Thomas A. Delaney
CA · Associate Justice, California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Three
Delaney is an associate justice in Division Three of California's Fourth District Court of Appeal. He previously served on the Orange County Superior Court, including as supervising judge of collaborative courts.
Track record
Track record — General
General · 9 records
Joined Sheehy v. Chicago Title Insurance, dismissing a direct appeal from a nonfinal evidentiary order.
January 21, 2025
Source: law.justia.com
Authored Marriage of Cohen, affirming dismissal of a support-modification request but rejecting a prospective filing condition.
March 20, 2023
Source: law.justia.com
Won unanimous confirmation as a Fourth District Court of Appeal associate justice.
October 11, 2022
Source: newsroom.courts.ca.gov
Governor Gavin Newsom nominated him to the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Three.
August 8, 2022
Source: gov.ca.gov
Joined Governor Gavin Newsom's Orange County Judicial Selection Advisory Committee.
January 1, 2021
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served as the California Judges Association's 89th president and as a Judicial Council advisory member during 2020 and 2021.
January 1, 2020
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Governor Jerry Brown appointed him to the Orange County Superior Court.
July 16, 2014
Source: archive.gov.ca.gov
Served on the Superior Court's Unlimited Civil Panel at the Central Justice Center.
July 16, 2014
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Started a high-school student externship program at Girls Incorporated of Orange County.
January 1, 2002
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Track record — Impartiality
Impartiality · 1 favorable
Dissented in Clarke v. Gordon, concluding a DMV hearing officer acted as a factfinder rather than an advocate.
September 12, 2024Favorable on Impartiality
Source: law.justia.com
Track record — Legal Competence
Legal Competence · 27 favorable · 1 unfavorable
Authored Damak v. Superior Court, requiring reconsideration of mandatory discovery sanctions sought by a self-represented litigant.
July 8, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
The California Supreme Court reversed his People v. Morris majority and required proof that a nonkiller aided the lethal act.
May 4, 2026Unfavorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored People v. Cabalar, ordering mental-health diversion after the trial court relied on unsupported public-safety findings.
December 16, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined People v. City of Huntington Beach, invalidating a municipal voter-identification provision as preempted by state law.
November 3, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined People v. Perez-Tinoco, affirming habeas relief from premeditated-murder and gang-related findings under changed law.
October 30, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined Sheehy v. Chicago Title Insurance, dismissing a direct appeal from a nonfinal evidentiary order.
January 21, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined Mercado v. Superior Court, vacating vocational-evaluation orders unsupported by family-law statutes.
November 25, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Dissented in Clarke v. Gordon, concluding a DMV hearing officer acted as a factfinder rather than an advocate.
September 12, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored People v. Hernandez, upholding full resentencing and a reduced term despite the original plea bargain.
July 22, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored People v. Morris, denying felony-murder resentencing after interpreting the amended aider-and-abettor requirement.
March 22, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined Beltran v. Hard Rock Hotel Licensing, reviving workplace sexual-harassment and related claims under updated standards.
December 5, 2023Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Partially dissented in Martin v. THI E-Commerce, concluding a website could qualify as a public accommodation under the ADA.
September 13, 2023Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored Marriage of Cohen, affirming dismissal of a support-modification request but rejecting a prospective filing condition.
March 20, 2023Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined Starr v. Ashbrook, preserving a beneficiary's trust-mismanagement claim against an anti-SLAPP challenge.
January 26, 2023Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Won unanimous confirmation as a Fourth District Court of Appeal associate justice.
October 11, 2022Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: newsroom.courts.ca.gov
Received the Orange County Hispanic Bar Association's Judge James O. Perez Trailblazer Award and the Orange County Probation Chief's Award.
January 1, 2021Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served as the California Judges Association's 89th president and as a Judicial Council advisory member during 2020 and 2021.
January 1, 2020Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Received judicial-service recognition for civility, mock-trial judging, and distinguished alumni service between 2016 and 2019.
January 1, 2019Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Supervised the Superior Court's Collaborative Courts and presided over Veterans Court matters.
January 1, 2019Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served on the Superior Court's Limited Criminal Panel at the Harbor Justice Center.
July 16, 2014Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served on the Superior Court's Unlimited Civil Panel at the Central Justice Center.
July 16, 2014Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Founded and chaired Sedgwick's Hispanic Lawyers Forum.
January 1, 2002Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: archive.gov.ca.gov
Provided pro bono representation to unaccompanied youth in immigration-removal proceedings through KIND and UCI Law.
January 1, 2002Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served as vice-chair of Sedgwick's Complex Litigation Division and taught in the firm's Trial Academy.
January 1, 2002Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Defended mass-tort, product-liability, catastrophic-injury, employment, and commercial cases as a trial lawyer.
January 1, 2002Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served as a Sedgwick partner from 2002 until his judicial appointment in 2014.
January 1, 2002Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: newsroom.courts.ca.gov
Worked as an associate at Sedgwick Detert Moran and Arnold from 1995 through 2001.
January 1, 1995Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: newsroom.courts.ca.gov
Worked as an associate at Bodkin McCarthy Sargent and Smith from 1992 through 1995.
January 1, 1992Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: newsroom.courts.ca.gov
Track record — Candidate Ethics
Candidate Ethics · 2 records
Authored Damak v. Superior Court, requiring reconsideration of mandatory discovery sanctions sought by a self-represented litigant.
July 8, 2026
Source: law.justia.com
Joined Starr v. Ashbrook, preserving a beneficiary's trust-mismanagement claim against an anti-SLAPP challenge.
January 26, 2023
Source: law.justia.com
Past race Thomas A. Delaney ran in:
- Associate Justice, Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division Three: Shall Associate Justice THOMAS A. DELANEY be elected to the office for the term provided by law? · November 3, 2026 · California · incumbent