Judicial evaluation body releases 2019 demographic data

More women than men were among the latest group of judicial nominees deemed exceptionally well qualified, compared to 2018, according to a report prepared for the Legislature by the Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation.

The report, released Friday, precedes one Gov. Gavin Newsom is to release March 1 detailing the demographic breakdown of his 62 potential nominees evaluated by the commission, according to the State Bar, which is tasked with disseminating both reports. The judicial branch is also slated to release demographic data on sitting judges March 1, which is published by the Judicial Council.

"Increasing the diversity of California's judiciary to reflect the rich diversity of California's populace continues to be an important goal of the state's judicial branch; shared by our sister branches, reflected in the statutory requirements to track and share demographic data on applicants," Teresa Ruano, a bar spokeswoman, wrote in an email.

Compared to 2018, the number of female judicial candidates ranked as exceptionally well qualified rose from 50.8% in 2018 to 58.3% this year, the commission said.

The report follows years of initiatives to diversify the state bench, starting with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who in 2006 signed legislation requiring an annual report be published on the demographics of all judicial applicants and eventual appointees.

Newsom's office sent the commission 63 candidates for evaluation in 2019. One withdrew. The number is lower than the 236 evaluated candidates in 2018, the report showed.

The candidates are ranked under four categories: exceptionally well qualified; well qualified; qualified and not qualified.

Although more women candidates achieved the highest ranking, more men were ranked in the next highest category, well qualified, compared to the previous year, with an increase from 50% to 54.8%.

The report includes data on race, areas of legal practice and employment, sexual orientation, veteran status and disability status.

Asians, African Americans and Hispanics together make up 50% of the evaluated nominees in the highest-ranked category. The other 50% were white.

In the highest category, all of the women identified as heterosexual. One nominee identified as transgender, out of the 31 women reviewed. Two did not list an orientation.

The numbers were not much different for men, although one identified as gay in the highest-ranking category. Two nominees among the male candidates listed a different sexual orientation than heterosexual. Two did not list an orientation. In 2018, 10 male candidates identified as gay.

The representation of people that identify as disabled remains low among the candidates; only one nominee identified as disabled in 2019. In 2018, out of 236 candidates, two people had a disability. Three candidates were listed as veterans this year, one of which was deemed unqualified.