Shall Associate Justice JONATHAN RENNER be elected to the office for the term provided by law?
California
My vote power
Retention race
Election date
November 3, 2026
About this office
- Deciding what state laws and the state constitution mean
- Setting rulings that lower state courts must follow
- Deciding major criminal and civil cases
Affects: Public Safety and Crime Control, Gun Control, Women's Reproductive Rights,
Jonathan Renner
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared · Official site
Renner has served as an associate justice on California's Third District Court of Appeal since 2015. He previously served as legal affairs secretary to Governor Jerry Brown and held senior roles in the California Department of Justice.
Where Jonathan Renner stands, based on their records
Supports
Public Safety and Crime Control (5 records), Gun Control (1 record), Election Integrity (1 record)
Mixed record
Civil Rights (5 support · 1 oppose)
Track record
Track record — Public Safety and Crime Control
Public Safety and Crime Control · 5 support
Authored People v. Griggs, dismissing the district attorney's appeal because a sentence-recall order merely allowed a future resentencing hearing.
March 26, 2025Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored People v. Miller, holding California's concealed-firearm prohibition remained valid after Bruen and reinstating the criminal charge.
August 24, 2023Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored People v. Nance, affirming denial of outpatient treatment for a person found not guilty by reason of insanity based on danger to others.
May 12, 2022Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored People v. Schmidt, reversing several foreclosure-rescue fraud convictions for insufficient evidence and remanding for resentencing.
November 8, 2019Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored People v. Jo, affirming a child-custody-deprivation conviction after finding two trial errors harmless.
October 3, 2017Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Track record — Gun Control
Gun Control · 1 support
Authored People v. Miller, holding California's concealed-firearm prohibition remained valid after Bruen and reinstating the criminal charge.
August 24, 2023Supports Gun Control
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Track record — Election Integrity
Election Integrity · 1 support
Joined Newsom v. Superior Court, upholding the Emergency Services Act's delegation of authority and directing judgment for the governor in a vote-by-mail executive-order dispute.
May 5, 2021Supports Election Integrity
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Track record — Civil Rights
Civil Rights · 5 support · 1 oppose
Authored the Sierra Pacific Industries Wage and Hour Cases opinion, affirming denial of arbitration after the employer litigated for years before producing more than 3,000 agreements.
January 6, 2026Supports Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored People v. Griggs, dismissing the district attorney's appeal because a sentence-recall order merely allowed a future resentencing hearing.
March 26, 2025Supports Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Concurred in R.D. v. Superior Court, concluding no further Racial Justice Act remedy was available after the biased judge had been removed from the juvenile proceeding.
February 19, 2025Opposes Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Dissented in People v. Weisner, arguing the court could review a defendant's supplemental claims in an appeal from denial of postconviction relief.
April 27, 2022Supports Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored Wang v. Sacramento Police Department, restoring property owners' right to a de novo appeal of a $35,000 marijuana-code penalty.
August 30, 2021Supports Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored People v. Schmidt, reversing several foreclosure-rescue fraud convictions for insufficient evidence and remanding for resentencing.
November 8, 2019Supports Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Track record — General
General · 8 records
Began serving as an associate justice of the Third District Court of Appeal.
January 5, 2015
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Was confirmed as an associate justice of the Third District Court of Appeal.
August 28, 2014
Source: elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Was nominated as an associate justice of the Third District Court of Appeal.
July 25, 2014
Source: archive.gov.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Advised the governor and senior administration officials and oversaw the defense of significant litigation against the administration.
January 5, 2011
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Was appointed legal affairs secretary to Governor Jerry Brown.
January 5, 2011
Source: archive.gov.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Was promoted to senior assistant attorney general and led the Government Law Section.
January 1, 2009
Source: archive.gov.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Worked on cases involving state-government operations and the authority of government officials.
January 1, 2000
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Began serving as a deputy attorney general in the California Department of Justice's Government Law Section.
