Commission to Consider Appellate Court Appointments

Read the full news release.

The Commission on Judicial Appointments will hold in-person hearings in San Francisco on Aug. 6 starting at 9:00 a.m. to consider four appointments by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The commission will consider the following appointments:

• 9:00 a.m.: Justice Tari Cody, as presiding justice of the Second Appellate District, Division Six (Ventura) 

• 10:00 a.m.: Judge Nicholas Daum, as associate justice of the Second Appellate District, Division Four (Los Angeles)
• 11:00 a.m.: Judge Sonny S. Sandhu, as associate justice of the Fifth Appellate District (Fresno)
• 12:00 p.m.: Judge Charles Adams, as associate justice of the Sixth Appellate District (San Jose)

The hearing webcast will be streamed live on the California Courts Newsroom.

The state Constitution specifies that a gubernatorial appointment to the Court of Appeal is effective when confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments. 

The commission members who will consider the appointments are California Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero (Chair); California Attorney General Rob Bonta; Presiding Justice Frances Rothschild (for the Second Appellate District hearings) *; Administrative Presiding Justice Brad R. Hill (for the Fifth Appellate District hearing); and Administrative Presiding Justice Mary J. Greenwood (for the Sixth Appellate District hearing). 

*Presiding Justice Frances Rothschild will appear virtually for the 9:00 a.m. hearing for Justice Tari Cody and the 10:00 a.m. hearing for Judge Nicholas Daum. 

Appointee Biographies

Justice Tari Cody would fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Arthur Gilbert. She has served as an associate justice for the Second Appellate District, Division Six, since 2023. She joined the bench in 2000, serving as a Ventura Superior Court judge until her appointment to the Court of Appeal in 2023. Before joining the bench, she was an associate and partner in private practice from 1985 to 2000. She received her Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School. 

Judge Nicholas Daum would fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Audrey B. Collins. He has served as a Los Angeles Superior Court judge since 2022. Before joining the bench, he was an associate and partner in private practice from 2004 to 2022. He received his Juris Doctor from Yale Law School. 

Judge Sonny S. Sandhu would fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Rosendo Peňa, Jr. He has served as a Stanislaus Superior Court judge since 2018, and as presiding judge for the last year. Before joining the bench, he worked in the Stanislaus County Public Defender’s Office, including as the public defender from 2017 to 2018, as chief deputy public defender from 2015 to 2017, and as deputy public defender from 2003 to 2015. He received his Juris Doctor from The Ohio State University College of Law. 

Judge Charles Adams would fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Patricia Bamattre-Manoukian. He has served as a Santa Clara Superior Court judge since 2018. Before joining the bench, he served as an administrative law clerk at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California from 2011 to 2018. He was a staff attorney and legal research attorney at the Santa Clara Superior Court from 2006 to 2011. Adams was also an associate in private practice from 2003 to 2006. He received his Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University School of Law. 

Testimony and Comment

Requests to testify or written comments on the appointment must be received by the commission no later than 5 p.m. on July 30 (five court days prior to the hearing). 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.