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Michael J. Raphael↗
Associate Justice, Division 2 (Riverside)
Full 12-year termExceptionally Well Qualified (State Bar, 2018)Trellis trial record
Former 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.
On your ballot. Vote Yes or No on keeping Michael J. Raphael on the court (full 12-year term). Appears on ballots in Imperial, Inyo, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego.
Qualifications
Appointment. Appointed by Gov. Brown, 2018. Retained 2022.
Outside rating. Exceptionally Well Qualified
From the State Bar's Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation, given before the 2018 appointment. This is the commission's assessment, not Trellis's. It was made for the appointment, not for this election; we found no bar rating issued for this retention vote.
Before the bench. Sidley Austin; investigative counsel to Rep. Henry Waxman; federal prosecutor in LA 1999 to 2012 and chief of criminal appeals, including prosecuting the leak of Barry Bonds' grand jury testimony. LA Superior Court judge 2012 to 2018 (civil).
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
- Criminal justicePeople v. Scott; People v. Jennings (dissent) (2020, 2022). Argued courts waste resources reviewing whole records in appeals that raise no issues. The Supreme Court took up the question. Read coverage ›
From the trial court record
Mostly heard injury and civil-harm cases. Granted motions at about the same rate as other judges in the county, and cases took about as long as the county average.
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 62.7%, Commercial 13.1%, Labor & Employment 8.2%
Granted motions by filing side
61.7% filed by plaintiffs, 38.3% by defendants
| Motion type | Granted | Rulings | County avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demurrer | 57.0% | 194 | 51.5% |
| Summary judgment | 43.8% | 138 | 43.1% |
| Motion to compel (plus 21.1% partial) | 24.6% | 57 | 63.7% |
| Motion to strike | 28.6% | 35 | 54.8% |
LA County Superior CourtUpdated 2026-10-02 · Full profile →
Sample rulings from the trial bench
- Civil rights & discriminationOfficer v. City of Los Angeles (2017-08-04)Motion granted An off-duty LAPD officer said he was racially profiled in a traffic stop, then punished for complaining. The judge ruled for the City: there was no evidence of racial motive, and records showed some of his statements were inaccurate. Read the ruling on Trellis ›
- EmploymentNurse v. California Correctional Health Care Services (2017-01-24)Split decision A prison nurse was treated as having resigned after illness kept him abroad past his approved leave. The judge let his disability and retaliation claims go forward, but dismissed a duplicate claim and punitive damages. Read the ruling on Trellis ›
- Civil rights & discriminationStudent workers v. Citrus Community College District (2018-04-12)Split decision Seven student workers said a campus bookstore supervisor sexually harassed them for years. The judge let one worker's claims go forward; the other six were dismissed as filed too late. Read the ruling on Trellis ›
Sources: Court bio
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.
- 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.
- 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.