Qualified (State Bar, 2024)Not a former trial judge
Outside rating. Well Qualified (State Bar, 2024)
Conduct. No public discipline or controversies found.
What others recommend. Yes 2 No 2 Yes: Indivisible Marin (Yes on all California justices), Southern California Appellate News (legal blog). No: Craig Huey voter guide, Los Angeles County Republican Party.
From the trial court record. Never served as a trial judge, so there is no trial court record to show.
Associate Justice, Division 7
Former Munger Tolles lawyer and food bank fundraiser co-founder; LA juvenile and criminal judge 2015 to 2024. Largely upheld Pasadena's voter-approved rent control.
Remainder of predecessor's termNo trial data
Outside rating. None found. The State Bar rates nominees before appointment, but we could not find this rating in public sources.
Conduct. No public discipline or controversies found.
What others recommend. Yes 2 No 2 Yes: Indivisible Marin (Yes on all California justices), Southern California Appellate News (legal blog). No: Craig Huey voter guide, Los Angeles County Republican Party.
From the trial court record. Trellis profile exists but has no analytics; her trial assignments (dependency and criminal) are where Trellis coverage is limited.
Associate Justice, Division 8
Former UCLA law professor for 22 years and federal prosecutor; LA trial judge 2002 to 2018. Argued in a concurrence that Amazon should be liable for third-party products.
Motions granted: 52.1% (County avg 54.4%)Average case length: 395 days (County avg 545)
Full 12-year termTrellis trial record
Outside rating. None found. The State Bar rates nominees before appointment, but we could not find this rating in public sources.
Conduct. No public discipline or controversies found.
What others recommend. Yes 3 No 1 Yes: Indivisible Marin (Yes on all California justices), Southern California Appellate News (legal blog), Craig Huey voter guide. No: Los Angeles County Republican Party.
Heard a mix of cases, most often injury and civil-harm cases (29%). Granted motions at about the same rate as other judges in the county, and cases moved faster than the county average, which usually reflects the kind of cases assigned.
Their trial court record, compared with other judges in the county
Motions granted
Average case length
Associate Justice, Division 8
Former Winston & Strawn litigator, LA deputy city attorney and appellate staff attorney; never a trial judge. Appointed 2025; no widely reported rulings yet.
First retention voteNot a former trial judge
Outside rating. None found. The State Bar rates nominees before appointment, but we could not find this rating in public sources.
Conduct. No public discipline or controversies found.
What others recommend. Yes 3 No 1 Yes: Indivisible Marin (Yes on all California justices), Southern California Appellate News (legal blog), Craig Huey voter guide. No: Los Angeles County Republican Party.
From the trial court record. Never served as a trial judge, so there is no trial court record to show.
Associate Justice, Division 8
Former teacher and MALDEF senior counsel who won Dreamers' driver's licenses in Arizona; LA Children's Court judge 2017 to 2022. Upheld a $1 million bullying verdict.
First retention voteExceptionally Well Qualified (State Bar, 2022)No trial data
Outside rating. Exceptionally Well Qualified (State Bar, 2022)
Conduct. No public discipline or controversies found.
What others recommend. Yes 2 No 2 Yes: Indivisible Marin (Yes on all California justices), Southern California Appellate News (legal blog). No: Craig Huey voter guide, Los Angeles County Republican Party.
From the trial court record. Trellis record too thin to show (juvenile court records are largely confidential).