4th Appellate District Information

The Court of Appeal for the Fourth Appellate District was established June 5, 1929. It is now made up of six southern California counties, San Diego, Imperial, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and Inyo, divided into three divisions. The Court's Division One, headquartered in San Diego, hears cases from San Diego and Imperial Counties.

The Fourth District is divided into three Divisions: San Diego (Division One), Riverside (Division Two), and Santa Ana (Division Three). Each division has a Presiding Justice and currently the Presiding Justice of Division One is also the Administrative Presiding Justice for the entire Fourth District and is appointed by the Chief Justice. There are ten appellate justices in Division One who have jurisdiction over San Diego and Imperial Counties. There are seven appellate justices in Division Two who have jurisdiction over Riverside, San Bernardino, and Inyo Counties. Division Three has eight appellate justices with jurisdiction over Orange County.

Courts of appeal review final judgments of superior courts with most cases resolved by written opinion. Division One of the Fourth Appellate District files more than 1200 opinions each year. Courts of appeal also have original jurisdiction over extraordinary writ petitions such as habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition and certiorari. Division One handles about 700 writ petitions each year.