Commission to Consider Appointments to Courts of Appeal

The Commission on Judicial Appointments will hold public hearings on Feb. 14 starting at 10 a.m. to consider the following appointments by Gov. Gavin Newsom:

• Judge Charles Smiley, as associate justice of the First Appellate District, Division One (San Francisco)

• Judge Nathan Scott, as associate justice of the Fourth Appellate District, Division Three (Santa Ana)

The hearing will be webcast live on the California Courts Newsroom.

The state Constitution specifies that a gubernatorial appointment to the Court of Appeal is effective when confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments.

The commission members who will consider the appointment are California Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero (Chair); CaliforniaAttorney General Rob Bonta; Presiding Justice Jim Humes (First Appellate District) and Presiding Justice Manuel Ramirez (Fourth Appellate District).

Appointee Biographies

Judge Charles A. Smiley would fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Sandra L. Margulies. He has served as an Alameda County Superior Court judge since 2012 and as a lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law since 2014. Judge Smiley served as a commissioner at the Alameda County Superior Court from 2007 to 2012. He served as a deputy public defender at the Alameda County Public Defender's Office from 1997 to 2007 and was an associate adjunct professor at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco from 2004 to 2007. Judge Smiley earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco.

Judge Nathan R. Scott would fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice William W. Bedsworth. Judge Scotthas served as a Orange County Superior Court judge since 2012. Judge Scott served as a senior appellate court attorney and appellate court attorney at the Fourth District Court of Appeal from 2005 to 2012. He was an associate at Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP from 2003 to 2004 and at Kirkland & Ellis LLP from 1999 to 2003. Judge Scott earned a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School.

Testimony and Comment

Requests to testify or written comments on the appointment must be received by the commission no later than 5 p.m. on Feb. 6 (five court days prior to hearing). Anyone wishing to testify before the commission must state that request in writing and include a summary of the facts on which any testimony or opinion will be based.

Submissions via email to [email protected] are strongly encouraged. Hard copies are not required.

If you would like to mail your request, you may also reach the commission at:

Commission on Judicial Appointments
c/o Chief Justice of California
Supreme Court of California
350 McAllister Street
San Francisco, California 94102
Attention: Secretary to the Commission

Guidelines for the Commission on Judicial Appointments are published in the appendix to the California Rules of Court and are posted on the California Courts website.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.