Governor Brown Releases
2014 Judicial Appointment Data
SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.
today released annual applicant and appointee data for the administration’s
judicial appointments.From 2011 through 2014, there were 1,574 applicants for judicial appointments and Governor Brown appointed 237 judges, including 76 in 2014. Approximately 46% of Governor Brown’s appointees in 2014 identified their ethnicity as American Indian or Alaska Native; Asian; Black or African-American; Hispanic; Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; or other/unknown.
Governor Brown also nominated two new Justices to the California Supreme Court in 2014: Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar in July and Justice Leondra R. Kruger in November. Both Justices were sworn in by Governor Brown earlier this year.
From 2011 through 2014, Governor Brown’s judicial appointees included a number of notable firsts:
·
Therese
M. Stewart, the first openly lesbian justice to serve on the California
Court of Appeal; and
·
Ferdinand
P. Inumerable, the first Asian-American judge ever appointed to the Ventura
County Superior Court.
·
Paul
Lo, the first Hmong American judge ever appointed in the country;
·
Sunshine
Sykes, the first Native American judge ever appointed to the Riverside
County Superior Court;
·
Sunil
Kulkarni, the first South Asian American judge ever appointed in Northern
California;
·
Rupa
Goswami, the first South Asian American woman judge ever appointed in
California.
·
Halim
Dhanidina, the first American-Muslim judge ever appointed in California;
·
Jim
Humes, the first openly gay justice ever appointed to the California Court
of Appeal;
·
Miguel
Marquez, the first Latino justice ever appointed to the Sixth District
Court of Appeal;
·
Rosendo
Peña, the first Latino justice ever appointed to the Fifth District Court
of Appeal;
·
Chris
Doehle, the first female judge ever appointed to the Del Norte County
Superior Court;
·
Kimberly
Colwell, the first openly lesbian judge ever appointed to the Alameda
County Superior Court;
·
Mark
Andrew Talamantes, the first Latino judge ever appointed to the Marin
County Superior Court;
·
Kathleen
O’Leary, the first female presiding justice ever appointed to the Fourth
District Court of Appeal, Division Three; and
·
Raquel
Marquez, the first Latina judge ever appointed to the Riverside County
Superior Court.
Under SB 56 and SB 182, the Governor is required to disclose aggregate statewide demographic data provided by all judicial applicants by March 1.
See also Calif. Gov. Appointed More Minority, LGBT Judges In 2014 at Law360.
And see the hard data here.
Government 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 ninth year that the information has been collected and released. Responding to the questionnaire is entirely voluntary for judges.
Gender
The data show a trend toward an increasing percentage of female trial court judges in 2014. Women now represent 32.2 percent of superior court judges, compared to 26.8 percent in 2006, continuing a steady upward trend over the past nine years.
Race and Ethnicity
The data also show changes over the past nine years in the percentage of justices and judges reported in the following race and ethnicity categories:
- American Indian or Alaska Native (0.5 percent in 2014 compared to 0.1 percent in 2006);
- Asian (6.0 percent in 2014 compared to 4.4 percent in 2006);
- Black or African American (6.5 percent in 2014 compared to 4.4 percent in 2006);
- Hispanic or Latino (9.4 percent in 2014 compared to 6.3 percent in 2006);
- Pacific Islander (0.2 percent in 2014 compared to 0.1 percent in 2006);
- White (69.9 percent in 2014 compared to 70.1 percent in 2006);
- Some Other Race (1.1 percent in 2014 compared to 0.2 percent in 2006);
- More Than One Race (3.5 percent in 2014 compared to 4.4 percent in 2006); and
- Information Not Provided (2.8 percent in 2014 compared to 9.9 percent 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 Orientation
This is the fourth year that the study includes data on gender identity and sexual orientation, as required by a law passed in 2011. Sixty-five percent of respondents provided information about gender identity/sexual orientation, reporting the following:
- Heterosexual, 62.4 percent;
- Lesbian, 1.3 percent;
- Gay, 1.1 percent;
- Bisexual, 0 percent;
- Transgender, 0.1 percent; and
- Information not provided, 35.2 percent.
Veteran’s and Disability Status
In addition, this is the first year that the study includes data on veteran’s and disability status, which is required only for justices and judges on the bench on or after January 1, 2014. Of the 60 trial court judges responding to the question about their veteran’s status, 5 respondents (12%) indicated they have served in the military. Of the 63 judges responding to the question concerning their disability status, 2 judges (3%) indicated they have a disability.
Increasing the diversity of California’s judicial officers to reflect the rich diversity of California’s populace continues to be a key goal of the Judicial Council.
Visit Governor Brown’s website for demographic information on judicial appointments.
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