Associate Justice, Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division Three: Shall Associate Justice MARTHA K. GOODING 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,
Martha K. Gooding
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · Official site
Gooding is an associate justice in Division Three of California's Fourth District Court of Appeal. She previously served on the Orange County Superior Court and spent 30 years in private legal practice.
Track record
Track record — General
General · 7 records
Won unanimous confirmation as a Fourth District Court of Appeal associate justice.
September 26, 2023
Source: newsroom.courts.ca.gov
Governor Gavin Newsom nominated her to the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Three.
May 19, 2023
Source: gov.ca.gov
Served on the Superior Court's Executive, Finance, Grand Jury Selection, and Judicial Mentor committees.
January 1, 2016
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Governor Jerry Brown appointed her to the Orange County Superior Court.
December 5, 2013
Source: archive.gov.ca.gov
Served as president of the Orange County Federal Bar Association and the Orange County Association of Business Trial Lawyers.
January 1, 2000
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served as a Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference lawyer representative and on the Central District of California's Magistrate Judges Merit Selection Panel.
January 1, 2000
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Held ABA Litigation Section leadership roles for more than 17 years, including service in the ABA House of Delegates and Litigation Section Council.
January 1, 1996
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Track record — Legal Competence
Legal Competence · 27 favorable · 1 unfavorable
Joined the California Supreme Court majority in People v. Esquivias, recognizing broad equitable habeas authority to apply retroactive firearm-enhancement relief.
August 17, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored People v. Giametta-Reitkopp, affirming $300,369.15 in animal-care restitution after 150 neglected dogs were found on the defendants' property.
April 29, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: leagle.com
Joined Meiner v. Superior Court, suppressing bank evidence derived from a warrantless Apple Pay search that exceeded probation terms.
March 26, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored Guardian Storage Centers v. Simpson, reversing denial of attorney disqualification and extending safeguards for privileged material taken without authorization.
March 24, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored Pham v. Superior Court, enforcing an IVF agreement that awarded two frozen embryos to the partner selected in the contract.
December 16, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored People v. Hayde, reversing denial of a military veteran's resentencing petition after the trial court used irrelevant factors and overlooked rehabilitation.
August 12, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored Mitchell v. Hutchinson, affirming summary judgment because the plaintiffs offered no nonspeculative evidence tying roadway rocks to the defendant's property.
June 11, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Dissented in People v. Kelly and would have affirmed denial of felony-murder resentencing.
September 18, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored Applied Medical Distribution Corp. v. Jarrells, preserving an injunction for trade-secret misappropriation while ordering reconsideration of fees and a jury trial on willfulness.
March 8, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored M.A. v. B.F., affirming that the evidence did not establish a dating relationship for a domestic-violence tort claim; one justice dissented.
February 5, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Won unanimous confirmation as a Fourth District Court of Appeal associate justice.
September 26, 2023Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: newsroom.courts.ca.gov
Received an exceptionally well qualified rating from the State Bar Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation.
September 26, 2023Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
The California Supreme Court reversed her trial ruling in Garcia-Brower v. Kolla's and held that reporting a violation to an employer who already knew about it remained protected whistleblowing.
May 22, 2023Unfavorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Moved to the Superior Court's Civil Panel at the Central Justice Center.
January 1, 2016Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served on the Orange County Superior Court's Appellate Panel.
January 1, 2016Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served on the Superior Court's Executive, Finance, Grand Jury Selection, and Judicial Mentor committees.
January 1, 2016Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Initially served on the Superior Court's Limited Criminal Panel at the Stephen K. Tamura-West Justice Center.
December 5, 2013Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served as a Jones Day partner from 2011 until her judicial appointment in 2013.
January 1, 2011Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: gov.ca.gov
Co-received the Patent and Trademark Office Society's Rossman Award for an article contributing to patent, trademark, and copyright law.
January 1, 2010Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served as president of the Orange County Federal Bar Association and the Orange County Association of Business Trial Lawyers.
January 1, 2000Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served as a Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference lawyer representative and on the Central District of California's Magistrate Judges Merit Selection Panel.
January 1, 2000Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served on the Central District of California's Pro Bono Panel.
January 1, 2000Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served as a partner at Howrey LLP from 2000 through 2011.
January 1, 2000Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: gov.ca.gov
Held ABA Litigation Section leadership roles for more than 17 years, including service in the ABA House of Delegates and Litigation Section Council.
January 1, 1996Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Helped open Howard Rice's Southern California office after moving to Orange County in 1992.
January 1, 1992Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Became a partner at Howard Rice Nemerovski Canady Falk and Rabkin in 1989.
January 1, 1989Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: gov.ca.gov
Worked as an associate at Howard Rice Nemerovski Canady Falk and Rabkin from 1983 through 1989.
January 1, 1983Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: gov.ca.gov
Clerked for Judge Aubrey E. Robinson Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after law school.
January 1, 1981Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Track record — Candidate Ethics
Candidate Ethics · 3 records
Authored Guardian Storage Centers v. Simpson, reversing denial of attorney disqualification and extending safeguards for privileged material taken without authorization.
March 24, 2026
Source: law.justia.com
Authored Applied Medical Distribution Corp. v. Jarrells, preserving an injunction for trade-secret misappropriation while ordering reconsideration of fees and a jury trial on willfulness.
March 8, 2024
Source: law.justia.com
Received the Orange County Anti-Defamation League's Marcus Kaufman Jurisprudence Award for ethics, leadership, and community service.
January 1, 2009
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Source: elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov