California Supreme Court Associate Justice Martin Jenkins to Retire

Associate Justice Martin J. Jenkins will retire from the California Supreme Court at the end of October after five years with the court and more than 35 years of judicial service.

"I could not imagine a better capstone to my career on the bench than serving on the California Supreme Court," said Jenkins, who was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2020 and is the first openly gay justice and the third African-American man to serve on the court.

"Having been a judge at every level of the state court system and with the federal district court, I have seen firsthand how judges and justices at each stage of the judicial process faithfully apply the law in a fair and empathetic manner," said Jenkins. "I have strived to do the same as a trial judge, at the First District Court of Appeal, and finally, at the California Supreme Court."

Jenkins, 71, spent almost two years advising Governor Newsom on judicial appointments prior to filling the vacancy on the court created by Associate Justice Ming Chin's retirement. Before joining the Newsom administration, Jenkins served as an associate justice on the First District Court of Appeal from 2008 to 2019 and as a federal district judge at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California from 1997 to 2008. Earlier, Jenkins served as a judge on the Alameda County Superior Court (1992-1997) and on the Oakland Municipal Court (1989-1992). Jenkins's prior experience as a practitioner included three years as a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice and three years a prosecutor with the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.

"It has been an honor to work with Justice Jenkins at the court," said Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero. "His collegiality, and the thoughtfulness and care with which he has approached his work, have provided a constant source of inspiration. I speak for all of my colleagues when I thank Justice Jenkins for his many contributions to the court, to the public, and to the law."