Mark Hanasono
CA · Associate Justice, California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Three
Hanasono is an associate justice in Division Three of California's Second District Court of Appeal. He previously served on the Los Angeles Superior Court and as a county public defender and alternate public defender.
Where Mark Hanasono stands, based on their records
Supports
Public Safety and Crime Control (2 records)
Opposes
Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties (2 records)
Track record
Track record — Public Safety and Crime Control
Public Safety and Crime Control · 2 support
Joined Muradyan v. Bonta, upholding lifetime sex-offender registration against an equal-protection challenge.
July 15, 2026Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: law.justia.com
Authored People v. Hamilton, upholding lifetime sex-offender registration against equal-protection, due-process, and vagueness challenges.
January 29, 2025Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: law.justia.com
Track record — Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties · 2 oppose
Joined Muradyan v. Bonta, upholding lifetime sex-offender registration against an equal-protection challenge.
July 15, 2026Opposes Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Source: law.justia.com
Authored People v. Hamilton, upholding lifetime sex-offender registration against equal-protection, due-process, and vagueness challenges.
January 29, 2025Opposes Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Source: law.justia.com
Track record — General
General · 3 records
Received an exceptionally-well-qualified rating and unanimous confirmation to the Second District Court of Appeal.
June 1, 2025
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Governor Gavin Newsom nominated him to the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Three.
May 7, 2025
Source: gov.ca.gov
Governor Jerry Brown appointed him to the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
December 27, 2013
Source: archive.gov.ca.gov
Track record — Impartiality
Impartiality · 4 favorable
Received an exceptionally-well-qualified rating and unanimous confirmation to the Second District Court of Appeal.
June 1, 2025Favorable on Impartiality
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served as assistant supervising judge of the Criminal Division from 2020 through 2022.
January 1, 2020Favorable on Impartiality
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served as assistant supervising judge of the Criminal Division's limited-jurisdiction courts from 2018 through 2019.
January 1, 2018Favorable on Impartiality
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Led and supervised a team of felony attorneys assigned to the Los Angeles County Central District.
January 1, 2004Favorable on Impartiality
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Track record — Legal Competence
Legal Competence · 23 favorable
Joined Doe v. Adventist Health, reviving portions of a class action over tracking technology and patient health information.
July 24, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined Muradyan v. Bonta, upholding lifetime sex-offender registration against an equal-protection challenge.
July 15, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined Stoker v. Blue Origin, refusing to enforce a one-sided employment arbitration agreement with pervasive unconscionable terms.
April 24, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined People v. Grandberry, affirming denial of felony-murder resentencing after an evidentiary hearing.
December 8, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined Landis' Labyrinth v. Whitaker, reviving malicious-prosecution claims against an accessibility plaintiff while affirming judgment for his lawyers.
December 3, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined In re C.L., upholding Indian-child inquiry findings and denial of renewed reunification services.
November 17, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored People v. Taito, affirming denial of felony-murder resentencing based on the jury's special-circumstance finding.
October 28, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined Murphy v. Pina, affirming judgment against a family seeking to hold an auto shop liable for injuries caused by a car thief.
October 16, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Received an exceptionally-well-qualified rating and unanimous confirmation to the Second District Court of Appeal.
June 1, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Authored People v. Hamilton, upholding lifetime sex-offender registration against equal-protection, due-process, and vagueness challenges.
January 29, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Concurred in Carver v. Volkswagen, affirming judgment against a consumer after the manufacturer offered vehicle restitution.
December 26, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored People v. Martinez, affirming an attempted-murder conviction and rejecting provocation based on the victim's sexual orientation.
November 19, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Served as assistant supervising judge of the Criminal Division from 2020 through 2022.
January 1, 2020Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served as assistant supervising judge of the Criminal Division's limited-jurisdiction courts from 2018 through 2019.
January 1, 2018Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Published legal articles in constitutional-law, criminal-law, and Asian American law journals.
December 27, 2013Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Taught as a UCLA law lecturer and on state and Los Angeles judicial-education faculties.
December 27, 2013Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served in the Los Angeles County Superior Court's Criminal Division for nearly 12 years.
December 27, 2013Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served as a Los Angeles County deputy alternate public defender from 2004 through 2013.
January 1, 2004Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Represented indigent clients in felony cases, including capital-murder prosecutions, as an alternate public defender.
January 1, 2004Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Led and supervised a team of felony attorneys assigned to the Los Angeles County Central District.
January 1, 2004Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served as a Los Angeles County deputy public defender from 2000 through 2004.
January 1, 2000Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Represented indigent adult and juvenile clients in the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office.
January 1, 2000Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Clerked for Judge Stephanie Duncan-Peters on the District of Columbia Superior Court from 1999 through 2000.
January 1, 1999Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: archive.gov.ca.gov
Track record — Candidate Ethics
Candidate Ethics · 1 record
Joined Landis' Labyrinth v. Whitaker, reviving malicious-prosecution claims against an accessibility plaintiff while affirming judgment for his lawyers.
December 3, 2025
Source: law.justia.com
Past race Mark Hanasono ran in:
- Associate Justice, Court of Appeal, Second District, Division Three: Shall Associate Justice MARK HANASONO be elected to the office for the term provided by law? · November 3, 2026 · California · incumbent