California Courts of Appeal
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The California Courts of Appeal are the
state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...
intermediate appellate courts in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. The state is geographically divided along county lines into six appellate districts.California Government Code Sections 69100-69107
The Courts of Appeal form the largest state-level intermediate appellate court system in the United States, with 106 justices.


Jurisdiction and responsibility

The decisions of the Courts of Appeal are binding on the
California superior courts Superior courts in California are the state trial courts with general jurisdiction to hear and decide any civil or criminal action which is not specially designated to be heard in some other court or before a governmental agency. As mandated by t ...
, and both the Courts of Appeal and the superior courts are bound by the decisions of the
Supreme Court of California The Supreme Court of California is the highest and final court of appeals in the courts of the U.S. state of California. It is headquartered in San Francisco at the Earl Warren Building, but it regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sacra ...
. Notably, all published California appellate decisions are binding on all trial courts.''Auto Equity Sales, Inc. v. Superior Court,''
57 Cal. 2d 450, 369 P.2d 937, 20 Cal. Rptr. 321
(1962).
This is distinct from the practice in the
federal courts Federal court may refer to: United States * Federal judiciary of the United States ** United States district court, a particular federal court Elsewhere * Federal Court of Australia * Federal courts of Brazil * Federal Court (Canada) * Federal co ...
and in other state court systems in which trial courts are bound only by the appellate decisions from the particular circuit in which it sits, as well as the
Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
or the
state supreme court In the United States, a state supreme court (known by other names in some states) is the highest court in the state judiciary of a U.S. state. On matters of state law, the judgment of a state supreme court is considered final and binding in b ...
. In contrast, "there is no horizontal stare decisis in the California Court of Appeal";''Sarti v. Salt Creek Ltd.''
167 Cal.App.4th 1187, 1193
(2008).
Court of Appeal decisions are not binding between divisions or even between panels of the same division.''McCallum v. McCallum''

(1987).
Thus, all superior courts (and hence all litigants) are bound by the decision of a Court of Appeal if it is the only published California precedent that articulates a point of law relevant to a particular set of facts, even if the superior court would have decided differently if writing on a fresh slate. However, another Court of Appeal division or district may rule differently on that point of law after a litigant seeks relief from an adverse trial court ruling that faithfully applied existing precedent. In that instance, all superior courts are free to pick and choose which precedent they wish to follow until the state supreme court settles the issue for the entire state, although a superior court confronted with such a conflict will normally follow the view of its own Court of Appeal (if it has already taken a side on the issue). It is customary in federal courts and other state courts to indicate in case citations the particular circuit or district of an intermediate appellate court that issued the decision cited. But because the decisions of all six California appellate districts are equally binding upon all trial courts, district numbers are traditionally omitted in California citation style unless an actual interdistrict conflict is at issue. All California appellate courts are required by the
California Constitution The Constitution of California ( es, Constitución de California) is the primary organizing law for the U.S. state of California, describing the duties, powers, structures and functions of the government of California. California's original co ...
to decide criminal cases in writing with reasons stated (meaning that even in criminal appeals where the defendant's own lawyer has tacitly conceded that the appeal has no merit, the appellate decision ''must'' summarize the facts and law of the case and review possible issues independently before concluding that the appeal is without merit).''People v. Kelly''
40 Cal. 4th 106
(2006).
Such procedure is not mandated for civil cases, but for certain types of civil cases where a liberty interest is implicated, the Courts of Appeal may, but are not required to, follow a similar procedure. Most Court of Appeal opinions are not published and have no precedential value;''Schmier v. Supreme Court''

(2000). The plaintiff in this case unsuccessfully challenged the selective publication policy as unconstitutional. The court retorted: "Appellant either misunderstands or ignores the realities of the intermediate appellate process." The court went on to describe the variety of frivolous appeals regularly encountered by the Courts of Appeal, and concluded: "Our typical opinions in such cases add nothing to the body of stare decisis, and if published would merely clutter overcrowded library shelves and databases with information utterly useless to anyone other than the actual litigants therein and complicate the search for meaningful precedent."
the opinions that are published are included in the official reporter, ''California Appellate Reports''. In addition,
West Publishing West (also known by its original name, West Publishing) is a business owned by Thomson Reuters that publishes legal, business, and regulatory information in print, and on electronic services such as Westlaw. Since the late 19th century, West h ...
traditionally included Court of Appeal opinions in its unofficial reporter, the ''
Pacific Reporter The ''Pacific Reporter'', ''Pacific Reporter Second'', and ''Pacific Reporter Third'' () are United States regional case law reporters. It is part of the National Reporter System created by John B. West for West Publishing Company, which is now par ...
''. In 1959, West began publishing both Supreme Court and Court of Appeal opinions in ''West's California Reporter'', and no longer included Court of Appeal opinions in the ''Pacific Reporter''. Due to their huge caseloads and volume of output, the Courts of Appeal in turn see the largest number of decisions appealed to the state supreme court and the Supreme Court of the United States. A few famous U.S. Supreme Court cases, such as '' Burnham v. Superior Court of California'', came to the high court on writ of
certiorari In law, ''certiorari'' is a court process to seek judicial review of a decision of a lower court or government agency. ''Certiorari'' comes from the name of an English prerogative writ, issued by a superior court to direct that the record of ...
to one of the Courts of Appeal after the state supreme court had denied review. Many Court of Appeal opinions have become nationally prominent in their own right, such as the 1959 opinion that carved out the first judge-made exception to the
at-will employment In United States labor law, at-will employment is an employer's ability to dismiss an employee for any reason (that is, without having to establish " just cause" for termination), and without warning, as long as the reason is not illegal (e.g. fi ...
doctrine, the 1980 opinion that authorized a cause of action for
wrongful life Wrongful life is the name given to a cause of action in which someone is sued by a severely disability, disabled child (through the child's legal guardian) for failing to prevent the child's birth. Typically, a child and the child's parents will s ...
, and the 1984 opinion that created the right to Cumis counsel.


History

The
California Constitution The Constitution of California ( es, Constitución de California) is the primary organizing law for the U.S. state of California, describing the duties, powers, structures and functions of the government of California. California's original co ...
originally made the
Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
the only appellate court for the whole state. As the state's population skyrocketed during the 19th century, the Supreme Court was expanded from three to seven justices, and then the Court began hearing the majority of appeals in three-justice panels. The Court became so overloaded that it frequently issued summary dispositions in minor cases, meaning that it was merely saying "affirmed" or "reversed" without saying why. The state's second Constitution, enacted in 1879, halted that practice by expressly requiring the Court to issue every dispositive decision in writing "with reasons stated." In 1889, the Legislature authorized the Supreme Court to appoint five commissioners to help with its work. Despite implementing all these measures, the Supreme Court was no longer able to keep up with the state's rapidly growing appellate caseload by the end of the 19th century. Accordingly, in 1903, the
Legislature A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its p ...
proposed a constitutional amendment to create what were then called the District Courts of Appeal. On November 8, 1904, the electorate adopted the amendment. The District Courts of Appeal originally consisted of three appellate districts, headquartered in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Sacramento, with three justices each. These first nine justices were appointed by the Governor. Each district was assigned an ordinal number (i.e., first, second, and third). The first nine justices included the five members of the Supreme Court Commission, which had been simultaneously abolished by the same constitutional amendment. In 1966, the word "District" was dropped from the official names of the Courts of Appeal by another constitutional amendment which extensively revised the sections governing the state judiciary. This left
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
as the sole state in the United States with " District Courts of Appeal." Since then, each of the Courts of Appeal has been named officially as "the Court of Appeal of the State of California" for a particular numbered appellate district.


Appointment, retention, and removal

Originally, after appointment by the Governor incumbents ran in potentially contested head-to-head elections. However, after a particularly bitter contest in 1932, the California Constitution was amended to provide for the present retention election system, where the voters are given the choice to retain or reject a candidate. To date no incumbent has been denied retention. To fill a vacant position, the Governor must first submit a candidate's name to the Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation of the State Bar of California, which prepares and returns a thorough confidential evaluation of the candidate. Next, the Governor officially nominates the candidate, who must then be evaluated by the Commission on Judicial Appointments, which consists of the Chief Justice of California, the Attorney General of California, and a senior presiding justice of the Court of Appeal. The Commission holds a public hearing and if satisfied with the nominee's qualifications, confirms the nomination, which enables the nominee to be sworn in and begin serving immediately. All nominees must have been members of the State Bar of California for at least 10 years preceding their nomination. Typical nominees include experienced attorneys in private practice, current superior court judges, and current federal district judges. Some nominees have taught as adjunct professors or lecturers in law schools, but tenured professors are extremely rare. Another path to the Courts of Appeal is to work for the Governor, especially as appointments secretary, cabinet secretary, or legal affairs secretary. Terms of both Court of Appeal and Supreme Court justices are 12 years. However, if a nominee is confirmed to an existing seat partway through a term, the nominee can only serve the remaining period of the term before standing for election. All California appellate justices must undergo retention elections every 12 years at the same time as the general gubernatorial election, in which the sole question is whether to retain the justice for another 12 years. If a majority votes "no," the seat becomes vacant and may be filled by the Governor. While Supreme Court justices are voted on by the entire state, Court of Appeal justices are voted on only by the residents of their districts. Like all other California judges, Court of Appeal justices are bound by the California Code of Judicial Conduct and can be removed prior to the expiration of their terms by the Commission on Judicial Performance. In order to protect judicial independence (and because the losing party to a lawsuit will almost always regard the judge who ruled against them to be incompetent or biased), the CJP generally only initiates removal proceedings in cases of severe or extensive judicial misconduct.


Organization

When there is a vacancy on the Supreme Court of California, or if a Supreme Court justice recuses themself from a case, a Court of Appeal justice is temporarily assigned to hear each Supreme Court case requiring such assignment. When there are vacancies on the Court of Appeal, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court temporarily assigns a judge from the superior court or a retired justice of the Court of Appeal to sit as a Court of Appeal justice. Some of the appellate
districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
(First and Second) are divided into divisions that have four appellate justices, who are randomly selected to form three-justice panels for each appellate case, and whose workloads are divided semi-randomly to ensure even division of work. Some of the appellate districts (Third, Fifth, and Sixth) are not divided into divisions; for each appellate case, three-justice panels are semi-randomly drawn, again to ensure even division of work. The Fourth District is unique in that it is divided into three geographically-based divisions that are administratively separate, each of which works much like the Third, Fifth, and Sixth Districts. When the presiding justice of a district or division is part of the three-justice panel, they serve as the presiding justice on the case. When the presiding justice is not part of the three-justice panel, the senior justice of the three-justice panel serves as the acting presiding justice on the case. The First, Second, and Third Districts each have one big courtroom at their main courthouses which they share with the Supreme Court of California. Therefore, on a typical weekday, the courtrooms of those districts will have three Court of Appeal justices seated at an extra-wide bench large enough to accommodate the seven justices of the Supreme Court. Unlike the federal courts of appeals, the state Courts of Appeal have no provision allowing rehearing of cases ''en banc'' by all justices of a district (or a division in the case of the Fourth District). If a conflict becomes evident between published opinions of different panels or divisions of the same district, and the newer opinion creating the conflict is not immediately appealed to the Supreme Court of California or depublished by that court, the conflict will simply persist until the high court reaches the issue in a future case. Each court of appeal is led by an administrative presiding justice (APJ).Cal. Rules of Court, rule 10.1004
In courts of appeal with divisions, the Chief Justice of California may designate the presiding justice of one division as the APJ, while in courts of appeal without divisions, the presiding justice is also the APJ. As the title implies, the APJ is responsible for managing the court's personnel, operations, caseload, budget, and facilities.


First District

The California Court of Appeal for the First District is one of the first three appellate districts created in 1904 and is located in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
. Its jurisdiction is over the following counties:
Alameda An alameda is a Avenue (landscape), street or path lined with trees () and may refer to: Places Canada *Alameda, Saskatchewan, town in Saskatchewan **Grant Devine Dam, formerly ''Alameda Dam'', a dam and reservoir in southern Saskatchewan Chile ...
, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt,
Lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
,
Marin Marin (French) or Marín (Spanish "sailor") may refer to: People * Marin (name), including a list of persons with the given name or surname * MaRin, in-game name of professional South Korean ''League of Legends'' player Jang Gyeong-hwan (born 19 ...
, Mendocino, Napa,
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
, San Mateo, Solano, and Sonoma. It is divided into five non-geographical divisions with four justices each: Division One: *
Jim Humes James M. Humes, commonly known as Jim Humes, is an American lawyer from San Francisco, California. On November 21, 2012, governor Jerry Brown appointed Humes to the First District Court of Appeal, making Humes the first openly gay appellate judge ...
, Administrative Presiding Justice *
Sandra L. Margulies Sandra or SANDRA may refer to: People * Sandra (given name) * Sandra (singer) (born 1962), German pop singer * Margaretha Sandra (1629–1674), Dutch soldier * Sandra (orangutan), who won the legal right to be defined as a "non-human person" ...
, Associate Justice * Kathleen M. Banke, Associate Justice * (Vacant), Associate Justice Division Two: * (Vacant), Presiding Justice * James A. Richman, Associate Justice *
Theresa M. Stewart Teresa (also Theresa, Therese; french: Thérèse) is a feminine given name. It originates in the Iberian Peninsula in late antiquity. Its derivation is uncertain, it may be derived from Greek θερίζω (''therízō'') "to harvest or rea ...
, Associate Justice * Marla J. Miller, Associate Justice Division Three: * Alison M. Tucher, Presiding Justice * Carin T. Fujisaki, Associate Justice * Ioana Petrou, Associate Justice * Victor Rodriguez, Associate Justice Division Four: * Stuart R. Pollak, Presiding Justice * Jon B. Streeter, Associate Justice * Tracie L. Brown, Associate Justice * Jeremy M. Goldman, Associate Justice Division Five: * Teri L. Jackson, Presiding Justice * Mark B. Simons, Associate Justice * Gordon B. Burns, Associate Justice * (Vacant), Associate Justice


Second District

The California Court of Appeal for the Second District is one of the first three appellate districts created in 1904 and has its main courthouse in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
and the secondary courthouse, hosting Division Six, in Ventura. Division Six handles appeals from
San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo (; Spanish for " St. Louis the Bishop", ; Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, in the U.S. state of California. Located on the Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly hal ...
, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties, while Divisions One through Five, Seven, and Eight handle appeals from
Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...
. Each division has four justices. Division One: * Frances Rothschild, Presiding Justice * Victoria Gerrard Chaney, Associate Justice * Helen I. Bendix, Associate Justice * Gregory J. Weingart, Associate Justice Division Two: * Elwood Lui, Administrative Presiding Justice * Judith M. Ashmann-Gerst, Associate Justice * Victoria M. Chavez, Associate Justice * Brian M. Hoffstadt, Associate Justice Division Three: * Lee Ann Edmon, Presiding Justice * Luis A. Lavin, Associate Justice * Anne H. Egerton, Associate Justice * (vacant), Associate Justice Division Four: *
Nora Margaret Manella Nora Margaret Manella (born January 22, 1951) is the Presiding Justice of the California Second District Court of Appeal, Division Four and a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of Cal ...
, Presiding Justice * Thomas L. Willhite, Jr., Associate Justice * Audrey B. Collins, Associate Justice * Brian S. Currey, Associate Justice Division Five: * Laurence D. Rubin, Presiding Justice * Lamar W. Baker, Associate Justice *
Carl H. Moor Carl may refer to: *Carl, Georgia, city in USA *Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community *Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name *Carl², a TV series * "Carl", an episode of tel ...
, Associate Justice * Dorothy C. Kim, Associate Justice Division Six: * Arthur Gilbert, Presiding Justice * Kenneth R. Yegan, Associate Justice * Hernaldo J. Baltodano, Associate Justice * (vacant), Associate Justice Division Seven: * Dennis M. Perluss, Presiding Justice *
John L. Segal John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...
, Associate Justice * Gail Ruderman Feuer, Associate Justice * (vacant), Associate Justice Division Eight: * Maria E. Stratton, Presiding Justice * Elizabeth A. Grimes, Associate Justice * John Shepard Wiley, Jr., Associate Justice * Victor Viramontes, Associate Justice


Third District

The California Court of Appeal for the Third District is one of the first three appellate districts created in 1904 and is located in
Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
. Its jurisdiction is over the following counties:
Alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National Pa ...
, Amador,
Butte __NOTOC__ In geomorphology, a butte () is an isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; buttes are smaller landforms than mesas, plateaus, and tablelands. The word ''butte'' comes from a French word mea ...
, Calaveras, Colusa,
El Dorado El Dorado (, ; Spanish for "the golden"), originally ''El Hombre Dorado'' ("The Golden Man") or ''El Rey Dorado'' ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish in the 16th century to describe a mythical tribal chief (''zipa'') or king o ...
, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc,
Mono Mono may refer to: Common meanings * Infectious mononucleosis, "the kissing disease" * Monaural, monophonic sound reproduction, often shortened to mono * Mono-, a numerical prefix representing anything single Music Performers * Mono (Japanese b ...
,
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
, Placer, Plumas,
Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama,
Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...
, Yolo, and Yuba. It has 11 justices and is not divided into divisions. Justices: * (Vacant), Administrative Presiding Justice * Harry Hull, Associate Justice * Ronald B. Robie, Associate Justice * Louis R. Mauro, Associate Justice * Elena J. Duarte, Associate Justice * Andrea L. Hoch, Associate Justice * Jonathan K. Renner, Associate Justice * Peter A. Krause, Associate Justice * Laurie M. Earl, Associate Justice * Stacy E. Boulware Eurie, Associate Justice * (Vacant), Associate Justice


Fourth District

The California Court of Appeal for the Fourth District is unique in that it is divided into three geographical divisions that are administratively separate, which even have different case number systems, and yet remain referred to as a single district.


Division One

The Division One courthouse is located in
San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
. It handles appeals from
Imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texa ...
and
San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
Counties. It has 10 justices. Justices: *
Judith McConnell Judith Lynn McConnell (born April 6, 1944) is an American actress, best known for her role as Sophia Wayne Capwell on the TV series '' Santa Barbara'', on which she appeared from 1984 to 1993. Early life and education McConnell was born in Pitts ...
, Administrative Presiding Justice * Richard D. Huffman, Associate Justice * Terry B. O'Rourke, Associate Justice * Cynthia Aaron, Associate Justice * Joan Irion, Associate Justice * William Dato, Associate Justice *
Truc T. Do Truc, pronounced in France and in Spain, is a 15th-century bluff and counter-bluff trick-taking card game which has been likened to poker for two. It is played in Occitania, Sarthe (where it is known as ''trut''), Poitou (''tru'') and the Basqu ...
, Associate Justice * Martin N. Buchanan, Associate Justice * (vacant), Associate Justice * (vacant), Associate Justice


Division Two

The Division Two courthouse is located in
Riverside Riverside may refer to: Places Australia * Riverside, Tasmania, a suburb of Launceston, Tasmania Canada * Riverside (electoral district), in the Yukon * Riverside, Calgary, a neighbourhood in Alberta * Riverside, Manitoba, a former rural m ...
. It handles appeals from Inyo,
Riverside Riverside may refer to: Places Australia * Riverside, Tasmania, a suburb of Launceston, Tasmania Canada * Riverside (electoral district), in the Yukon * Riverside, Calgary, a neighbourhood in Alberta * Riverside, Manitoba, a former rural m ...
, and
San Bernardino San Bernardino (; Spanish language, Spanish for Bernardino of Siena, "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a ...
Counties. It currently has eight justices. Justices: *
Manuel A. Ramirez Manuel may refer to: People * Manuel (name) * Manuel (Fawlty Towers), a fictional character from the sitcom ''Fawlty Towers'' * Charlie Manuel, manager of the Philadelphia Phillies * Manuel I Komnenos, emperor of the Byzantine Empire * Manu ...
, Presiding Justice * Art W. McKinster, Associate Justice * Douglas P. Miller, Associate Justice * Carol D. Codrington, Associate Justice * Marsha G. Slough, Associate Justice * Richard T. Fields, Associate Justice *
Michael J. Raphael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...
, Associate Justice *
Frank J. Menetrez Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Curr ...
, Associate Justice


Division Three

The Division Three courthouse is located in Santa Ana. It handles appeals from
Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...
. It has eight justices. Justices: * Kathleen E. O'Leary, Presiding Justice * William W. Bedsworth, Associate Justice * Eileen C. Moore, Associate Justice *
Thomas M. Goethals Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...
, Associate Justice * Maurice Sanchez, Associate Justice * Joanne Motoike, Associate Justice *
Thomas Delaney Thomas Joseph Delaney (born 3 September 1991) is a Danish professional footballer, who plays as a defensive midfielder for German club 1899 Hoffenheim, on loan from the La Liga club Sevilla, and the Denmark national team. Delaney began his c ...
, Associate Justice * (vacant), Associate Justice


History

The Fourth District was formed by a division of the Second District pursuant to legislation that went into effect on June 5, 1929. The first decision made by the Fourth District was on October 16, 1929, in the case of ''Mills v. Mills'' (1929) 101 Cal.App. 248 81 P. 707 Originally, appeals from all of Southern California (including the San Joaquin Valley) were heard by the state supreme court sitting in Los Angeles, and then the Second District took over most of that caseload when it was created in 1904. Lawyers from the rest of Southern California outside of Los Angeles County grew tired of having to travel hundreds of miles to and from Los Angeles just to argue appeals. They lobbied for the creation of a Fourth District that would sit at locations closer to them. Three state senators from San Diego,
Fresno Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...
, and San Bernardino orchestrated the creation of the Fourth District in 1929. As a compromise, the court was created as a " circuit-riding" court that would sit each year in all three of those cities: Fresno (January-April), San Diego (May-August), and San Bernardino (September-December). In 1961, the Fifth District, with headquarters in Fresno, was created to hear appeals from San Joaquin Valley counties. The Fourth District's remaining territory was still enormous (San Bernardino County is the single largest county in the
contiguous United States The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the Federal District of the United States of America. The term excludes the only two non-contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii ...
by area); in 1965, the Fourth District split itself into Division One, sitting permanently in San Diego, and Division Two, sitting permanently in San Bernardino (now Riverside), meaning it would no longer be a circuit-riding court. The two divisions shared jurisdiction over Orange County until the creation of Division Three in 1982. The Fourth District was the first Court of Appeal to get a custom-built courthouse of its own in January 1999, when Division Two moved from San Bernardino to a newly-built courthouse in Riverside. The First, Second, and Third Districts have always shared courthouses with the Supreme Court, while the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Districts at their founding all initially leased space in existing office buildings.


Fifth District

The California Court of Appeal for the Fifth District is located in
Fresno Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...
. Its jurisdiction covers the following counties:
Fresno Fresno () is a major city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley region. It covers about and had a population of 542,107 in 2020, maki ...
,
Kern KERN (1180 AM broadcasting, AM) is a commercial radio, commercial radio station city of license, licensed to Wasco, California, Wasco-Greenacres, California, and serving the Bakersfield metropolitan area. The station is owned by American General ...
, Kings, Madera, Mariposa,
Merced Merced (; Spanish for "Mercy") is a city in, and the county seat of, Merced County, California, United States, in the San Joaquin Valley. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 86,333, up from 78,958 in 2010. Incorporated on April 1 ...
, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Tuolumne. It currently has 10 justices. Justices: * Brad R. Hill, Administrative Presiding Justice * Bert Levy, Associate Justice * Charles S. Poochigian, Associate Justice *
Jennifer R.S. Detjen Jennifer or Jenifer may refer to: People *Jennifer (given name) * Jenifer (singer), French pop singer * Jennifer Warnes, American singer who formerly used the stage name Jennifer * Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer * Daniel Jenifer Film and televi ...
, Associate Justice * Donald R. Franson, Jr., Associate Justice * Rosendo Peña, Jr., Associate Justice * M. Bruce Smith, Associate Justice *
Kathleen Meehan Kathleen may refer to: People * Kathleen (given name) * Kathleen (singer), Canadian pop singer Places * Kathleen, Alberta, Canada * Kathleen, Georgia, United States * Kathleen, Florida, United States * Kathleen High School (Lakeland, Flori ...
, Associate Justice * Mark W. Snauffer, Associate Justice * Thomas De Santos, Associate Justice


History

The Fifth District was formed by a division of the Fourth District pursuant to legislation enacted in 1961 (Stats.1961, c. 845, p. 2128, § 7). The first decision made by the Fifth District was on November 21, 1961, in the case of ''Wheat v. Morse'' (1961) 17 Cal.Rptr. 226 97 Cal.App.2d 203


Sixth District

The California Court of Appeal for the Sixth District is located in the
Comerica Bank Comerica Incorporated is a financial services company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and strategically aligned by three business segments: The Commercial Bank, The Retail Bank and Wealth Management. Comerica focuses on relationships, and helpin ...
building in San Jose. Its jurisdiction covers
Monterey Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under both ...
, San Benito, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz Counties. It has seven justices. Justices: *
Mary J. Greenwood Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also call ...
, Administrative Presiding Justice * Patricia Bamattre-Manoukian, Associate Justice *
Adrienne M. Grover Adrienne is the French feminine form of the male name Adrien. Its meaning is literally "from the city Hadria." * Adrienne Albert (born 1941), composer * Adrienne Ames (1907–1947), American actress * Adrienne Armstrong (born 1969), wife of Gr ...
, Associate Justice * Allison M. Danner, Associate Justice * Cynthia C. Lie, Associate Justice * Charles E. Wilson, Associate Justice * (vacant), Associate Justice


History

The Sixth District was formed by a division of the First District pursuant to legislation enacted in 1981 (Stats.1981, c. 959, p. 3645, § 5). The first decision made by the Sixth District was on December 13, 1984, in the case of ''People v. Dickens'' (1984) 163 Cal.App.3d 377 08 Cal.Rptr. 751


See also

*
Judiciary of California The Judiciary of California or the Judicial Branch of California is defined under the California Constitution as holding the judicial power of the state of California which is vested in the Supreme Court, the Courts of Appeal and the Superior Co ...
*
Supreme Court of California The Supreme Court of California is the highest and final court of appeals in the courts of the U.S. state of California. It is headquartered in San Francisco at the Earl Warren Building, but it regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sacra ...
*
Court of Appeals A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much of ...
*
Districts in California Districts in California geographically divide the U.S. state into overlapping regions for political and administrative purposes. History of California political districts From the founding of the state until 2008, the responsibility of redrawing ...
*
California appellate projects The California appellate projects are 501(c)(3) non-profit legal corporations under a contract with the California Court of Appeal to provide legal services to indigent parties on appeal from criminal, delinquency, dependency and mental health ju ...


Notes


References


External links


California Judicial System



Appellate Case Information System
{{State Intermediate Appellate Courts California state courts State appellate courts of the United States 1904 establishments in California Courts and tribunals established in 1904