January 1, 2000
Source: archive.gov.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Track record — Legal Competence
Legal Competence · 26 favorable
Joined Jacobs v. Papez, allowing competing attorney liens on one settlement to be resolved in a single declaratory-relief action.
March 13, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored the Sierra Pacific Industries Wage and Hour Cases opinion, affirming denial of arbitration after the employer litigated for years before producing more than 3,000 agreements.
January 6, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored People v. Griggs, dismissing the district attorney's appeal because a sentence-recall order merely allowed a future resentencing hearing.
March 26, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Concurred in R.D. v. Superior Court, concluding no further Racial Justice Act remedy was available after the biased judge had been removed from the juvenile proceeding.
February 19, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Dissented in L.W. v. Audi, arguing one California vehicle sale did not establish personal jurisdiction over the foreign manufacturer.
January 15, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored People v. Miller, holding California's concealed-firearm prohibition remained valid after Bruen and reinstating the criminal charge.
August 24, 2023Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored Freedom Foundation v. Superior Court, holding that access to another agency's database did not make its contents records possessed by CalHR under the Public Records Act.
December 30, 2022Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored Little v. Commission on Teacher Credentialing, affirming a writ that stopped an unauthorized pre-investigation contact with a teacher's former employer.
October 19, 2022Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored People v. Nance, affirming denial of outpatient treatment for a person found not guilty by reason of insanity based on danger to others.
May 12, 2022Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Dissented in People v. Weisner, arguing the court could review a defendant's supplemental claims in an appeal from denial of postconviction relief.
April 27, 2022Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Served on the Sacramento-area Regional Judicial Selection Advisory Committee.
November 15, 2021Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: gov.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Authored Wang v. Sacramento Police Department, restoring property owners' right to a de novo appeal of a $35,000 marijuana-code penalty.
August 30, 2021Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined Newsom v. Superior Court, upholding the Emergency Services Act's delegation of authority and directing judgment for the governor in a vote-by-mail executive-order dispute.
May 5, 2021Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored People v. Schmidt, reversing several foreclosure-rescue fraud convictions for insufficient evidence and remanding for resentencing.
November 8, 2019Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored People v. Jo, affirming a child-custody-deprivation conviction after finding two trial errors harmless.
October 3, 2017Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Began serving as an associate justice of the Third District Court of Appeal.
January 5, 2015Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Was confirmed as an associate justice of the Third District Court of Appeal.
August 28, 2014Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Was nominated as an associate justice of the Third District Court of Appeal.
July 25, 2014Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: archive.gov.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Advised the governor and senior administration officials and oversaw the defense of significant litigation against the administration.
January 5, 2011Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Was appointed legal affairs secretary to Governor Jerry Brown.
January 5, 2011Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: archive.gov.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Was promoted to senior assistant attorney general and led the Government Law Section.
January 1, 2009Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: archive.gov.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Was promoted to supervising deputy attorney general.
January 1, 2006Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: archive.gov.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Worked on cases involving state-government operations and the authority of government officials.
January 1, 2000Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Began serving as a deputy attorney general in the California Department of Justice's Government Law Section.
January 1, 2000Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: archive.gov.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Joined Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann and Girard as an associate attorney.
January 1, 1998Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: archive.gov.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Joined Porter, Scott, Weiberg and Delehant as an associate attorney.
January 1, 1997Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: archive.gov.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Track record — Candidate Ethics
Candidate Ethics · 4 records
Concurred in R.D. v. Superior Court, concluding no further Racial Justice Act remedy was available after the biased judge had been removed from the juvenile proceeding.
February 19, 2025
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored Freedom Foundation v. Superior Court, holding that access to another agency's database did not make its contents records possessed by CalHR under the Public Records Act.
December 30, 2022
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored Little v. Commission on Teacher Credentialing, affirming a writ that stopped an unauthorized pre-investigation contact with a teacher's former employer.
October 19, 2022
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Served on the Sacramento-area Regional Judicial Selection Advisory Committee.
November 15, 2021
Source: gov.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Source: elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov