Jose S. Castillo
CA · Associate Justice, California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division One
Castillo has served as an associate justice in Division One of California's Fourth District Court of Appeal since 2023. He previously served as a San Diego Superior Court judge and as an assistant U.S. attorney.
Track record
Track record — General
General · 9 records
Authored Clarke v. Yu, affirming summary judgment against oral joint-venture and related business claims.
March 16, 2026
Source: law.justia.com
Joined Fisher v. Fisher, affirming intentional-tort causation and damages findings in a family estate dispute.
February 26, 2026
Source: law.justia.com
Joined Palm Springs Promenade v. Department of Industrial Relations, applying prevailing-wage law to a publicly supported private development.
June 13, 2025
Source: law.justia.com
Authored Mission Springs Water District v. Desert Water Agency, resolving competing groundwater-management claims.
April 12, 2024
Source: law.justia.com
Joined Jackson v. Lara, affirming judgment against malicious-prosecution and unfair-competition claims.
March 7, 2024
Source: law.justia.com
Won unanimous confirmation and was sworn in as a Fourth District Court of Appeal associate justice.
April 7, 2023
Source: law.ucdavis.edu
Governor Gavin Newsom nominated him to the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division One.
February 1, 2023
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served in a San Diego Superior Court family-law department after his appointment.
December 8, 2020
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Governor Gavin Newsom appointed him to the San Diego County Superior Court.
December 8, 2020
Source: law.ucdavis.edu
Track record — Legal Competence
Legal Competence · 26 favorable
Authored People v. Hawthorn, holding a guilty plea was not issue-preclusive while affirming denial of resentencing as harmless.
September 4, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Sat by assignment on the California Supreme Court and joined In re Spielbauer, ordering restitution alongside attorney discipline.
July 16, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined People v. Castro, reversing a conviction because police lacked exigent circumstances for a warrantless blood draw.
July 1, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined People v. Riggs, affirming firearm, assault, domestic-violence, and criminal-threat convictions.
March 16, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored Clarke v. Yu, affirming summary judgment against oral joint-venture and related business claims.
March 16, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined Fisher v. Fisher, affirming intentional-tort causation and damages findings in a family estate dispute.
February 26, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined Palm Springs Promenade v. Department of Industrial Relations, applying prevailing-wage law to a publicly supported private development.
June 13, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined People v. Bagsby, preserving resentencing relief for a juvenile offender serving the functional equivalent of life without parole.
November 21, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined People v. Green, ordering full resentencing after an invalid prison-term enhancement remained in the judgment.
August 21, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined Snap v. Superior Court, requiring in-camera review of subpoenaed social-media communications sought by a criminal defendant.
July 23, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored San Diego Unified School District v. Superior Court, requiring reassignment after a timely judicial challenge.
May 28, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored Mission Springs Water District v. Desert Water Agency, resolving competing groundwater-management claims.
April 12, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined Jackson v. Lara, affirming judgment against malicious-prosecution and unfair-competition claims.
March 7, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored Bonds v. Superior Court, upholding juvenile-court authority to issue protective restraining orders in dependency cases.
February 14, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored People v. Brooks, affirming domestic-violence and assault convictions over witness-privilege and juror-bias challenges.
January 30, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined People v. Alvarez, reversing a conviction because police lacked exigent circumstances for a warrantless blood draw.
December 29, 2023Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined People v. Christianson, requiring full resentencing after a formerly imposed prison enhancement became invalid.
November 17, 2023Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Served on the Judicial Council's Appellate Advisory Committee and its Advisory Committee on Providing Access and Fairness.
April 7, 2023Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Helped launch the San Diego Summer Legal Institute for high-school students interested in legal careers.
April 7, 2023Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Won unanimous confirmation and was sworn in as a Fourth District Court of Appeal associate justice.
April 7, 2023Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.ucdavis.edu
Handled domestic-violence, divorce, and temporary-restraining-order matters on the Superior Court.
June 3, 2022Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.ucdavis.edu
Served in a San Diego Superior Court family-law department after his appointment.
December 8, 2020Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Prosecuted cartel, gang, narcotics, and immigration offenses as an assistant U.S. attorney for a decade.
January 1, 2010Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Taught as an adjunct professor at UC Hastings College of the Law during 2009 and 2010.
January 1, 2009Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: newsroom.courts.ca.gov
Served as a Ninth Circuit staff attorney from 2007 through 2010.
January 1, 2007Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Clerked for Judge Micaela Alvarez on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
January 1, 2006Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Track record — Candidate Ethics
Candidate Ethics · 1 record
Sat by assignment on the California Supreme Court and joined In re Spielbauer, ordering restitution alongside attorney discipline.
July 16, 2026
Source: law.justia.com
Past race Jose S. Castillo ran in:
- Associate Justice, Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division One: Shall Associate Justice JOSE S. CASTILLO be elected to the office for the term provided by law? · November 3, 2026 · California · incumbent