Ernest H. Goldsmith
Ernest H. Goldsmith was a judge for the Superior Court of San Francisco in California from 1997 to 2016. He was appointed by former Governor Pete Wilson in December 1996 to succeed Barbara J.R. Jones.[1][2] Goldsmith retired on April 14, 2016.[3]
Education
Goldsmith received a bachelor's degree in 1957 and a master's degree in 1961 from the University of California, Berkeley. He received a J.D. in 1965 from Stanford University Law School.[2]
Career
- 1996-2016: Judge, Superior Court of San Francisco
- 1976-1996: Sole practitioner
- 1974-1976: Attorney, Riordan & Goldsmith
- 1967-1973: Assistant district attorney, San Francisco District Attorney's Office[2]
Elections
2016
California held general elections for local judicial offices on November 8, 2016. There was a primary on June 7, 2016. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was March 31, 2016. A total of 351 seats were up for election. Incumbent Ernest H. Goldsmith ran unopposed in the election for Seat 7 of the San Francisco County Superior Court.
| San Francisco County Superior Court Judge, Seat #7, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | ||
 Ernest H. Goldsmith Incumbent | ||
2010
- See also: California judicial elections, 2010
Goldsmith was re-elected to a six-year term.[4]
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.[5][6][7][8]
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.[5]
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.[5]
Qualifications
Candidates are required to have 10 years of experience as a law practitioner or as a judge of a court of record.[5]
Noteworthy cases
Temporary halt to California Cap-and-Trade Program
In March 2011, Judge Goldsmith declared that California did not explore enough alternatives before adopting its cap-and-trade program in December 2010. The state's Air Resources Board's (ARB) project was challenged by environmental groups that believed the program would unfairly allow polluters in poorer neighborhoods to buy carbon credits in other parts of the state.[9][10]
In June 2012, the California First District Court of Appeal sustained the ARB's cap-and-trade plan, saying that they followed state environmental regulations during the development of the plan.[11]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ City and County of San Francisco Department of Elections, "Local Elected Officials"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 San Francisco Gate, "S.F. Attorneys Appointed to Superior Court," December 5, 1996
- ↑ Superior Court of San Francisco County, "Judge Ernest H. Goldsmith announces retirement," February 4, 2016
- ↑ California Courts, "Trial Courts Roster," accessed November 11, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 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
- ↑ CBS San Francisco, "San Francisco Judge Halts California Cap-And-Trade Program," March 22, 2011
- ↑ The New York Times, Judge Halts California Emissions Plan," March 21, 2011
- ↑ Law 360, "Calif. Cap-And-Trade Plan Gets Appeals Court's OK," June 20, 2012
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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
