Johnene Stebbins

Johnene Stebbins is a judge of the Superior Court of Santa Clara County in California. She assumed office on January 6, 2025. Her current term ends on January 6, 2031.

Stebbins ran for election for judge of the Superior Court of Santa Clara County in California. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Stebbins completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Johnene Stebbins was born in San Jose, California. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 1991 and a law degree from the University of California, Davis in 1996. Her career experience includes working as a prosecutor.^[1]

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Superior Court of Santa Clara County

Johnene Stebbins defeated Jay Boyarsky in the general election for Superior Court of Santa Clara County on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Johnene Stebbins (Nonpartisan)	56.8	341,191
	Submit photo	Jay Boyarsky (Nonpartisan)	43.2	259,916

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 601,107
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Superior Court of Santa Clara County

Jay Boyarsky and Johnene Stebbins defeated Nicole Ford in the primary for Superior Court of Santa Clara County on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Jay Boyarsky (Nonpartisan)	47.2	142,549
✔		Johnene Stebbins (Nonpartisan)	35.5	107,257
	Submit photo	Nicole Ford (Nonpartisan)	17.3	52,147

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 301,953
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Stebbins in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Johnene Stebbins completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Stebbins' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a 26-year veteran Deputy District Attorney prosecuting 1000s of cases involving Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Child Molestation, robbery, murder, fraud and environmental protection cases. I'm a UC Berkeley and UC Davis graduate, wife, and mother of three and my journey has been purposefully predicated on the scales of justice, and I am running for Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge.

I chose to be a Deputy District Attorney because I wanted to advocate for victims, especially those that had difficulty advocating for themselves and a passion to make sure trial were fair, resulting in justice being served. I have worked diligently with victims of crime and victim's advocacy groups such as the YWCA. I know firsthand how difficult the justice system is to navigate as a victim of a crime, having been a victim of stalking by a Domestic Violence defendant I was prosecuting because I refused to dismiss the charges against him. For over 20 years, I have taught attorneys and police officers statewide on legal ethics, evidence, search and seizure, sexual assault investigations and child exploit/Internet Crimes Against Children investigations, and juvenile law. My commitment to protecting children goes beyond the courtroom.

Currently serving as an Environmental Prosecutor, I have transitioned my focus to safeguarding the environment. By prosecuting cases related to illegal dumping of hazardous and medical waste, I protect natural resources and wildlife from harm.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Justice and fair trials start at the beginning of a case, that is why for over 20 years I have taught legal updates for law enforcement on changes in the laws of search and seizure, Miranda, and the 6th amendment rights of the defendants. I further teach prosecutors statewide in the laws of evidence and proper and ethical trial techniques. Further, because I am passionate about these types of cases, I teach law enforcement, probation officers, and social workers on investigating sexual assaults and child molestation cases and internet crimes against children cases. Let's do it right from the beginning!
If you went to court tomorrow, you would expect your judge to have practiced law in the last 10 years. I have worked as a deputy district attorney my entire career, in the courtroom, prosecuting thousands of cases. My opponent stepped away from the practice of law and the courtroom over a decade ago to an administrative position in the DA's office dealing with office policy and personnel. There have been a lot of changes in the law in the last decade and I have kept up on the changes and have worked with attorneys, witnesses, victims and judges to reach just results.
Public safety can be balanced with accountability and compassion - they are not mutually exclusive.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Judges should have recent experience and unparalleled knowledge of the law. My continuous courtroom experience and teaching of law fulfills those qualifications. My opponents administrative position does not.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to a lot of people - folks that have stood up for what they believe in or made self-sacrifices for the good of someone or something else. So an easy person to look up to is Martin Luther King, Jr. But on a smaller scale, now being a parent, I recognize the sacrifices my parents made to make sure I had opportunities and so those are folks I most tried to emulate for my own kids.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The movie Justice For All represents a very broken system of justice and serves as a reminder of how not to pursue justice. To Kill a Mocking Bird reminds me to stand up for fairness and justice.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity, knowledge of the law, ability to make decisions, an understanding of the issues, and a respect for the opinions of others are important characteristics of an elected official, particularly a judge.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Intelligence. Common-sense. Reasonableness. Integrity. Compassion and empathy.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Making sure the law is followed, that each stakeholder in the process - victims, witnesses, defendants - have a voice, an advocate, and are heard, and an abiding conviction to make sure justice is served.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I think every generation wants to leave the world a little better for the next. Teaching my kids to be respectful humans, not just towards other humans, but towards the environment, will be a legacy to be proud of.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember Ronald Reagan being shot when I was 11, but I had not watched it happen. However, I remember being in the classroom, watching live TV in high school, when the Challenger shuttle exploded. That was impactful having watched it happen and to move through emotions without the influence of the "tellers" of the event.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was picking apricots for 30 cents a bucket in the apricot orchards in Milpitas. I was only 10 and all the neighborhood kids did it. I probably ate more apricots than I picked. After we picked them, we'd then move next door and cut them in half and remove the pit and lay them on trays for drying. There I got a whopping $2.00 per tray!

