The Commission on Judicial Appointments this afternoon confirmed Governor Gavin Newsom’s appointment of Martin Jenkins to the 
Supreme Court. Unlike court arguments since April, the Commission’s hearing was an in-person affair.
After listening to Justice Jenkins and four speakers strongly supporting his appointment, the three Commission members — Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, and senior Court of Appeal Presiding Justice J. Anthony Kline — unanimously voted for confirmation.
One interesting fact Justice Jenkins disclosed while answering a question from the Chief Justice was that he kept the Governor waiting four days before agreeing to be appointed to the court and giving up his job as the Governor’s judicial appointments secretary.
Justice Jenkins will face the voters in two years, where the question is a simple “yes” or “no” whether to keep the justice in office; there are no contested elections for appellate judges in California. The Chief Justice and Justices Goodwin Liu and Groban will likely join Jenkins as 2022 election candidates. (See here.)
[Update:
Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle — California confirms first openly gay state Supreme Court justice — Martin Jenkins
Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times — First openly gay justice confirmed to serve on the California Supreme Court]
[November 14 update: Video of the hearing is here.]
