Four Supreme Court justices are on next month’s ballot. Patricia Guerrero, currently an associate justice, is seeking election to succeed retiring Tani Cantil-Sakauye as California’s Chief Justice. Justices Goodwin Liu, Joshua Groban, and Martin Jenkins are running to remain as associate justices. If elected, Guerrero, Liu, and Jenkins will win full 12-year terms, and Groban will need to face the voters again in fours years because he is running to fill an unexpired term. This is the first Supreme Court election for Guerrero, Groban, and Jenkins.
Three more publications support their election.
The Bay Area Reporter says, “It’s important that voters retain all of [the Supreme Court justices on the ballot.]” The editorial includes brief biographical sketches of the justices.
A more tepid endorsement comes in Eric Gordon’s column in People’s World, where he reports “[t]here is no particular reason not to re-confirm Patricia Guerrero, Goodwin Liu, Martin J. Jenkins, and Joshua P. Groban.”
And in the Anderson Valley Advertiser, attorney Eric Kirk writes favorably and in some detail about each of the justices on the ballot. He urges an affirmative vote for each, and a “yes!” vote (original exclamation point) for Chief Justice-nominee Patricia Guerrero, who he says is “brilliant off the scale,” and for Justice Goodwin Liu. Kirk says that Justice Martin Jenkins has a “pretty amazing” story as “the first openly gay man and the third black man to serve on the California Supreme Court” and that “his rulings have respected a woman’s right to choose”; Kirk adds about Jenkins, “I don’t know what his personal views are on abortion, but as long as he follows the law I’m good.” Concerning Justice Joshua Groban’s appointment after having served as a long-time Jerry Brown aide, Kirk says it “bothered me until I studied his record, and it’s sound”; Kirk “especially like[s]” Justice Groban’s opinion for a unanimous court in O.G. v. Superior Court (2021) 11 Cal.5th 82 that upheld the validity of legislation eliminating the possibility of transfer to adult criminal court of almost all prosecutions for crimes committed by 14- and 15-year-olds (see here).
[November 4 update: The Los Angeles Sentinel without commentary recommends “yes” votes for the four Supreme Court justices.]
Related:
SF Chronicle urges the election of Supreme Court justices
LA Times endorses Supreme Court justices for election
The Governor should nominate Judge Evans now, not appoint her later