Supreme Court of California
The Supreme Court of California is the Supreme Court of the US state of California . It is composed of seven judges.
Basics
The California Supreme Court is the highest and thus the final instance in the courts of the state of California. It is located in the Earl Warren Building in San Francisco . The court also holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sacramento . Its decisions are binding on all other courts in the US state of California.
Judge
Under the original California constitution of 1849, the court began with a chief judge and two associate judges. The court was expanded to five judges in 1862. Under the current constitution of 1879, the court was expanded to include six associate judges and one chief judge, to the current total of seven judges. The judges are appointed by the Governor of California and must then run elections.
Under the California Constitution, to be considered for appointment as in any California judicial office, an individual must be a licensed attorney in California or have served as a judge in a California court for 10 years immediately prior to appointment. If a candidate is confirmed to fill a position that arose during a judicial term, the judge must stand in the next gubernatorial election to remain in office. The voters then decide whether to keep the judge for the remainder of the term. At the end of the term, judges must again undergo national elections to be retained for a full 12-year term. If a majority rejects this, the seat becomes vacant and can be filled again by the governor.
Current judges
| position | Surname | Born | Appointed by | Beginning of the term of office | Term expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice |
 Tani Cantil-Sakauye |
October 19, 1959 (60) |
Arnold Schwarzenegger | January 3, 2011 | January 1, 2023 |
| Associate Justice |
 Ming Chin |
August 31, 1942 (77) |
Pete Wilson | March 1, 1996 | January 1, 2023 |
| Associate Justice |
 Carol A. Corrigan |
August 16, 1948 (71) |
Arnold Schwarzenegger | January 4, 2006 | January 2, 2031 |
| Associate Justice |
 Goodwin Liu |
October 19, 1970 (49) |
Jerry Brown | September 1, 2011 | January 3, 2027 |
| Associate Justice |
 Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar |
July 27, 1972 (47) |
Jerry Brown | 5th January 2015 | January 3, 2027 |
| Associate Justice |
 Leondra Kruger |
July 28, 1976 (43) |
Jerry Brown | 5th January 2015 | January 2, 2031 |
| Associate Justice |
 Joshua Groban |
August 15, 1973 (46) |
Jerry Brown | 3rd January 2019 | January 3, 2022 |
