Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero, chair of the Commission on Judicial Appointments, announced today that the commission confirmed four appointments to California’s Courts of Appeal in Ventura, Los Angeles, Fresno, and San Jose:
- Justice Tari Cody, as presiding justice of the Second Appellate District, Division Six (Ventura)
- Judge Nicholas Daum, as associate justice of the Second Appellate District, Division Four (Los Angeles)
- Judge Sonny S. Sandhu, as associate justice of the Fifth Appellate District (Fresno)
- Judge Charles Adams, as associate justice of the Sixth Appellate District (San Jose)
The appointees were confirmed by unanimous vote of the three-member commission, which includes: California Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero (Chair); California Attorney General Rob Bonta; Administrative Presiding Justice Elwood Lui (for the Second Appellate District hearings); Administrative Presiding Justice Brad R. Hill (for the Fifth Appellate District hearing); and Administrative Presiding Justice Mary J. Greenwood (for the Sixth Appellate District hearing).
You can learn more in the public documents available for this hearing.
Appointee Biographies
Justice Tari Cody fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Arthur Gilbert. She has served as an associate justice for the Second Appellate District, Division Six, since 2023. She joined the bench in 2000, serving as a Ventura Superior Court judge until her appointment to the Court of Appeal in 2023. Before joining the bench, she was an associate and partner in private practice from 1985 to 2000. She received her Juris Doctor from Loyola Law School.
Judge Nicholas Daum fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Audrey B. Collins. He has served as a Los Angeles Superior Court judge since 2022. Before joining the bench, he was an associate and partner in private practice from 2004 to 2022. He received his Juris Doctor from Yale Law School.
Judge Sonny S. Sandhu fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Rosendo Peňa, Jr. He has served as a Stanislaus Superior Court judge since 2018, and as presiding judge for the last year. Before joining the bench, he worked in the Stanislaus County Public Defender’s Office, including as the public defender from 2017 to 2018, as chief deputy public defender from 2015 to 2017, and as deputy public defender from 2003 to 2015. He received his Juris Doctor from The Ohio State University College of Law.
Judge Charles Adams fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Patricia Bamattre-Manoukian. He has served as a Santa Clara Superior Court judge since 2018. Before joining the bench, he served as an administrative law clerk at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California from 2011 to 2018. He was a staff attorney and legal research attorney at the Santa Clara Superior Court from 2006 to 2011. Adams was also an associate in private practice from 2003 to 2006. He received his Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University School of Law.
