Ronald M. George, 69

The state's high court chief found himself in the middle of the culture wars for the second year in a row, when the Supreme Court heard a challenge to Proposition 8, the voter-approved gay marriage ban. George led the 6-1 court in upholding the ban as a valid constitutional amendment. A year earlier, George sided with gay rights groups and wrote the landmark 4-3 ruling that found it unconstitutional for the state to deny marriage to same-sex couples. As if that wasn't enough controversy, the leader of the state's judicial branch also had to contend with the impact of state budget cuts. Ultimately, the cuts forced the Judicial Council to close courts once a month to save money, a move that was unpopular with some trial court judges.