Elaine Kiefer
Elaine Kiefer was a judge of the Superior Court of Riverside County in California. She assumed office in 2010. She left office in 2023.
Kiefer won re-election for judge of the Superior Court of Riverside County in California outright in the primary on June 5, 2018, after the primary and general election were canceled.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) appointed Kiefer in August 2010.[1][2]
Education
Kiefer received an undergraduate degree from Amherst College and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School.[1]
Career
- 2010-present: Judge, Superior Court of Riverside County
- 2000-2010: Deputy public defender
- 1995-2000: Sole practitioner
- 1993-1995: Research attorney, Santa Barbara Municipal Court
- 1990-1992: Associate attorney, MacLachlan, Burford and Arias
- 1986-1990: Judge advocate general officer, JAG Corps[1]
Elections
2018
Nonpartisan primary election
The primary election was canceled. Elaine Kiefer (Nonpartisan) won the election without appearing on the ballot.
Selection method
- See also: Nonpartisan election
The 1,535 judges of the California Superior Courts compete in nonpartisan races in even-numbered years. If a candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote in the June primary election, he or she is declared the winner; if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff between the top two candidates is held during the November general election.[3][4][5][6]
If an incumbent judge is running unopposed in an election, his or her name does not appear on the ballot. The judge is automatically re-elected following the general election.[3]
The chief judge of any given superior court is selected by peer vote of the court's members. He or she serves in that capacity for one or two years, depending on the county.[3]
Qualifications
Candidates are required to have 10 years of experience as a law practitioner or as a judge of a court of record.[3]
2012 election
- See also: California judicial elections, 2012
Kiefer, then known as Elaine Johnson, ran for re-election to the superior court in 2012. As an unopposed incumbent, her name did not appear on the ballot. After the primary election, Kiefer was automatically re-elected.[7]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Metropolitan News-Enterprise, "Governor Names Judges in Three Counties, Including Riverside," August 4, 2010
- ↑ California Courts, "Trial Courts Roster," accessed November 11, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: California," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Safeguarding California's judicial election process," August 21, 2011
- ↑ California Elections Code, "Section 8203," accessed May 21, 2014
- ↑ California Elections Code, "Section 8140-8150," accessed May 21, 2014
- ↑ Riverside County Registrar of Voters, June Primary Election Roster of Candidates
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Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Central District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Central District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California
State courts:
California Supreme Court • California Courts of Appeal • California Superior Courts
State resources:
Courts in California • California judicial elections • Judicial selection in California
