William S. Dato
CA · Associate Justice, California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division One
Dato has served as an associate justice in Division One of California's Fourth District Court of Appeal since 2017. He previously served for 13 years as a San Diego Superior Court judge.
Where William S. Dato stands, based on their records
Mixed record
Public Safety and Crime Control (3 support · 8 oppose), Civil Rights (12 support · 2 oppose)
Campaign finance information not available
Track record
Track record — Public Safety and Crime Control
Public Safety and Crime Control · 3 support · 8 oppose
Joined In re Moore, vacating a child-abuse murder conviction because later scientific developments showed material expert testimony was false.
September 8, 2026Opposes Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored In re H.D., ordering a new Racial Justice Act hearing that could consider reliable aggregate policing data.
February 14, 2024Opposes Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored Sarmiento v. Superior Court, directing approval of mental-health diversion for an attempted-robbery defendant.
January 9, 2024Opposes Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined County of San Diego v. Commission on State Mandates, upholding denial of reimbursement for youth-offender parole laws.
January 1, 2023Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Dissented in People v. Zemek, concluding public-trial and juror-misconduct errors required a new murder trial.
January 1, 2023Opposes Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined People v. Harden, affirming denial of a felony-murder resentencing petition based on the prior appellate ruling.
March 11, 2022Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined Flores v. City of San Diego, reversing summary judgment because the city had not shown compliant police-pursuit training.
January 1, 2022Opposes Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored In re Edgerrin J., reversing juvenile judgments for a renewed hearing on whether police lawfully detained and searched three Black teenagers.
November 20, 2020Opposes Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Handled juvenile drug-court assignments on the San Diego County Superior Court.
January 1, 2009Opposes Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: cjp.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Handled adult drug-court assignments on the San Diego County Superior Court.
January 1, 2008Opposes Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: cjp.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Handled criminal assignments on the San Diego County Superior Court.
January 1, 2006Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: cjp.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Track record — Civil Rights
Civil Rights · 12 support · 2 oppose
Joined In re Moore, vacating a child-abuse murder conviction because later scientific developments showed material expert testimony was false.
September 8, 2026Supports Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined McDoniel v. Kavry Management, upholding wrongful-discharge liability for firing an employee based on a compelled polygraph.
September 30, 2025Supports Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored In re H.D., ordering a new Racial Justice Act hearing that could consider reliable aggregate policing data.
February 14, 2024Supports Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored Sarmiento v. Superior Court, directing approval of mental-health diversion for an attempted-robbery defendant.
January 9, 2024Supports Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined Marriage of D.H. and B.G., reversing a child-support ruling that used the wrong definition of full-time high-school attendance.
January 17, 2023Supports Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Dissented in People v. Zemek, concluding public-trial and juror-misconduct errors required a new murder trial.
January 1, 2023Supports Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined 640 Tenth v. Newsom, rejecting procedural and takings challenges to pandemic business restrictions.
May 13, 2022Opposes Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined People v. Harden, affirming denial of a felony-murder resentencing petition based on the prior appellate ruling.
March 11, 2022Opposes Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined Flores v. City of San Diego, reversing summary judgment because the city had not shown compliant police-pursuit training.
January 1, 2022Supports Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored In re Edgerrin J., reversing juvenile judgments for a renewed hearing on whether police lawfully detained and searched three Black teenagers.
November 20, 2020Supports Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined Lief v. Superior Court, granting writ relief from a family-law discovery order.
December 6, 2018Supports Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Handled juvenile drug-court assignments on the San Diego County Superior Court.
January 1, 2009Supports Civil Rights
Source: cjp.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Handled adult drug-court assignments on the San Diego County Superior Court.
January 1, 2008Supports Civil Rights
Source: cjp.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Handled family-law assignments on the San Diego County Superior Court.
January 1, 2007Supports Civil Rights
Source: cjp.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Track record — General
General · 2 records
Was confirmed as an associate justice of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division One.
February 1, 2017
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Was appointed to the San Diego County Superior Court.
January 1, 2004
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Track record — Legal Competence
Legal Competence · 31 favorable
Joined In re Moore, vacating a child-abuse murder conviction because later scientific developments showed material expert testimony was false.
September 8, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored Ashirwad v. Bradbury, affirming that pandemic-era payments did not create a month-to-month commercial tenancy.
January 29, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined McDoniel v. Kavry Management, upholding wrongful-discharge liability for firing an employee based on a compelled polygraph.
September 30, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Completed his second term on the Commission on Judicial Performance.
February 28, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: supreme.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Authored In re H.D., ordering a new Racial Justice Act hearing that could consider reliable aggregate policing data.
February 14, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored Sarmiento v. Superior Court, directing approval of mental-health diversion for an attempted-robbery defendant.
January 9, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined Marriage of D.H. and B.G., reversing a child-support ruling that used the wrong definition of full-time high-school attendance.
January 17, 2023Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined County of San Diego v. Commission on State Mandates, upholding denial of reimbursement for youth-offender parole laws.
January 1, 2023Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Dissented in People v. Zemek, concluding public-trial and juror-misconduct errors required a new murder trial.
January 1, 2023Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined 640 Tenth v. Newsom, rejecting procedural and takings challenges to pandemic business restrictions.
May 13, 2022Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined People v. Harden, affirming denial of a felony-murder resentencing petition based on the prior appellate ruling.
March 11, 2022Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined Flores v. City of San Diego, reversing summary judgment because the city had not shown compliant police-pursuit training.
January 1, 2022Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Was reappointed to the Commission on Judicial Performance for a second term.
March 1, 2021Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: cjp.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Authored Felczer v. Apple, correcting the date from which postjudgment interest on litigation costs accrued.
January 1, 2021Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored In re Edgerrin J., reversing juvenile judgments for a renewed hearing on whether police lawfully detained and searched three Black teenagers.
November 20, 2020Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined Lief v. Superior Court, granting writ relief from a family-law discovery order.
December 6, 2018Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Was appointed by the California Supreme Court as the appellate-court member of the Commission on Judicial Performance.
April 1, 2018Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: cjp.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Was confirmed as an associate justice of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division One.
February 1, 2017Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Served as presiding judge of the San Diego Superior Court's appellate division.
January 1, 2014Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Served as supervising judge of the San Diego Superior Court's North County branch.
January 1, 2012Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Handled juvenile drug-court assignments on the San Diego County Superior Court.
January 1, 2009Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: cjp.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Handled adult drug-court assignments on the San Diego County Superior Court.
January 1, 2008Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: cjp.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Handled family-law assignments on the San Diego County Superior Court.
January 1, 2007Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: cjp.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Handled criminal assignments on the San Diego County Superior Court.
January 1, 2006Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: cjp.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Handled civil assignments on the San Diego County Superior Court.
January 1, 2005Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: cjp.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Was appointed to the San Diego County Superior Court.
January 1, 2004Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Taught products liability as an adjunct professor at California Western School of Law.
January 1, 2000Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Taught appellate practice as an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego School of Law.
January 1, 1995Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Became a certified appellate law specialist in private practice.
January 1, 1990Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Worked as an appellate staff attorney for the California Court of Appeal.
January 1, 1985Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Worked as an appellate staff attorney for the California Supreme Court.
January 1, 1981Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Track record — Candidate Ethics
Candidate Ethics · 3 records
Completed his second term on the Commission on Judicial Performance.
February 28, 2025
Source: supreme.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Was reappointed to the Commission on Judicial Performance for a second term.
March 1, 2021
Source: cjp.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Was appointed by the California Supreme Court as the appellate-court member of the Commission on Judicial Performance.
April 1, 2018
Source: cjp.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Retention question · November 3, 2026
Profile last researched September 12, 2026.