Shall Associate Justice MARK HANASONO 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,
Mark Hanasono
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared · Official site
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
Mixed record
Public Safety and Crime Control (6 support · 1 oppose), Civil Rights (6 support · 8 oppose)
Track record
Track record — Public Safety and Crime Control
Public Safety and Crime Control · 6 support · 1 oppose
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 · researched September 13, 2026
Joined People v. Grandberry, affirming denial of felony-murder resentencing after an evidentiary hearing.
December 8, 2025Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored People v. Taito, affirming denial of felony-murder resentencing based on the jury's special-circumstance finding.
October 28, 2025Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
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 · researched September 13, 2026
Authored People v. Martinez, affirming an attempted-murder conviction and rejecting provocation based on the victim's sexual orientation.
November 19, 2024Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Served in the Los Angeles County Superior Court's Criminal Division for nearly 12 years.
December 27, 2013Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Represented indigent clients in felony cases, including capital-murder prosecutions, as an alternate public defender.
January 1, 2004Opposes Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Track record — Civil Rights
Civil Rights · 6 support · 8 oppose
Joined Doe v. Adventist Health, reviving portions of a class action over tracking technology and patient health information.
July 24, 2026Supports Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined Muradyan v. Bonta, upholding lifetime sex-offender registration against an equal-protection challenge.
July 15, 2026Opposes Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined Stoker v. Blue Origin, refusing to enforce a one-sided employment arbitration agreement with pervasive unconscionable terms.
April 24, 2026Supports Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined People v. Grandberry, affirming denial of felony-murder resentencing after an evidentiary hearing.
December 8, 2025Opposes Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined Landis' Labyrinth v. Whitaker, reviving malicious-prosecution claims against an accessibility plaintiff while affirming judgment for his lawyers.
December 3, 2025Opposes Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Joined In re C.L., upholding Indian-child inquiry findings and denial of renewed reunification services.
November 17, 2025Opposes Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored People v. Taito, affirming denial of felony-murder resentencing based on the jury's special-circumstance finding.
October 28, 2025Opposes Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored People v. Hamilton, upholding lifetime sex-offender registration against equal-protection, due-process, and vagueness challenges.
January 29, 2025Opposes Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Concurred in Carver v. Volkswagen, affirming judgment against a consumer after the manufacturer offered vehicle restitution.
December 26, 2024Opposes Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Authored People v. Martinez, affirming an attempted-murder conviction and rejecting provocation based on the victim's sexual orientation.
November 19, 2024Opposes Civil Rights
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
Served as a Los Angeles County deputy alternate public defender from 2004 through 2013.
January 1, 2004Supports Civil Rights
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Represented indigent clients in felony cases, including capital-murder prosecutions, as an alternate public defender.
January 1, 2004Supports Civil Rights
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Served as a Los Angeles County deputy public defender from 2000 through 2004.
January 1, 2000Supports Civil Rights
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Represented indigent adult and juvenile clients in the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office.
January 1, 2000Supports Civil Rights
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
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 · researched September 13, 2026
Governor Gavin Newsom nominated him to the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Three.
May 7, 2025
Source: gov.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
Governor Jerry Brown appointed him to the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
December 27, 2013
Source: archive.gov.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
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 · researched September 13, 2026
Served as assistant supervising judge of the Criminal Division from 2020 through 2022.
January 1, 2020Favorable on Impartiality
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
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 · researched September 13, 2026
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 · researched September 13, 2026
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 · researched September 13, 2026
Joined Muradyan v. Bonta, upholding lifetime sex-offender registration against an equal-protection challenge.
July 15, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
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 · researched September 13, 2026
Joined People v. Grandberry, affirming denial of felony-murder resentencing after an evidentiary hearing.
December 8, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com · researched September 13, 2026
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 · researched September 13, 2026
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 · researched September 13, 2026
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 · researched September 13, 2026
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 · researched September 13, 2026
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 · researched September 13, 2026
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 · researched September 13, 2026
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 · researched September 13, 2026
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 · researched September 13, 2026
Served as assistant supervising judge of the Criminal Division from 2020 through 2022.
January 1, 2020Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
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 · researched September 13, 2026
Published legal articles in constitutional-law, criminal-law, and Asian American law journals.
December 27, 2013Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
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 · researched September 13, 2026
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 · researched September 13, 2026
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 · researched September 13, 2026
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 · researched September 13, 2026
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 · researched September 13, 2026
Served as a Los Angeles County deputy public defender from 2000 through 2004.
January 1, 2000Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov · researched September 13, 2026
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 · researched September 13, 2026
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 · researched September 13, 2026
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 · researched September 13, 2026
Source: elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov