Official Voter Information Guide

Change Text Size

extra small size small size normal size large size extra large size

Justices

PDF Version

Order Forms for Other Formats

Link to California Secretary of State Website

Bookmark and Share

Bookmark and Share

Home > Justices

Justices of the Supreme Court



  • MING W. CHIN External Link, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California
  • BAR ADMISSION: Admitted to California Bar in 1970.
  • EDUCATION: J.D. University of San Francisco School of Law, 1967; B.A. University of San Francisco, 1964.
  • PROFESSIONAL LEGAL BACKGROUND: 1967-1971, United States Army, Captain; 1970-1972, Deputy District Attorney, Alameda County; 1973-1988, Private Law Practice, Aiken, Kramer & Cummings—Oakland, California.
  • JUDICIAL BACKGROUND: Associate Justice, Supreme Court of California, 1996-present; Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Division Three, 1995-1996; Associate Justice, Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Division Three, 1990-1994; Judge, Superior Court, Alameda County, 1988-1990.

  • CARLOS R. MORENO External Link, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California
  • BAR ADMISSION: Admitted to California Bar in 1975.
  • EDUCATION: Stanford Law School, J.D., 1975. Yale University, B.A., 1970.
  • PROFESSIONAL LEGAL BACKGROUND: Deputy City Attorney, Los Angeles City Attorney's Office, 1975-1979. Attorney, Kelley Drye & Warren law firm, 1979-1986.
  • JUDICIAL BACKGROUND: Associate Justice, Supreme Court of California, 2001 to present (nominated by Governor Gray Davis and confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments and by the electorate, 2002); Judge, United States District Court, Central District of California, 1998-2001 (appointed by President Bill Clinton and confirmed by the U.S. Senate); Judge, Los Angeles Superior Court, 1993-1998 (appointed by Governor Pete Wilson and retained by electorate, 1994); Judge, Compton Municipal Court, 1986-1993 (appointed by Governor George Deukmejian and retained by electorate, 1988).

On July 21, 2010, the Honorable Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Associate Justice of the Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, was nominated by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to be the next Chief Justice of California. The California Constitution requires that Justice Cantil-Sakauye's nomination be confirmed or rejected by the Commission on Judicial Appointments. If confirmed by the Commission, then Justice Cantil-Sakauye will be up for election on the November 2, 2010, General Election ballot. This voter information guide was required to be printed beginning on August 9, 2010, prior to the Commission's meeting to consider the nomination of Justice Cantil-Sakauye. For more information on judicial elections, see page 90 of this guide. For updated information on the Supreme Court Chief Justice nomination, go to www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov or www.courtinfo.ca.gov.

  • TANI G. CANTIL-SAKAUYE External Link, Associate Justice, Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District
  • BAR ADMISSION: November 1984.
  • EDUCATION: U.C. Davis School of Law, J.D., 1984; U.C. Davis, B. A. - Rhetoric, 1980; Sacramento City College, A.A. 1978.
  • PROFESSIONAL LEGAL BACKGROUND: Deputy Legislative Secretary to Governor George Deukmejian (1989-1990); Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary to Governor George Deukmejian (1988-1989); Prosecutor, Sacramento County District Attorney's Office (1984-1988).
  • JUDICIAL BACKGROUND: Associate Justice, Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District (appointed 2005, retained 2006); Superior Court Judge, Sacramento County (appointed 1997, elected thereafter); Municipal Court Judge, Sacramento County (appointed 1990, elected thereafter).

Related Links

Back to top Back to the Top