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Deborah C. Servino↗
Associate Justice, Division 3 (Santa Ana)
First retention voteTrellis trial record
Former Ninth Circuit clerk and deputy attorney general 1997 to 2009; Orange County trial judge 2009 to 2026. Appointed 2026; no widely reported appellate rulings yet.
On your ballot. Vote Yes or No on keeping Deborah C. Servino on the court (first retention vote). Appears on ballots in Imperial, Inyo, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego.
Qualifications
Appointment. Appointed by Gov. Newsom, 2026.
Outside rating. None found. The State Bar rates nominees before appointment, but we could not find this rating in public sources.
Before the bench. Ninth Circuit clerk; Rutan & Tucker; deputy attorney general 1997 to 2009. Orange County Superior Court judge 2009 to 2026.
Conduct
No public discipline or controversies found.
What others recommend
- YesIndivisible Marin (Yes on all California justices) (progressive group)
- YesCraig Huey voter guide (conservative guide)
- NoReform California (conservative guide)
- NoRepublican Party of San Diego County (Republican Party)
In this district, we found published positions mainly from conservative and Republican groups. Most Democratic, progressive and newspaper groups here had not published positions on these justices as of October 16.
Robyn Nordell's conservative guide repeats Craig Huey's picks, so it is not listed separately.
Trellis does not make recommendations. These are positions published by outside groups as of October 16, 2026. Labels describe each group's general leaning.
Notable rulings
No widely reported rulings found.
From the trial court record
Heard a mix of cases, most often injury and civil-harm cases (44%). 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
Bars compare this judge with county and state averages. Differences usually reflect the kinds of cases a judge was assigned.
Motions granted
Average case length
Time to trial
Caseload mix
Torts 43.6%, Commercial 29.6%, Labor & Employment 10.9%
Granted motions by filing side
78.9% filed by plaintiffs, 21.1% by defendants
| Motion type | Granted | Rulings | County avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Judgment on the pleadings | 60.0% | 31 | 58.9% |
| Continue trial | 86.5% | 29 | 83.3% |
Orange County Superior Court · 3,410 docketsUpdated 2026-10-02 · Full profile →
Sample rulings from the trial bench
- Injury & safetyFamily v. Anaheim Elementary School District (2019-08-30)Motion granted A family sued after another student allegedly molested their child on campus. The judge said public agencies can be sued only where a statute allows, dismissed the negligence claim, and let the family retry the harassment and abuse-reporting claims. Read the ruling on Trellis ›
- EmploymentDishwasher v. Walt Disney Co. (2018-05-04)Split decision A longtime Disneyland dishwasher alleged age discrimination. The judge let his age claims proceed, but dismissed his disability claims because he never raised them with the state agency first. Read the ruling on Trellis ›
- Civil rights & discriminationFamily v. Altamar Homeowners Association (2018-09-28)Split decision A family said their HOA barred their children from playing in common areas. The judge let their fair-housing and civil-rights claims proceed, but dismissed an unfair-business claim because an HOA is not a business. Read the ruling on Trellis ›
Sources: Governor's announcement
Others on the same ballot
- Julia C. KeletyFormer federal prosecutor; San Diego probate and juvenile dependency judge for 19+ years. Revived a student-loan borrower's class action; sits on the Commission on Judicial Performance.
- Jose S. CastilloFormer federal prosecutor 2010 to 2020; San Diego trial judge 2020 to 2023. For a 2-1 panel, upheld a $46 million verdict for a paralyzed jiu-jitsu student.
- Truc T. DoFormer LA deputy DA and big-firm partner; San Diego's first Vietnamese American Superior Court judge. Ruled denying resentencing to certain juvenile offenders violates equal protection.
- William S. DatoFormer securities class action partner; San Diego trial judge 2003 to 2017. Ordered a new trial for a tenant denied a free court reporter.
- Eran M. BermudezFormer law firm partner and UC San Diego compliance officer; Imperial County judge 2018 to 2026 and its first Latina presiding judge. No widely reported appellate rulings yet.
- Lisa RodriguezFormer San Diego deputy DA for 17 years; criminal trial judge since 2015. Nominee who granted the Santana High shooter's resentencing; the DA publicly opposed it and appealed.
- David M. RubinSan Diego deputy DA for 20 years; San Diego trial judge 2007 to 2023, including three years on its Appellate Division. No widely reported appellate rulings yet.
- Corey G. LeeFormer deputy DA and deputy chief assistant U.S. attorney; San Bernardino trial judge 2015 to 2025. Appointed 2025; no widely reported appellate rulings yet.
- Michael J. RaphaelFormer federal prosecutor and criminal appeals chief who prosecuted the Barry Bonds grand jury leak; LA civil judge 2012 to 2018. Questioned full-record reviews in no-issue appeals.
- Joanne MotoikeFormer Orange County public defender and UN war crimes tribunal attorney; Orange County judge 2013 to 2022, including juvenile presiding judge. Revived a school negligent-supervision claim.
- Thomas A. DelaneyFormer civil defense partner; Orange County trial judge 2014 to 2022. Ruled a science camp's gender-identity discussions with fifth-graders were protected speech.
- Nathan R. ScottFormer Kirkland & Ellis litigator and appellate attorney; Orange County trial judge 2012 to 2025. Ruled unpaid nursing students on clinical rotations are protected from harassment as interns.
- Martha K. GoodingFormer big-firm partner; Orange County trial judge 2013 to 2023. For a 2-1 panel, held a 'friends with benefits' relationship was not dating under domestic violence law.
- Juliet O. MacAulayFormer parole board commissioner and chief administrative law judge; Orange County family judge since 2022. Nominee; would take the seat in 2027; no appellate rulings.