Patricia Cookson
Patricia T. Cookson is a judge of the Superior Court of San Diego County in California. She assumed office on December 1, 1998. Her current term ends on January 6, 2031.
Cookson won re-election for judge of the Superior Court of San Diego County in California outright in the primary on March 5, 2024, after the primary and general election were canceled.
Cookson was first appointed to the El Cajon Municipal Court by Gov. Pete Wilson on January 16, 1992. She became a superior court judge on December 1, 1998, when the county's municipal and superior courts were consolidated.[1][2][3]
Biography
Education
Cookson received her B.A. from Kent State University in 1975 and her J.D. from the Cleveland Marshall College of Law in 1978. She was admitted to the California Bar in 1979.[4][3]
Career
- 1998-Present: Judge, Superior Court of San Diego County
- 1992-1998: Judge, El Cajon Municipal Court
- 1988-1992: Attorney, Schall, Boudreau & Gore
- 1981-1988: Deputy District Attorney, San Diego County[3]
Awards and associations
- Member, California Judges Association
- Member, American Bar Association
- Former member, California Trial Lawyers Association
- 1997: Named "Female Prosecutor of the Year" by the San Diego District Attorney's office and the Y.W.C.A.[3]
Elections
2024
See also: Municipal elections in San Diego County, California (2024)
Nonpartisan primary election
The primary election was canceled. Patricia T. Cookson (Nonpartisan) won the election without appearing on the ballot.
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Cookson in this election.
2018
Nonpartisan primary election
The primary election was canceled. Patricia T. Cookson (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.[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]
2012
Cookson 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, Cookson was automatically re-elected.[2]
- See also: California judicial elections, 2012
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Patricia T. Cookson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
Noteworthy cases
Judge performs wedding for man sentenced to life in prison
On September 17, 2013, Judge Patricia Cookson sentenced Danne Desbrow to 53 years to life in prison for the 2003 murder of Kevin Santos. Right after the sentence was handed down and the victim's family was escorted from the courtroom, the judge held a marriage ceremony for Desbrow and his wife Destiny.
The Desbrows, who were in their 30s when they got married, started dating as teenagers, but lost contact. They were reunited when Danne was awaiting trial. He proposed during the trial and Cookson agreed to officiate the wedding at the sentencing.[9]
The Santos family, when they found out about the wedding, sent Cookson a letter demanding an apology for what they said "displayed insensitivity to the victim's family."[10]
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ U-T San Diego, "Judge sentences killer, performs wedding," September 30, 2013
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 San Diego County Registrar of Voters, June Primary Election Roster of Candidates (dead link)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 California Courts and Judges Handbook, 2012-2013 Edition (sample) Scroll to p.279
- ↑ Martindale, "Judge Profile: Patricia K. Cookson"
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Union-Tribune San Diego, "Judge sentences killer, performs wedding," September 30, 2013
- ↑ Huffington Post, "Judge Patricia Cookson Under Fire For Sentencing Killer, Then Performing His Wedding (VIDEO)," October 29, 2013
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
