Associate Justice, Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division Two: Shall Associate Justice MICHAEL J. RAPHAEL 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,
Michael J. Raphael
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · Official site
Raphael has served as an associate justice in Division Two of California's Fourth District Court of Appeal since 2018. He previously served as a Los Angeles Superior Court judge and an assistant U.S. attorney.
Track record
Track record — General
General · 3 records
Served as the Fourth District representative on the Appellate Indigent Defense Oversight Advisory Committee.
September 12, 2026
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Was nominated by Governor Jerry Brown and unanimously confirmed as an associate justice of the Fourth District Court of Appeal after an exceptionally well qualified rating.
July 24, 2018
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
January 1, 2012
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Track record — Legal Competence
Legal Competence · 26 favorable
Served as the Fourth District representative on the Appellate Indigent Defense Oversight Advisory Committee.
September 12, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Authored In re King, directing a new pretrial-detention hearing that complied with constitutional bail standards.
June 17, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored People v. Avena, directing vacatur of a noncitizen defendant's conviction because he had not meaningfully understood its immigration consequences.
March 26, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Dissented in Merchant of Tennis v. Superior Court, arguing that equitable rescission rules allowed a remedy protecting workers who alleged misleading class-action settlements.
January 14, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored People v. S.H., reversing the vacatur of a child-pornography conviction because the statutory requirements were not met.
December 9, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored In re Mattison, holding that expiration of a restitution fine did not require full resentencing and identifying a motion to correct the judgment as the available remedy.
December 8, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Authored People v. Whipple, affirming denial of felony-murder resentencing while preserving the defendant's ability to seek habeas relief.
May 1, 2025Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Joined In re B.H., reversing several dependency findings while affirming monitored visitation orders supported by the record.
June 7, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Wrote separately in People v. Cress on trial-court jurisdiction over a second postjudgment motion while the first ruling was on appeal.
February 17, 2023Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Dissented in Victor Valley Union High School District v. Superior Court, concluding that a district should have preserved video connected to an alleged sexual assault of a special-needs student.
December 22, 2022Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Dissented in Tesoro Logistic Operations v. City of Rialto, concluding that the city's Measure U business-license tax was constitutional.
August 19, 2019Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: law.justia.com
Was nominated by Governor Jerry Brown and unanimously confirmed as an associate justice of the Fourth District Court of Appeal after an exceptionally well qualified rating.
July 24, 2018Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served twice as a pro tem justice in the Second District Court of Appeal, Division Five.
January 1, 2015Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
January 1, 2012Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Handled small-claims, limited-civil, unlawful-detainer, misdemeanor, personal-injury, and civil independent-calendar assignments on the Superior Court.
January 1, 2012Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Co-taught a criminal-sentencing seminar at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law.
January 1, 2008Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Also on this bill
- January 1, 2005 · Co-taught advanced appellate advocacy at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law in 2005 and 2006. (Favorable on Legal Competence)
Served as chief of the U.S. Attorney's Office Criminal Appeals Section from 2007 through 2012, overseeing about 300 briefs and 100 Ninth Circuit arguments annually.
January 1, 2007Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Personally argued 41 Ninth Circuit cases for the United States, including three before en banc panels.
January 1, 2007Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Served as deputy chief of the U.S. Attorney's Office Criminal Appeals Section from 2005 through 2007.
January 1, 2005Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Co-taught advanced appellate advocacy at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law in 2005 and 2006.
January 1, 2005Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Also on this bill
- January 1, 2008 · Co-taught a criminal-sentencing seminar at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. (Favorable on Legal Competence)
Served as special counsel in the Northern District of California and prosecuted the illegal leak of grand-jury testimony from the federal steroids investigation.
January 1, 2005Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Began more than twelve years as an assistant U.S. attorney in California's Central District, where he prosecuted more than 60 federal felony cases.
January 1, 1999Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Taught writing and advocacy as an adjunct professor at George Washington University Law School.
January 1, 1997Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Worked as investigative counsel for the U.S. House Government Reform Committee on its investigation of fundraising in the 1996 presidential election.
January 1, 1997Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Practiced trial and appellate litigation in Sidley Austin's Washington office.
January 1, 1994Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Clerked for Judge Nathaniel R. Jones of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
January 1, 1993Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Track record — Candidate Ethics
Candidate Ethics · 3 records
Dissented in Victor Valley Union High School District v. Superior Court, concluding that a district should have preserved video connected to an alleged sexual assault of a special-needs student.
December 22, 2022
Source: law.justia.com
Served as special counsel in the Northern District of California and prosecuted the illegal leak of grand-jury testimony from the federal steroids investigation.
January 1, 2005
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Worked as investigative counsel for the U.S. House Government Reform Committee on its investigation of fundraising in the 1996 presidential election.
January 1, 1997
Source: appellate.courts.ca.gov
Source: elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov