Kathleen A. Meehan
CA · Associate Justice, California Court of Appeal, Fifth Appellate District
Meehan is an associate justice of California's Fifth District Court of Appeal. She previously served on the Fresno County Superior Court and worked in private practice and the California Attorney General's Office.
Where Kathleen A. Meehan stands, based on their records
Supports
Public Safety and Crime Control (6 records), Civil Rights (13 records)
Campaign finance information not available
Track record
Track record — Public Safety and Crime Control
Public Safety and Crime Control · 6 support
Authored People v. Castillo, upholding most noneconomic restitution while vacating an award unsupported by evidence of individual harm.
September 1, 2026Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored People v. Dixon, ordering a new resentencing hearing because grand-jury and police records were improperly admitted.
January 26, 2026Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored Negron v. Superior Court, ordering a new hearing on the defendant's request for mental-health diversion.
November 17, 2021Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined People v. Sanchez, reversing an attempted-murder conviction that may have rested on an invalid imputed-malice theory.
March 16, 2020Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored People v. Ellis, allowing a limited resentencing request after a retroactive change in sentencing law.
December 24, 2019Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined People v. Gutierrez, reversing after police unreasonably prolonged a visitor's detention during another person's probation search.
March 29, 2018Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Track record — Civil Rights
Civil Rights · 13 support
Authored Kruitbosch v. Bakersfield Recovery Services, reviving workplace sexual-harassment and failure-to-prevent claims.
June 25, 2025Supports Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored In re K.H., requiring a fuller inquiry into possible Native American ancestry before closing a dependency case.
October 21, 2022Supports Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored Therolf v. Superior Court, requiring a hearing and proper review before withholding a deceased child's juvenile case files.
June 30, 2022Supports Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined Cavey v. Tualla, reviving a personal-injury suit after a school district sent its claim-rejection notice incorrectly.
September 24, 2021Supports Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored Department of Fair Employment and Housing v. Superior Court, preserving the agency's authority to investigate later discrimination claims.
April 16, 2020Supports Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined People v. Sanchez, reversing an attempted-murder conviction that may have rested on an invalid imputed-malice theory.
March 16, 2020Supports Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined People v. Gutierrez, reversing after police unreasonably prolonged a visitor's detention during another person's probation search.
March 29, 2018Supports Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Helped establish the Fresno County Bar Association's appellate and pro bono sections.
January 1, 2011Supports Civil Rights
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Served as president of the Central California Legal Services board.
January 1, 2011Supports Civil Rights
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Began serving on the State Bar Legal Services Trust Fund Commission.
January 1, 2008Supports Civil Rights
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Received the Legal Aid Association of California's Statewide Board Member of the Year Award.
January 1, 2006Supports Civil Rights
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Was named Pro Bono Attorney of the Year by Central California Legal Services.
January 1, 2004Supports Civil Rights
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Served on the State Bar's Standing Committee on Delivery of Legal Services.
January 1, 2003Supports Civil Rights
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Track record — General
General · 4 records
Served as an associate justice of the Fifth District Court of Appeal.
September 13, 2026
Source: voterguide.sos.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Was nominated to the Fifth District Court of Appeal.
December 1, 2016
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Began serving as a Fresno County Superior Court judge.
January 1, 2014
Source: law.ucdavis.edu · researched September 13, 2026
Began serving as a Fresno County Superior Court commissioner.
January 1, 2011
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Track record — Impartiality
Impartiality · 1 favorable
Dissented in 1 Community Compact v. City of Fresno, arguing the court should dismiss a moot street-renaming dispute instead of deciding constitutional questions.
August 21, 2026Favorable on Impartiality
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Track record — Legal Competence
Legal Competence · 12 favorable
Sat by assignment on the California Supreme Court in Lopez v. Ledesma, joining its medical-malpractice damages decision.
February 24, 2022Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined Barefoot v. Jennings, holding that a former trust beneficiary lacked standing under the probate petition statute.
August 14, 2018Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Was confirmed as an associate justice of the Fifth District Court of Appeal.
February 9, 2017Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Served as president of Fresno County Women Lawyers.
January 1, 2011Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Received the Justice Pauline Davis Hanson Award from Fresno County Women Lawyers.
January 1, 2011Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Served as president-elect of the Fresno County Bar Association after holding several board offices.
January 1, 2011Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Began representing public agencies in complex and constitutional litigation for the California attorney general's office.
January 1, 2008Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Began representing the Fresno County Bar Association in the Conference of Delegates of California Bar Associations.
January 1, 2003Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Litigated securities, business, agriculture, estate, and civil appellate matters in private practice.
January 1, 1995Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Became a shareholder at Baker, Manock & Jensen.
January 1, 1995Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Joined Baker, Manock & Jensen in Fresno.
January 1, 1994Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Entered private practice in Los Angeles, handling large securities and business cases.
January 1, 1985Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Retention question · November 3, 2026
Profile last researched September 12, 2026.