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News Release - October 5, 2020

Gov. Newsom Selects Justice Martin Jenkins (Ret.) for California Supreme Court

FROM THE OFFICE OF GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM—Governor Gavin Newsom today announced his nomination of Justice Martin Jenkins (Ret.) for Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court.

Justice Jenkins has held several prominent state and federal judicial positions throughout his career. He would be the first openly gay California Supreme Court justice and only the third African American man ever to serve on the state’s highest court. It has been 29 years since an African American man has served on the California Supreme Court.

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Judicial Selection: How California Chooses Its Judges and Justices

The California court system consists of the local superior courts in each of California’s 58 counties, the 6 districts of the Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court. Following is a summary of how judges and justices get to their positions on these courts.

News Release - June 15, 2020

California Supreme Court Amends Code of Judicial Ethics

The Supreme Court of California adopted a slate of changes to the California Code of Judicial Ethics, which include allowing judges to speak publicly about a pending case if they are criticized for a ruling during an election or recall campaign.