Joanne Motoike
CA · Presiding Justice, California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Three
Motoike has served as presiding justice of Division Three of California's Fourth District Court of Appeal since 2026 and as an appellate justice since 2022. She previously served on the Orange County Superior Court.
Track record
Track record — General
General · 8 records
Authored Costa-Fleeson v. Americor, ordering review of whether intervening law excused a late arbitration payment.
June 29, 2026
Source: casemine.com
Governor Gavin Newsom appointed her presiding justice of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Three.
February 19, 2026
Source: gov.ca.gov
Authored Ragland v. Wells Fargo, upholding anti-SLAPP dismissal of a fraud claim based on protected settlement communications.
November 20, 2025
Source: case-law.vlex.com
Began serving as acting presiding justice of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Three.
July 31, 2025
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Authored Rogers v. Redlands, finding an unlawful road-repair surcharge but limiting refunds to pay-under-protest claimants.
June 30, 2025
Source: law.justia.com
Governor Gavin Newsom nominated her as an associate justice of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Three.
May 2, 2022
Source: gov.ca.gov
Received the Orange County Register editorial board's endorsement for Superior Court Office No. 27.
April 30, 2014
Source: law.uci.edu
Governor Jerry Brown appointed her to the Orange County Superior Court.
August 29, 2013
Source: archive.gov.ca.gov
Track record — Legal Competence
Legal Competence · 21 favorable
Authored Pacific Attorney Group v. Nejad, reversing a $60,000 quantum-meruit award for insufficient evidence.
August 14, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: calattorneysfees.com
Authored Costa-Fleeson v. Americor, ordering review of whether intervening law excused a late arbitration payment.
June 29, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: casemine.com
Won unanimous confirmation as presiding justice of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Three.
May 22, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: newsroom.courts.ca.gov
Authored Ragland v. Wells Fargo, upholding anti-SLAPP dismissal of a fraud claim based on protected settlement communications.
November 20, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: case-law.vlex.com
Authored Rogers v. Redlands, finding an unlawful road-repair surcharge but limiting refunds to pay-under-protest claimants.
June 30, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Dissented in People v. Martinez, finding the petitioner met the prima facie threshold for murder resentencing.
January 22, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: casemine.com
Authored Mendez v. Superior Court, allowing a restored defendant's misdemeanor to proceed with a companion felony.
December 23, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored People v. Jackson, ordering dismissal relief after probation while denying automatic record relief and felony reduction.
November 13, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: casemine.com
Authored Historic Architecture Alliance v. Laguna Beach, upholding a historical-resource exemption supported by substantial evidence.
September 13, 2023Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored People v. Gyorgy, reversing drug convictions because police unlawfully prolonged the traffic stop.
July 14, 2023Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored Hang v. RG Legacy I, requiring a nursing facility to pay an indigent estate's arbitration costs or waive arbitration.
February 8, 2023Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored Smalley v. Subaru, upholding cost-shifting because the plaintiff recovered less than a reasonable settlement offer.
December 13, 2022Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Won unanimous confirmation to the Court of Appeal after receiving an exceptionally well qualified rating.
June 16, 2022Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: newsroom.courts.ca.gov
Authorized secure electronic juvenile-court access while preserving statutory confidentiality during the COVID-19 emergency.
May 25, 2021Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: occourts.org
Established conflict-check access for court-appointed juvenile counsel through an Orange County Superior Court order.
May 21, 2021Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: occourts.org
Administered juvenile justice and child-welfare matters as Orange County's presiding juvenile judge from 2018 through 2022.
January 1, 2018Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Presided over adult criminal matters at the Orange County Superior Court's West Justice Center from 2013 through 2015.
August 29, 2013Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Returned to the Orange County Public Defender's Office as a senior deputy and supervised criminal-defense units.
January 1, 2008Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served on the prosecution team in Prosecutor v. Boskoski and Tarculovski, a war-crimes trial at the ICTY.
July 19, 2007Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: icty.org
Served as a United Nations prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia from 2006 through 2008.
January 1, 2006Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Represented indigent defendants as an Orange County deputy public defender from 1994 through 2006.
January 1, 1994Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Past race Joanne Motoike ran in:
- Presiding Justice, Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division Three: Shall Presiding Justice JOANNE MOTOIKE be elected to the office for the term provided by law? · November 3, 2026 · California · incumbent