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Martha K. Gooding↗

Associate Justice, Division 3 (Santa Ana)
First retention voteTrellis trial record

Former 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.

Trellis profile ↗
On your ballot. Vote Yes or No on keeping Martha K. Gooding 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, 2023.
Outside rating. None found. The State Bar rates nominees before appointment, but we could not find this rating in public sources.
Before the bench. Partner at Howard Rice, Howrey and Jones Day. Orange County Superior Court judge 2013 to 2023.

Conduct

No public discipline or controversies found.

What others recommend

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

From the trial court record

Heard a mix of cases, most often injury and civil-harm cases (43%). 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
This judge: 54.9%
County avg: 55.8%
State avg: 54.8%
Average case length
This judge: 858 days
County avg: 1,124 days
State avg: 651 days
Time to trial
This judge: 677 days
County avg: 656 days
State avg: 531 days
Caseload mix
Torts 42.7%, Commercial 29.2%, Creditor 11.0%
Granted motions by filing side
69.4% filed by plaintiffs, 30.6% by defendants
Motion typeGrantedRulingsCounty avg
Judgment on the pleadings60.0%2958.9%
Orange County Superior Court · 3,611 docketsUpdated 2026-10-02 · Full profile →
Sample rulings from the trial bench
  • Civil rights & discriminationCity of Dana Point v. Southern California Recovery Center (2021-06-30)Split decision Sober-living operators said Dana Point singled out their homes for fast-track nuisance lawsuits. The judge rejected their constitutional claims, but let their fair-housing and disability-rights claims go forward. Read the ruling on Trellis ›
  • EmploymentInspector v. California Department of Public Health (2020-09-28)Motion granted An injured state health inspector said her agency refused to accommodate her disability. The judge found the complaint lacked the specific facts required in suits against a public agency and gave her 20 days to add details. Read the ruling on Trellis ›
  • Government & public agenciesFormer worker v. City of Laguna Beach (2017-07-24)Motion granted A former city worker sued for whistleblower retaliation. The judge found her required notice letter gave no dates, so the claim was deficient, and let her amend. Read the ruling on Trellis ›
Sources: MetNews

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.
  • Deborah C. ServinoFormer 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.
  • 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.