Associate Justice, Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division One: Shall Associate Justice JOSE S. CASTILLO be elected to the office for the term provided by law?
Source: electionresults.sos.ca.gov
What does this office do?
- 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, Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties, Gun Control,
Jose S. Castillo
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · Official site
Castillo has served as an associate justice in Division One of California's Fourth District Court of Appeal since 2023. He previously served as a San Diego Superior Court judge and as an assistant U.S. attorney.
Track record
Track record — General
General · 9 records
Authored Clarke v. Yu, affirming summary judgment against oral joint-venture and related business claims.
March 16, 2026
Source: law.justia.com
Joined Fisher v. Fisher, affirming intentional-tort causation and damages findings in a family estate dispute.
February 26, 2026
Source: law.justia.com
Joined Palm Springs Promenade v. Department of Industrial Relations, applying prevailing-wage law to a publicly supported private development.
June 13, 2025
Source: law.justia.com
Authored Mission Springs Water District v. Desert Water Agency, resolving competing groundwater-management claims.
April 12, 2024
Source: law.justia.com
Joined Jackson v. Lara, affirming judgment against malicious-prosecution and unfair-competition claims.
March 7, 2024
Source: law.justia.com
Won unanimous confirmation and was sworn in as a Fourth District Court of Appeal associate justice.
April 7, 2023
Source: law.ucdavis.edu
Governor Gavin Newsom nominated him to the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division One.
February 1, 2023
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served in a San Diego Superior Court family-law department after his appointment.
December 8, 2020
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Governor Gavin Newsom appointed him to the San Diego County Superior Court.
December 8, 2020
Source: law.ucdavis.edu
Track record — Legal Competence
Legal Competence · 26 favorable
Authored People v. Hawthorn, holding a guilty plea was not issue-preclusive while affirming denial of resentencing as harmless.
September 4, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Sat by assignment on the California Supreme Court and joined In re Spielbauer, ordering restitution alongside attorney discipline.
July 16, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined People v. Castro, reversing a conviction because police lacked exigent circumstances for a warrantless blood draw.
July 1, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined People v. Riggs, affirming firearm, assault, domestic-violence, and criminal-threat convictions.
March 16, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored Clarke v. Yu, affirming summary judgment against oral joint-venture and related business claims.
March 16, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined Fisher v. Fisher, affirming intentional-tort causation and damages findings in a family estate dispute.
February 26, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined Palm Springs Promenade v. Department of Industrial Relations, applying prevailing-wage law to a publicly supported private development.
June 13, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined People v. Bagsby, preserving resentencing relief for a juvenile offender serving the functional equivalent of life without parole.
November 21, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined People v. Green, ordering full resentencing after an invalid prison-term enhancement remained in the judgment.
August 21, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined Snap v. Superior Court, requiring in-camera review of subpoenaed social-media communications sought by a criminal defendant.
July 23, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored San Diego Unified School District v. Superior Court, requiring reassignment after a timely judicial challenge.
May 28, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored Mission Springs Water District v. Desert Water Agency, resolving competing groundwater-management claims.
April 12, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined Jackson v. Lara, affirming judgment against malicious-prosecution and unfair-competition claims.
March 7, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored Bonds v. Superior Court, upholding juvenile-court authority to issue protective restraining orders in dependency cases.
February 14, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored People v. Brooks, affirming domestic-violence and assault convictions over witness-privilege and juror-bias challenges.
January 30, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined People v. Alvarez, reversing a conviction because police lacked exigent circumstances for a warrantless blood draw.
December 29, 2023Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined People v. Christianson, requiring full resentencing after a formerly imposed prison enhancement became invalid.
November 17, 2023Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Served on the Judicial Council's Appellate Advisory Committee and its Advisory Committee on Providing Access and Fairness.
April 7, 2023Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Helped launch the San Diego Summer Legal Institute for high-school students interested in legal careers.
April 7, 2023Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Won unanimous confirmation and was sworn in as a Fourth District Court of Appeal associate justice.
April 7, 2023Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.ucdavis.edu
Handled domestic-violence, divorce, and temporary-restraining-order matters on the Superior Court.
June 3, 2022Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.ucdavis.edu
Served in a San Diego Superior Court family-law department after his appointment.
December 8, 2020Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Prosecuted cartel, gang, narcotics, and immigration offenses as an assistant U.S. attorney for a decade.
January 1, 2010Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Taught as an adjunct professor at UC Hastings College of the Law during 2009 and 2010.
January 1, 2009Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: newsroom.courts.ca.gov
Served as a Ninth Circuit staff attorney from 2007 through 2010.
January 1, 2007Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Clerked for Judge Micaela Alvarez on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
January 1, 2006Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Track record — Candidate Ethics
Candidate Ethics · 1 record
Sat by assignment on the California Supreme Court and joined In re Spielbauer, ordering restitution alongside attorney discipline.
July 16, 2026
Source: law.justia.com
Source: elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov