The Commission on Judicial Appointments today confirmed Governor Gavin Newsom’s appointment of Patricia Guerrero to the Supreme Court.
After hearing from the chair of the Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation — which gave Guerrero its highest rating of exceptionally well qualified — and three other highly complimentary witnesses, CJA members Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, and Fourth District, Division Two, Court of Appeal Presiding Justice Manuel Ramirez, voted unanimously to make Guerrero the state high court’s first Latina justice.
The congenial atmosphere was in stark contrast to another Supreme Court confirmation hearing on the other side of the country.
If before August 16 she files a declaration of candidacy and either a filing fee or petition signatures, Justice Guerrero will be on the November ballot when voters will choose “yes” or “no” whether to keep her in office. Four of her colleagues will probably be up for election with her. She would have to face the voters again in 2026, because that’s when the term of Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar, whom Guerrero is replacing, expires.
[Update:
A California Courts news release reports that Justice Guerrero will not be sworn in until next Monday. That apparently means she won’t be attending the court’s conference tomorrow (see here), but will be available for next week’s conference and should be hearing the arguments on the court’s April calendar.
Press coverage includes Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle, Meghann Cuniff in The Recorder, and Brian Melley for the Associated Press.]
