Staff Reports
Governor Gavin Newsom quietly dropped two waves of judicial appointments in June — one on June 2 and another on June 26 — that together named 29 new judges to California courts. That may sound like routine housekeeping. It isn’t. These picks are the latest step in a long march to remake the state bench, and the effects will be felt well past the next election cycle.
What actually happened in June
In early and late June the Governor’s office issued two official press releases that together announced 29 judicial nominees and appointments: four Court of Appeal nominations and 25 Superior Court appointments. The releases list each appointee’s background and party registration, and a clear pattern stands out — a majority of the June picks are registered Democrats. These were not one-off hires. The administration itself reported hundreds of appointments during Newsom’s time in office, underscoring the scale of influence he has exerted over the California bench.
Why conservatives are rightly worried
Judges decide real disputes about crime, elections, regulation, and individual liberty. When a governor fills hundreds of seats over a term, those judges set legal rules for decades. Critics are pointing to party registration and prior career paths among recent appointees and asking whether the bench is shifting in one ideological direction. Some former jurists and conservative commentators have warned that this tilt could affect public safety rulings and how boldly state courts interpret laws. That’s not partisan fear-mongering — it’s how law works. Appellate panels and trial judges shape outcomes long after the governor leaves office.
How the process still matters — and who signs off
Not every appointment is automatic. Court of Appeal nominees must go before the Commission on Judicial Appointments, which is chaired by Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero and includes Attorney General Rob Bonta among its members. Superior Court appointees often stand for retention-style votes later, creating moments for public debate. Those confirmation hearings and retention cycles are the natural places for voters and state leaders to test the claims being made by both defenders and critics of Newsom’s picks.
What this means going into 2028
Looking toward 2028, the June appointments are a concrete example of how governors shape legal terrain for years. A bench filled with like-minded appointees can change how the state handles ballot challenges, criminal justice law, regulatory fights and other high-profile disputes that have national ripple effects. If conservatives want to influence those outcomes they must do more than gripe on social media: they must pay attention to commission hearings, retention elections, and the types of cases that end up on the docket. Otherwise, Californians will get the legal consequences of these appointments for decades — and no, complaining after a decision doesn’t reverse it.
Governor Newsom’s June batch of judges is a reminder that elections are not the only way politics happens. Courts are politics, too — slow, layered and durable. If you don’t like the direction this bench is headed, remember where the appointments come from and act before the gavel falls. After all, you can’t unring a judicial bell once a precedent is written — but you can go vote and show up to the hearings that still matter.
