https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/ en https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/memoriam-associate-justice-howard-b-wiener In Memoriam: Associate Justice Howard B. WienerMartin.Novitski Tue, 03/24/2026 - 12:54 News Release Former Associate Justice Howard B. Wiener of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division One, passed away on March 20, 2026.  Justice Wiener was born in Providence, Rhode Island on February 1, 1931, attending public schools there. He graduated from Brown University in 1952 with a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy.  Three years later, he obtained his law degree from Harvard University Law School. Following graduation from law school, Justice Wiener and his wife Joan moved to California, where he served as a law clerk to U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Harrison in Los Angeles from 1955 to 1956.  He was admitted to the California Bar in January 1956. During the next 20 years, he practiced law in a small firm in West Covina, handling all types of cases.  He was also active in the legal community, serving as President of the Pomona Valley Bar Association in 1968, on the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles County Bar Association from 1969 to 1971, and on the State Bar Board of Governors from 1972 to 1975 (Vice President, 1974-1975). On July 25, 1975, Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. appointed him to the San Bernardino County Superior Court.  Roughly three years later in May 1978, the Governor selected him to be an Associate Justice on Division One of the Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District in San Diego.  Over the next 15 years, Justice Wiener became known for clear and thoughtful opinions that adapted and applied legal principles to compassionately serve the interests of people from all walks of life. Despite practicing law in Los Angeles and the Inland Empire, Justice Wiener quickly became active in the San Diego legal community, serving as President of the William B. Enright American Inn of Court from 1991 to 1993 and later as one of its four distinguished emeritus members.  In 2018 he was honored by all five San Diego Inn of Court chapters with the second-ever lifetime achievement award.  A vocal advocate for education at every level and a mentor for many younger lawyers, Justice Wiener was an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego (USD) School of Law (1979-1986) and California Western School of Law (1986-1994), teaching professional responsibility and appellate advocacy respectively.  He also served as Chair of the Board of Visitors at USD Law School.  In 1982 he obtained a Master of Laws Degree in judicial process from the University of Virginia Law School. Justice Wiener retired from the Court on December 31, 1993.  Beginning in 1994, he was actively engaged in private dispute resolution, serving in more than 1,700 cases as a mediator, arbitrator and private judge.  He is co-author with Jon B. Eisenberg and Ellis J. Horvitz of the California Civil Practice Guide, Civil Appeals and Writs, published by The Rutter Group.  In 2007, he was interviewed for the California Appellate Courts Legacy Project.  The interview is available at California Appellate Court Legacy Project | District Courts of Appeal. Justice Wiener was preceded by his wife Joan, and is survived by his son Daniel, daughters Anne and Carrie, five grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/memoriam-justice-daniel-j-kremer In Memoriam: Justice Daniel J. KremerMartin.Novitski Fri, 02/20/2026 - 14:18 News Release Retired Administrative Presiding Justice of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Daniel Kremer passed on February 17, 2026.  Presiding Justice Kremer is a 1960 graduate of Stanford University with a degree in political science and a 1963 graduate of Stanford Law School. He was admitted to the California bar and to practice before the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in January 1964. He became a member of the bar of the United States Supreme Court in 1969. From 1964 to 1972 he was a deputy attorney general in the Sacramento office of the California Attorney General where he represented the State of California in criminal trials and appeals including death penalty cases before the California Supreme Court. In 1972 he was named head of the Attorney General’s San Diego office criminal division and in 1983 became Chief Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Attorney General’s criminal division statewide. In 1983 Governor Deukmejian appointed him to the San Diego County Superior Court. There he served in the court’s civil, criminal, law and motion and juvenile departments. In July 1985, Governor Deukmejian elevated him to the Court of Appeal as presiding justice. The voters of the State of California elected him to a full term in 1986 and reelected him to a second full term in 1998.  Presiding Justice Kremer retired in 2003 and was succeeded by Presiding Justice Judith McConnell.  Following his retirement, Presiding Justice participated in the Legacy Project, the video of which can be viewed here. Presiding Justice Kremer chaired the Judicial Council’s Committee on Criminal Trial Delay Reduction and the Council’s Library Technology Committee. He was later named a member of the California Judicial Council, the policy making body for California’s courts. While a Council member, he chaired the Judicial Council’s Rules and Forms Committee and was co-chair of California’s first Court Technology Committee. Justice Kremer chaired the Task Force on Court Facilities, a body created by the Legislature and charged with evaluating every courthouse in California and recommending steps necessary to bring deficient sites up to acceptable standards. In 2002, Justice Kremer received the Judicial Council's Jurist of the Year award.  Presiding Justice Kremer is preceded by his wife Kathryn of 56 years and survived by his sons Aaron and Brendan. https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/courts-continue-modernizing-services-public Courts Continue Modernizing Services for the PublicCorren, Blaine Wed, 07/23/2025 - 08:17 Feature California appellate courts digitized their operations, saving off-site storage costs and increasing public access to records.   In Sutter County, the court created a back-up server system in the cloud that helped it restart its computer system in minutes after an outage, ensuring continuing services to the public.   In Los Angeles County, the court created a tool that allows litigants, attorneys, and court staff to view and share small claims evidence. These are just three examples highlighted during a presentation at the July 18 Judicial Council business meeting, where court leaders shared how California courts use money in the state budget dedicated to court technology to improve their internal operations and services for court users. Courts of Appeal Digitize Court RecordsThe Courts of Appeal in California had a problem: too many paper documents that were costly to store, difficult to access, and at risk of damage or loss. Money available from the branchwide Information Technology Modernization (IT Mod) Funding Grant program enabled the courts to scan 16,555,487 documents, eliminate 6,389 bankers boxes filled with papers, and save $20,111 annually in off-site storage. The project also eliminated the need for court staff to physically retrieve and photocopy records, and increased the public’s access to the records online.  “The public benefit of digitizing records and provides immediate electronic access to records is tremendous and enhances service to both court staff and to the public,” said Charles Johnson, Clerk/Executive Officer, Court of Appeal, First Appellate District. “It created significant operational efficiency, as we can pull up documents in seconds and send it to the member of the public if requested.” Back-up Servers in the CloudThe Superior Court of Sutter County had a problem: it had no contingency plan if its computer servers went down unexpectedly. The Sutter court’s IT Mod grant enabled it to create a back-up server system in the cloud in case of emergency. Fortunately, the court finished the project before last year’s CrowdStrike outage. A faulty update caused widespread problems with Microsoft Windows computers running Crowdstrike’s security software. Millions of systems crashed and were unable to properly restart in what has been called the largest outage in the history of information technology. But with its new cloud-based backup system, the Sutter court recovered its server systems within minutes, ensuring business as usual at the court by 9:00 a.m. “These are situations you hope never occur, but being prepared is critical to business operations,” said AJ Guzman, Chief Information Officer, Superior Court of Sutter County. “Our disaster recovery solution ensured timely access to justice, which is important for building and maintaining public trust and confidence in our court systems.” View and Share Small Claims EvidenceThe Superior Court of Los Angeles County had a problem: an inefficient, costly, and manual process for documents in small claims cases. IT Mod funding enabled the court to upgrade its system for handling evidence in small claims cases, which can now be uploaded, shared, and viewed online. “Now all small claims participants—litigants, attorneys, and court staff—can interact with the evidence electronically,” said Assistant Presiding Judge Ricardo R. Ocampo, Superior Court of Los Angeles County. Funding for Upgrading Court Technology to ContinueAt that July business meeting, the council also approved the next allocation of grant funding from the IT Mod program for fiscal year 2025-26. This year’s priorities include court projects related to cyber/information security, remote proceedings, data analytics, AI, and modernizing court technology infrastructure. “The technology modernization funding allows each court to identify particular needs of their communities,” said Judge Kyle Brodie, chair of the council’s Technology Committee, during the council meeting. “When awarding the program funding, we emphasize the need to use technology to improve access to our courts.” History of the Court Technology Grant ProgramThe state Budget Act of 2020 and 2021 each appropriated $25 million for the modernization of California’s trial courts through the Court Technology Modernization Funding Grant program. On July 24, 2020, the Judicial Council directed its Technology Committee to make recommendations for allocating this funding for local court projects. The Technology Committee established program requirements, a court application request process, and a method for evaluating the projects, identifying branch technology priorities, and making funding recommendations. Based on the success of these projects, the Budget Act of 2022 approved ongoing funding to continue modernizing California’s judicial branch through technology. To reflect the ongoing appropriation, the program name changed to the Information Technology Modernization (IT Mod) Funding Grant. Most recent council report on the technology grant program Watch technology projects update presented at July 18 council business meeting https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/2025-judicial-demographics-report-california-bench-continues-grow-more-diverse 2025 Judicial Demographics Report: California Bench Continues to Grow More DiverseCorren, Blaine Mon, 03/03/2025 - 15:52 News Release Since December 2006: Number of female judicial officers is up 15 percentage points Percentage of Asian, Black, and Hispanic judicial officers has more than doubled   For the 19th straight year, California’s judicial bench has grown more diverse, according to the Judicial Officer (JO) Demographic Data report released by the Judicial Council. The data reflect demographic information self-reported by justices and judges on the bench as of December 31, 2024, with a response rate of more than 93% of all judicial officers. Responding to the questionnaire is voluntary, and the data only reflects the responses provided. Per data collected in December 2024 (and published in March 2025), responding female judicial officers constitute 43.3% of judicial officers across all court levels, a 2 percentage point increase over the prior year and an increase of more than 15 percentage points since December 2006—the first time that data were collected for this purpose. The bench also has continued to become more racially and ethnically diverse. The percentage of responding Asian, Black, and Hispanic judicial officers has more than doubled since 2006. Statewide, Multi-Branch Effort to Increase Judicial DiversityThe Judicial Council’s Strategic Plan for California’s Judicial Branch makes explicit the branch’s commitment to a diverse and inclusive court system. The plan supports efforts like the council’s Pathways to Judicial Diversity toolkit, which encourages courts to reach out to underrepresented groups—including individuals with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, disabilities, and sexual orientations—to educate and advise them about pursuing careers in the law. In addition, the Judicial Mentor Program is a statewide undertaking between the Governor’s office and the California courts to develop and recruit qualified and diverse judicial applicants—and the state’s appellate and superior courts have also started their own local mentor programs. Progress on increasing judicial diversity has continued under our current Governor’s appointments. Since taking office in 2019 through 2024, more than half of Governor Gavin Newsom's 576 judicial appointments have been women justices and judges, and more than half also identified as Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic, or Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. Survey of California BenchThe Judicial Council surveyed California judges and justices in December 2024 to get a snapshot of the demographics of the California bench—including gender, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Among the findings: GenderOf the responding judicial officers, data show the percentage of female justices and judges has increased to 43.3%, compared to 27.1% in 2006, continuing a steady upward trend. Race and EthnicityThe data also show changes over the past 19 years in the percentage of responding justices and judges reported in the following race/ethnicity categories: American Indian or Alaska Native (0.4% in 2024 compared to 0.1% in 2006) Asian (11.2% in 2024 compared to 4.4% in 2006) Black or African American (9.7% in 2024 compared to 4.4% in 2006) Hispanic or Latino (12.7% in 2024 compared to 6.3% in 2006) Pacific Islander (0.2% in 2024 compared to 0.1% in 2006) White (57.8% in 2024 compared to 70.1% in 2006) Some Other Race (1.3% in 2024 compared to 0.2% in 2006) More Than One Race (5.0% in 2024 compared to 4.4% in 2006) Information Not Provided (1.6% in 2024 compared to 9.9% in 2006) These changes reflect judicial retirements and other departures from the bench, new judicial appointments, and an increase in the number of trial court judges who voluntarily provided race/ethnicity information. Gender Identity/Sexual OrientationThis is the 14th year that the study includes data on gender identity and sexual orientation, as required by a law passed in 2011. Survey respondents reported the following: Heterosexual – 79.7% Lesbian - 1.9% Gay - 2.8% Bisexual - 0.4% Transgender - 0.0% Nonbinary – 0.0% More than One Gender ID / Sexual Orientation – 0.2% Information not provided – 15.0% Veteran and Disability StatusIn addition, this is the 11th year that the study includes data on veteran and disability status. These questions were first asked of justices and judges who were new to the bench during the 2014 calendar year, although judges appointed before this date are free to update this aspect of their demographic profile as well. Of the 1075 active judicial officers responding to the question about their status as a veteran, 64 respondents (6%) indicated they have served in the military. Of the 1079 active judicial officers responding to the question concerning their disability status, 38 judicial officers (3.5%) indicated they have a disability. About Judicial Officer Demographic DataGovernment Code section 12011.5(n) requires the Judicial Council to collect and release aggregate demographic data on California state justices and judges by March 1 every year. This is the report’s 19th year. Increasing the diversity of California’s judicial officers to reflect California’s populace continues to be a goal of the Judicial Council. https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/california-supreme-court-hold-oral-argument-outreach-session-fresno California Supreme Court to Hold Oral Argument Outreach Session in FresnoCorren, Blaine Wed, 10/02/2024 - 13:44 News Release The California Supreme Court will hold a special oral argument session on Wednesday, October 9 in Fresno. This will be the court’s second outreach session under Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero and the first time the court has heard oral argument in Fresno since 2010. The special session will be attended by students and their teachers from local high schools, an elementary school, and a law school. The court’s outreach programs allow students to participate in and learn from the judicial process. At the start of the session, students will have the opportunity to ask the justices questions about the court and their role in the judicial system. After the Q&A session, students will watch oral argument for the cases on calendar that day. The students attending the session will be from Buchanan High School, Bullard High School, Clovis High School, Clovis North High School, Clovis East High School, Clovis West High School, Coalinga High School, Justin Garza High School, Reedley High School, Roosevelt High School, Maple Creek Elementary, and San Joaquin College of Law. The court will host the session from the courtroom of the Fifth District Court of Appeal in Fresno, at 2424 Cesar Chavez Boulevard (formerly known as Ventura Street). Media interested in attending the session are asked to contact blaine.corren@jud.ca.govThe session will also be broadcast live on the Supreme Court website and the California Courts Newsroom.   https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/court-appeal-third-appellate-district-hear-oral-argument-union-mine-high-school Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, to Hear Oral Argument at Union Mine High Schoolelaine.chan Thu, 09/05/2024 - 12:45 News Release Media interested in attending the session are asked to email blaine.corren@jud.ca.gov. El Dorado—Administrative Presiding Justice Laurie M. Earl announced the Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, will hear oral argument at Union Mine High School in El Dorado, on Sept. 24. Since 2000, the Third Appellate District has held oral argument sessions in 30 high schools and two law schools in 20 counties of its district. More than 200 students from El Dorado, Union Mine, Ponderosa, and Oakridge High Schools are expected to attend. Oral argument will begin at 10 a.m. and will be heard in Union Mine High School Theater, 6530 Koki Lane, El Dorado. All interested members of the public, attorneys, and judges are welcome to attend. Those who attend will be required to go through security screening, so an early arrival is advisable. The following two cases will be heard: 10:00 - 10:30 a.m.: Hamilton et al. v. Vail Corporation et al., C095844 & C097604. Appeals from order denying motion to set aside judgment following approval of settlement and denial of motion to intervene.   10:35 - 11:05 a.m.:  People v. Mitchell, C098293. Appeal from judgment of conviction and sentence to prison term of 14 years 8 months on five separate counts, including unlawful transport of an assault weapon, felon in possession of firearm, evasion of a peace officer, assault on a police dog, and resisting a peace officer.   11:10 - 11:40 a.m.: Discussion/question-and-answer session with students. As part of this educational experience, justices of the Third Appellate District will discuss their career paths with the students and conduct a question-and-answer period immediately following oral argument. The justices are not permitted to answer questions about the cases. The Court of Appeal ordinarily holds oral argument in its courtroom at 914 Capitol Mall, Sacramento. The Third Appellate District comprises 23 counties: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo, and Yuba. https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/commission-confirms-appointments-courts-appeal-14 Commission Confirms Appointments to Courts of AppealBalassone, Merrill Mon, 07/10/2023 - 09:35 News Release Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero, chair of the Commission on Judicial Appointments, announced that the commission today confirmed four nominations to the California Courts of Appeal in Sacramento and Los Angeles. The nominees were confirmed by vote of the three-member commission, which includes: Chief Justice Guerrero (Chair); Attorney General Rob Bonta; and Acting Presiding Justice Ronald Robie (for the Third Appellate District hearing), and Presiding Justice Arthur Gilbert (for the Second Appellate District hearings). The nominees confirmed were: Justice Laurie Earl as presiding justice of the Third District Court of Appeal (Sacramento) Gonzalo Martinez as associate justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Seven (Los Angeles) Justice Brian Currey as presiding justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Four (Los Angeles) Judge Helen Zukin as associate justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Four (Los Angeles) Appointee Biographies Justice Laurie Earl fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Presiding Justice Vance W. Raye. Justice Earl has served as an associate justice of the Third District Court of Appeal since 2022. She served as a Sacramento County Superior Court judge from 2005 to 2021. Justice Earl was senior assistant inspector general at the California Office of Inspector General from 2004 to 2005 and a deputy district attorney at the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office from 1995 to 2004. She served as an assistant public defender at the Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office from 1989 to 1995. Justice Earl earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Lincoln Law School of Sacramento. Gonzalo Martinez fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Laurie D. Zelon. Martinez has served as deputy judicial appointments secretary in the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom since 2019. He served as a deputy solicitor general in the California Attorney General’s Office from 2017 to 2019 and was a partner in the Appellate and Supreme Court Practice Group at Squire Patton Boggs from 2007 to 2017 and in 2019. Martinez served as a law clerk at the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California in 2010 and at the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California in 2007. Martinez was an associate at Coblentz Patch Duffy and Bass from 2005 to 2007 and at Morrison & Foerster LLP from 2003 to 2005. Martinez earned a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School and a Master of Arts degree in English from Stanford University. Justice Brian Currey fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Presiding Justice Nora Manella. Justice Currey has served as an associate justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Four since 2018. He previously served as a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge from 2014 to 2018. Justice Currey was of counsel at O’Melveny and Myers LLP from 2013 to 2014. He served as deputy mayor for economic and business policy in the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office in 2013 and was counsel to the mayor from 2010 to 2013. Justice Currey was a partner at O’Melveny and Myers LLP from 1989 to 2010, where he was also an associate from 1981 to 1989. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. Judge Helen Zukin fills the vacancy created pending confirmation of Justice Brian Currey as presiding justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Four. Judge Zukin has served as a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge since 2018. Judge Zukin was a partner at Kiesel Law LLP from 2010 to 2018, where she was of counsel from 2006 to 2010. She was a sole practitioner from 1995 to 2006 and a partner at Simke, Chodos, Silberfeld and Anteau Inc. from 1992 to 1995, where she was also an associate from 1990 to 1992. Judge Zukin was an associate at Greene, O’Reilly, Agnew and Broillet from 1985 to 1990. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/tuesday-commission-consider-appellate-court-appointments Tuesday: Commission to Consider Appellate Court Appointments Balassone, Merrill Fri, 04/08/2022 - 19:12 News Release Public documents are available for viewing here. SAN FRANCISCO—The Commission on Judicial Appointments will hold public hearings May 17 starting at 11 a.m. in the Supreme Court Courtroom, 350 McAllister Street, 4th Floor, in San Francisco. The commission will consider the following appointments by Gov. Gavin Newsom: •  11 a.m.—Justice Maria E. Stratton, as Presiding Justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Eight (Los Angeles) •  11:45 a.m.—Martin N. Buchanan, as Associate Justice of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division One (San Diego) The Commission members are: •  Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye (Chair) •  Attorney General Rob Bonta •  Presiding Justice Arthur Gilbert (for Justice Stratton's hearing) and Presiding Justice Manuel A. Ramirez (for Martin Buchanan's hearing). Seating in the courtroom will be limited—with some overflow seating also available in the auditorium—and any mask requirements will be enforced as may be required by state and local health directives in effect at the time of the hearing. The hearings will be webcast live on the California Courts Newsroom. The state Constitution specifies that a gubernatorial nomination or appointment to the Supreme Court or a Court of Appeal is “effective when confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments.” The commission consists of the chief justice of California, the attorney general of California, and the presiding justice of the Court of Appeal of the affected district or, if there are two or more presiding justices, the one who has presided longest or, for a nomination or appointment to the Supreme Court, the presiding justice who has presided the longest on any Court of Appeal. Appointee Biographies Justice Maria Stratton would fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Tricia Ann Bigelow. She has served as an associate justice of the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Eight since 2018. Justice Stratton served as a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge from 2006 to 2018. She served as federal public defender for the Central District of California from 1993 to 2006 and held several positions at Talcott, Lightfoot, Vandevelde, Woehrle and Sadowsky from 1985 to 1993, including managing partner, partner and associate. She was an associate at Overland, Berke, Wesley, Gits, Randolph and Levanas from 1984 to 1985. Stratton served as a deputy federal public defender at the Office of the Federal Public Defender, Central District of California from 1981 to 1984 and as a law clerk for the Hon. Harry Pregerson at the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1979 to 1981. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.  Martin N. Buchanan would fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Patricia D. Benke. Buchanan has been a sole practitioner since 2010. He was a partner at Niddrie, Fish & Buchanan LLP from 2005 to 2010 and a sole practitioner from 2004 to 2005 and 1992 to 2003. Buchanan served as a research attorney at the Fourth District Court of Appeal from 2003 to 2004 and was a staff attorney at Appellate Defenders Inc. from 1990 to 1992. He was an Associate at Remcho, Johansen & Purcell from 1988 to 1990 and at Farnsworth, Saperstein & Seligman from 1987 to 1988. He served as a law clerk for the Honorable Robert F. Peckham at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California from 1986 to 1987. Buchanan earned a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School. Testimony and Comment Persons who wish to testify or comment on the appointment must submit their information for receipt by the commission no later than 5 p.m. on May 10. Anyone wishing to testify before the commission must state that request in writing and include a summary of the facts on which any testimony or opinion will be based. Submissions via email to coja@jud.ca.gov are strongly encouraged. Hard copies are not required. If you would like to mail your request, you may also reach the commission at: Commission on Judicial Appointments c/o Chief Justice of California Supreme Court of California 350 McAllister Street San Francisco, California 94102 Attention: Secretary to the Commission Guidelines for the Commission on Judicial Appointments are published in the appendix to the California Rules of Court and are posted on the California Courts website. https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/justice-richard-d-fybel-retire-fourth-appellate-district Justice Richard D. Fybel to Retire from the Fourth Appellate DistrictBalassone, Merrill Tue, 03/08/2022 - 16:40 News Release SANTA ANA—Associate Justice Richard D. Fybel of the California Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division Three, will retire effective March 31. He has served as a justice since February 2002 and has authored over 2,000 opinions, including 260 published opinions. Before his appointment to the Orange County Superior Court in 2000, he was a partner in the law firm of Morrison & Foerster LLP.  Justice Fybel said: “I am honored to have served alongside my judicial colleagues and court employees in working to achieve equal justice under law. We have strived to reach the right results in our opinions for the right reasons and to treat everyone appearing before us with respect.” Justice Fybel has been a statewide leader in the area of judicial ethics. For 18 years, he has been the chair of the California Supreme Court’s Advisory Committee on the Code of Judicial Ethics. The Advisory Committee makes recommendations to the Supreme Court on amendments to the Code and its commentary, and Justice Fybel said he is grateful for the support of the Chief Justice and the Supreme Court. Justice Fybel co-authored the treatise on judicial ethics, the “California Judicial Conduct Handbook.”  He has taught judicial ethics and other subjects for the B.E. Witkin Judicial College, the Appellate Justices Institute, and others.  During his time as chair of the Advisory Committee, the Supreme Court amended the Code of Judicial Ethics in significant ways, including a comprehensive revision of the code. Over the years, amendments have also strengthened canons and commentary on subjects including access to justice, anti-discrimination, anti-harassment, and judicial campaign conduct and contributions.  Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye said: “The arc, scope and depth of Justice Richard Fybel’s extraordinary professional contributions to justice in California for his 22 years as a jurist are breathtaking and will guide us for years to come. He has helped guide numerous current and future judicial officers as a teacher of judges, author of books and articles on ethics and the law, and chair of the Supreme Court Advisory Committee on the Code of Judicial Ethics for 18 years. Richard’s contributions go beyond the judiciary, as a scholar and philanthropist, educating us on the Holocaust, and the need for a strong and independent justice system that serves everyone. He has helped us all to better fulfill our constitutional oaths of office and to perform at our highest levels. As you leave the bench, you have my deepest gratitude and admiration my dear, brilliant, kind and gentle friend. Every good wish in your next endeavor.” Presiding Justice Kathleen E. O’Leary said: “Having worked with Justice Fybel on the Court of Appeal for over 20 years, I can honestly say as far as colleagues go Justice Fybel is the gold standard. He not only works to author excellent opinions; he works collegially with the other justices to make sure the entire court produces the highest quality work possible. What he cares about is getting it right so that we are consistently improving the quality of California jurisprudence.” Justice Fybel has been honored as Alumnus of the Year for Community and Public Service by the UCLA School of Law and for his public service by the Fowler School of Law at Chapman University. He received the highest awards from the California Judges Association, the Orange County Bar Association, and the Appellate Section of the OCBA. He has also been active in legal education as a member of the boards of advisors of the Fowler School of Law at Chapman University, UCI School of Law, and the Jewish Law Institute at Touro Law School in New York. He is a longtime member of the board of the Orange County Chapter of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers.  Justice Fybel has written and spoken extensively on the German Legal System (1933-1945), and the Nuremberg Trials, including co-teaching a seminar for more than a decade at Fowler School of Law entitled, “The Holocaust, Genocide and the Law.” He is a member of the Board of Advisors at the Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education at Chapman University and a co-founder of an endowed fund in honor of his parents at the Center’s library. He served for two years as President of University Synagogue in Irvine. https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/joseph-lane-former-second-district-court-appeal-clerkexecutive-officer-dies-age-69 Joseph Lane, Former Second District Court of Appeal Clerk/Executive Officer Dies at Age 69Corren, Blaine Tue, 10/19/2021 - 12:26 News Release Joseph (Joe) Lane, the former Clerk/Executive Officer for the Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District in Los Angeles died at age 69 yesterday after a brief battle with cancer. His career with the appellate court lasted 39 years before his retirement in 2018. The court’s Administrative Presiding Justice Elwood Lui commented, "The entire court family, particularly those in the second district are sadden by the death of our former colleague and friend. He served the court for nearly four decades, keeping us up with changes in court administration and helping to steer us in the right direction. We mourn his loss and send our sympathies to his family. He will be deeply missed.” Lane received his BA with honors from California State University at Northridge in 1975. He joined the Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District as a deputy clerk and held that position from 1979 to 1987. He rose to Chief Deputy Clerk from 1988 to 1991, and then was appointed Clerk/Executive Officer of the court in January 1992, and served in that role until his retirement in September 2018. Lane was a member and past president of the California Appellate Court Clerks Association and the National Conference of Appellate Court Clerks. In addition, he served as an advisory member of the Judicial Council of California from 1996 to 1999. He also served on council advisory groups, including the Appellate Advisory Committee and Information Technology Committee. Lane is survived by his by his son Peter and daughter Allison. A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held at a later date.