SACRAMENTO, Calif. AP -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday nominated Patricia Guerrero to be the state's next chief justice, picking the daughter of Mexican immigrants to lead the nation's largest judiciary system.
Guerrero, 50, would replace Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, who will step down once her term ends in January.
Guerrero was the first Latina confirmed to the California Supreme Court earlier this year. She is poised to do it again as the first Latina to lead the state's sprawling court system that includes about 2,175 judges in 58 trial courts and 105 justices on the Courts of Appeal.
Justice Guerrero has established himself as a respected jurist with a formidable intellect and command of the law and a deep commitment to equal justice and public service, Newsom said in a news release that Guerrero was nominated.
California judges are not confirmed by the legislature and do not get lifetime appointments, unlike the U.S. Supreme Court. Guerrero must first be confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments, consisting of chief justice, state attorney general Rob Bonta, and Manuel Ramirez, senior presiding justice of the state court of appeal.
In November, voters will decide whether or not to give Guerrero a 12 year term.
David Ettinger, an appellate lawyer who writes a blog about the California Supreme Court, said that Guerrero's background makes her qualified as the judicial branch's chief executive. Guerrero was a judge at all three levels of California's judicial system, and before that was a partner at Lantham Watkins, one of the largest law firms in the world.
It is important to remember that the chief justice of California is not the chief justice of the Supreme Court, Ettinger said. She leads not only the court, but the entire judicial branch. Since taking office in 2019, Newsom has made diversity a priority with his judicial appointments. He nominated Martin Jenkins as the first openly gay man and the third black man to serve on the state Supreme Court in 2020. He nominated Guerrero as the court's first Latina member earlier this year.
And on Wednesday, Newsom said he planned to nominate another LGBT member to the Supreme Court: Alameda Superior Court Judge Kelli Evans, who would take Guerrero's spot once she is elevated to chief justice.
Guerrero was a graduate of Stanford Law School and a superior court judge in San Diego County from 2013 to 2017. She joined the fourth District Court of Appeal in 2017 before being confirmed to the state Supreme Court in March.
Guerrero is a registered Democrat and will get a salary of $293,286. She grew up in the Imperial Valley, raised by her parents who immigrated from Mexico.
The Court has made strides under Chief Justice Cantil-Sakauye to expand access to justice and create a fairer justice system for all Californians, said Guerrero in a news release.
Evans, 53, is from Oakland and grew up in public housing. She attended Stanford University and received a law degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law. She was Chief of the Legal Affairs Secretary for Newsom, where she helped shape a moratorium on capital punishment that Newsom issued in 2019.
In a news release, Evans said she was truly honored by the opportunity to be on the state Supreme Court.
If confirmed, I look forward to furthering our state's work to ensure equal justice for all Californians, Evans said.
Evans is a registered Democrat and would make $279,677.