What is your favorite book? Why?

I love the classics - Catcher in the Rye, A Separate Peace, To Kill a Mocking Bird, Wuthering Heights - they have timeless messages and themes in each of them.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Lara Kroft

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Unwritten - someone in my Fantasy Football league sent a video of Jamaal Williams doing his pregame dance and it fit perfectly with the song Unwritten and now I can't get it out of my head!

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

Judges are not responsible for what charges are charged, but they have great discretion in sentencing, including reducing and dismissing charges altogether. So when people think of laws like the 3 strikes law, they should understand that just because an defendant is eligible for sentencing under the law, the judge can take in all the facts and circumstances, and exercise her discretion to strike the strike priors such that a defendant receives a more lenient sentence. I do not believe most people understand the amount of discretion given a judge.

Is there a particular judge, past or present, whom you admire?

Being in the courtroom daily, I admire judges daily who even when making a hard decision, make sure everyone in the courtroom feels heard, understands the reasoning behind the judge's decisions, and therefore, feels justice is served. I don't need to go back in history to find one, thankfully.

Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?

Empathy is a very important part of being a judge, for both the victim and the defendant and each of their families and their communities. There is a reason why one side is "The People," because criminal acts in particular affect an entire community. Empathy is also vital for a judge because it moves judges to really listen and consider before deciding.

Have you ever been rated by a Bar Association? If so, what was the rating?

No. It would depend on what the basis for the rating. Would they review my career in its entirety?

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

The judge who is retiring is endorsing me to take his seat. This particular seat is the only one not being filled by an incumbent. After 26 years, I feel like I have accomplished all I wanted as a Deputy District Attorney, but I am not done with public service or the law and am passionate about ensuring justice is served.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for a judge to have previous experience in government or politics?

I do not believe it is beneficial for a judge to have such experience. The more party politics can stay out of it, the greater the integrity for the system of justice and division of the branches of government.

What is your primary concern about today's legal system in your state?

I am concerned that someone can seek political appointment to be a judge, be found unqualified, and still run for judge without that information being provided to the voters. The appointment is thorough and that rating seems important.

Would you be interested in serving on a higher court in the future? If so, which court appeals to you?

Not at this time, but perhaps the Court of Appeal someday.

Do you believe that Bar Association ratings are an accurate reflection of a judge’s ability?

I couldn't say unless I knew what the rating was based upon.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Every Law Enforcement Association in Santa Clara County, including Deputy Sheriffs and Corrections; San Jose Firefighters; numerous Judges, the Government Attorneys Association made up of Deputy Public Defenders and Deputy District Attorneys. I have 100% Rating from Planned Parenthood, as well. Crime Victims United also endorses me.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 4, 2024

California courts

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

[1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 4, 2024

[1]

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Johnene Stebbins

Contents

Biography

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Superior Court of Santa Clara County

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Superior Court of Santa Clara County

Endorsements

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

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