3d DCA pro tem update

In the 3d District, Associate Justice Rebecca A. Wiseman, retired, will be sitting in pro tempore beginning July 15, 2023, through August 14, 2026.

$COTUS royalites

Bloomberg Law has Supreme Court Justices Report $2.4 Million in Book Income

Four Supreme Court justices reported a combined income of roughly $2.4 million from recently authored books, further demonstrating how lucrative the publishing world is for members of the court. ....

Associate justices receive an annual salary of $306,600. The chief justice is paid a salary of $320,700.

No AI sanctions?

Law360 has Scientologists Want 'Ignored' Boies Schiller AI Errors Review

The Church of Scientology has asked the California Supreme Court to review an appellate order that didn't impose sanctions on Boies Schiller Flexner LLP for filing a brief containing artificial intelligence-generated citation errors in a harassment and retaliation suit pending against the church.

PACER fees increase

Law360 reports PACER Fees Will Rise To Fund Cyber Defense Upgrades

The federal judiciary announced Friday it will temporarily increase the fees for electronic access to court records to pay for a potential $800 million upgrade that will modernize and strengthen court records systems PACER and CM/ECF, an upgrade it previously said is needed to respond to escalating cyberattacks.

• Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, the cost of accessing court records through PACER will increase from 10 cents to 12 cents per page. The price increase will last for five years. The announcement didn't say whether the current $3.00 cap to access a single document would also change.
• This is the first adjustment in PACER fees in nearly 15 years, it said. In 2012, the per-page fee was raised from 8 cents to 10 cents.
• fees will be waived for users who spend $40 or less per quarter, an increase from the current $30 waiver.

Bloomberg law has Courts Raise PACER Fees to Fund System Upgrades After Hacks

4/3 research atty appointed to OCSC

Thomas Fay, of Orange County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Orange County Superior Court. Fay has served as a Lead Appellate Attorney at the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Three since 2023, where he also served as a Senior Appellate Attorney from 2020 to 2023. He worked as an Associate at multiple firms including at Murtaugh Treglia Stern & Deily from 2014 to 2020 and at Ezer Williamson Law from 2013 to 2014. Fay received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. Effective June 29, 2026, he will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Michael J. Strickroth. Fay is a Democrat.

Can you spot the retired Justices in this video?

More Than 100 Retired California Judges Create “Wall of Justice” to Defend the Rule of Law & An Independent Judiciary -- Watch the video from the Retired Judges Initiative (RJI) to hear familiar voices remind all of us why "judicial independence is not a privilege — it is the foundation of justice itself."

The DJ has More than 100 retired California judges form 'wall of justice' to defend an independent judiciary -- More than 100 retired California judges have released a video tribute defending judicial independence, timed to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

RIP J. Marchiano (1943-2026)

The Honorable James J. Marchiano, passed away June 2. He spent 25 years on the bench - first on the Contra Costa Superior Court (1988–1998), then as Presiding Justice of the California Court of Appeal, First District, Division One (1998–2013). Interview here.

RIP J.Irion (1953-2026)

Associate Justice Joan K. Irion of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division One passed away on Saturday, June 20, 2026. Please visit the California Courts Newsroom for the full article.

The DJ has Justice Joan K. Irion, 1953 - 2026 -- Beyond her written opinions and courtroom work, Irion became one of California's most active judicial educators and ambassadors for civic engagement.

Justice 250 event in SD July 2 / Scotus speculation

As reported on At The Lectern, Justice 250 is a special event coming to the flight deck of the USS Midway Museum on Thursday, July 2, 2026, featuring Chief Justice Guerrero and Ninth Circuit Judge McKeown.

At the Lectern also has New courthouse named in honor of former Chief Justice

Bloomberg Law has Judges Jockey for Potential Trump Supreme Court Appointment

• Retirement speculation, which typically comes at the end of each Supreme Court term in June, has been focused on 77-year-old Justices Clarence Thomas and 76-year-old Samuel Alito. The men, considered the two most conservative justices, haven’t publicly announced their future plans.
• Solicitor General John Sauer and Judge Andrew Oldham of the Fifth Circuit have been discussed as potential candidates for the Supreme Court
• Judge James Ho on the Fifth Circuit has also been floated
• Other names include Judges Neomi Rao and Gregory Katsas on the DC Circuit, Judge Patrick Bumatay on the Ninth Circuit, Judge Steven Menashi on the Second Circuit, and Judge Amul Thapar on the Sixth Circuit.

Law.com has Kannon Shanmugam Talks Davis Polk Move, the Supreme Court’s Shrinking Docket and Appellate Strategy and Quinn Emanuel Promotes New York Partner to Appellate Practice Co-Leader

Bloomberg Law has Kirkland Taps Quinn Emanuel Partner to Steer Appeals Group

Judicial Council news

The DJ has Chief Justice Guerrero appoints eight new Judicial Council members -- Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero appointed four voting and four advisory Judicial Council members from courts, court administration and private practice, while reappointing six members and recognizing nine departing council members.

• Administrative Presiding Justice Mary J. Greenwood of the 6th District Court of Appeal and Alameda County Superior Court Executive Officer Chad Finke will begin their terms July 1. Greenwood joins as a voting member
• Greenwood oversees administration of the appellate court's district and previously served in leadership roles in Santa Clara County Superior Court's family division. Finke brings 25 years of judicial branch experience, including service at the Judicial Council and on statewide court budget and administration committees.
• The chief justice also reappointed six current council members effective Sept. 15, including California Supreme Court Justice Carol A. Corrigan and 1st District Court of Appeal Clerk/Executive Officer Charles Johnson
• Council members concluding their terms this year include Justice Joan K. Irion

SAJEC needs your input!

The LACBA State Appellate Judicial Evaluation Committee (SAJEC) is evaluating four Los Angeles Superior Court judges for possible appointment to the Second District Court of Appeal: Elizabeth Bradley, Alexander Giza, Marisa Hernández-Stern, and Cindy Pánuco. If you have input on any of the candidates, please complete the relevant questionnaires linked below. Elaborations in the comments fields are especially helpful. To provide input beyond the questionnaire, contact committee chair Alana Rotter at arotter@gmsr.com. SAJEC appreciates your help!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HonElizabethBradley

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HonAlexanderGiza

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HonMarisaHernandezStern

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HonCindyPanuco

PACER passwords

Important PACER Announcement: Updated Password Standards

Beginning August 17, 2026, PACER users who have not updated their password in the last 18 months will be randomly selected to update their password to comply with the updated password standards. The new password must:

• Be 14-45 characters in length.
• Contain at least one lowercase letter, one uppercase letter, and one special character.
• Not contain any part of your first name, last name, username, or email address.

Passwords will also have to be updated every 180 days.

See full announcement here.
Please consider updating your ECF password as soon as possible.
To change your password, login to Manage My Account. Under Settings, click Change Password.

DJ profiles J.Boulware Eurie

Today's DJ has Justice Stacy Boulware Eurie brings trial court urgency to 3rd District -- The former Sacramento juvenile court presiding judge says appellate work is less immediate but steady and relentless. (Earlier DJ profiles were published in 2008 and 2017.)

Gov. Gavin Newsom named her to the appellate court in 2022, making her one of the few judges in California appointed by governors of both major parties. At the 3rd District, Boulware Eurie joined a court emerging from a period involving concerns about backlogs and the forced retirement of the presiding justice. The court has since set new internal benchmarks for how long cases should take from notice of appeal to opinion, she said. "We don't have any cases that are lagging in terms of this court, in terms of the backlog," Boulware Eurie said.

1st Dist. Rule Changes / Top Women Lawyers

First District local rule changes: The Court has approved changes to three of the First District’s Local Rules. Local Rules 13 and 15 are amended, and Local Rule 5 is repealed. The amended and repealed rules can be found here. These changes have been published in Advance Pamphlet 14, and take effect on July 24, 2026.

The DJ has issued its annual Top Women Lawyers 2026 and it includes the usual appellate suspects: Lisa Perrochet, M.C. Sungaila, Mira Hashmall, and Kelli Sager. And the insert has Koren Bell's article Women now hold every chief judicial seat in the 9th Circuit and C.D. Cal -- For the first time in the history of the 9th Circuit and the Central District of California, every chief judicial officer is a woman.

9th Cir. Lawyer Reps wanted

The United States District Court, Central District of California, is currently accepting applications from qualified individuals interested in serving as Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference Lawyer Representatives.
The selected Lawyer Representatives will be representative of the entire district and reflect the diversity of lawyers practicing before the Court.
For more information, please see the attached https://www.cacd.uscourts.gov/news/recruitment-notice-ninth-circuit-judicial-conference-lawyer-representatives-3.

CLA webinar on Appealability Basics

CLA presents a webinar: Appealability Basics: What Trial Lawyers Need to Know
June 11 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
1 Participatory MCLE Credits | 1 Legal Specialization in Appellate Law
Led by Jeff Gurrola and Hayley MacMillen, seasoned appellate lawyers at Greines, Martin, Stein & Richland LLP who both have significant trial experience, this program covers critical issues relating to appealability. You’ll get insight on how to avoid traps, protect the record, and discern appealable orders from non-appealable ones.

9th Cir. Order re judicial misconduct inquiry

The DJ has 9th Circuit opens misconduct probe of Judge Ryan Nelson -- Chief Judge Mary H. Murguia of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a judicial misconduct inquiry Monday into Judge Ryan D. Nelson after media reports revealed he faces misdemeanor battery and property damage charges stemming from a confrontation in an Idaho Falls parking lot. ... According to the Idaho State Journal, Nelson argued with another Idaho Falls resident over a parking space, allegedly knocking the man's sunglasses from his face and then stepping on them during the confrontation.

Bloomberg Law has Ninth Circuit Judge Nelson Charged With Misdemeanor Battery and Ninth Circuit Reviewing Judge Charged With Misdemeanors

Law.com has 9th Circ. Judge Faces Inquiry, Charges After Idaho Altercation

RIP Jake Dear

Sadly, Jake Dear passed away last Friday, June 8. Jake had an extraordinary 40-year career as a staff attorney at the California Supreme Court, serving his last 12 years there as Chief Supervising Attorney. See Portraits of Jake in the CSCHS Review (Spring/Summer 2023).

The Recorder has Jake Dear, Chief Supervising Attorney Under Three California Chief Justices, Dead at 69

2d Dist. takes credit cards

Effective June 4, 2026, the Second District Court of Appeal will begin accepting credit card payments online for both Los Angeles and Ventura.

Secure links to the Elavon credit card payment portal will be available on the Court's Fees & Payments page starting June 4, 2026. A 2.3% service fee will apply to all online credit card transactions.

In addition to online credit card payments, the Court continues to accept checks and money orders. Details on all accepted payment methods are available on the Fees & Payments page of the Court's website.

Please note: This online credit card payment option is separate from the credit card payment option available through the Court's e-filing platform, TrueFiling.

2d Dist. pro tem update

The following are currently sitting on assignment in the 2d District:

• Judge Melanie P. Ochoa of the Los Angeles County Superior Court will be sitting Pro Tem in Division Three through August 31, 2026
• Judge Curtis E.A. Karnow (Retired) of the San Francisco County Superior Court will be sitting Pro Tem in Division Three through July 24, 2026
• Judge Vicki Ashworth (Retired) of the El Dorado County Superior Court will be sitting Pro Tem in Division Three from June 15, 2026, through August 14, 2026
• Judge Syda K. Cogliati of the Santa Cruz County Superior Court will be sitting Pro Tem in Division Four through July 22, 2026
• Judge Sanjay Kumar (Retired) of the Los Angeles County Superior Court will be sitting Pro Tem in Division Five through August 19, 2026
• Judge Ronda J. McKaig of the Ventura County Superior Court will be sitting Pro Tem in Division Six through July 31, 2026