Justice King to Retire from Fourth District Court of Appeal

January 29, 2016

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Justice King to Retire from Fourth District Court of Appeal

Retirement effective January after 20 years in the judiciary

Justice Jeffrey King, Fourth Appellate District

Riverside—Associate Justice Jeffrey King, of the Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Two, today announced his retirement from the bench effective January 31, 2016, after 20 years on the bench.

Justice King was appointed by Governor Pete Wilson to the California Superior Court, County of San Bernardino in 1995, and was elevated to the Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District by Governor Gray Davis in 2003. Prior to his appointment to the bench he was a partner and associate in private law practice for 18 years, and served in various local government roles in Rancho Cucamonga.

“In his years on this court, Jeff demonstrated keen analytical ability, good judgment, a wry sense of humor, and a passion for justice,” commented Presiding Justice Manuel A. Ramirez, “Jeff was a knowledgeable, articulate, hardworking and dedicated colleague, who was always here from early to late in the day. The court will especially miss Jeff’s mediation skills—he was a mainstay of our appellate court settlement program.”

On the appellate bench, Justice King authored numerous opinions and dissents; his published opinions largely deal with the areas of tort, real property, and employment law. On the trial court bench his primary assignments were complex and fast tract civil calendars. As a trial lawyer he handled personal injury matters representing both plaintiffs and governmental entities.

His colleague on the Division Two panel, Associate Justice Douglas Miller, stated, “It has been my honor and privilege to work with Justice King; he is passionate about the law. It is a sad day for the court, because we are losing a brilliant and dedicated justice. It is a great day for the private mediation and arbitration community, because they are gaining a talented, intelligent and distinguished jurist.”

In 1994, he became a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Recently, Justice King was honored as the 2015 Kauffman-Campbell Jurist of the Year, and the 2014 Roger J. Traynor Memorial Award for Appellate Justice of the Year. He has also been honored as Western San Bernardino County Judge of the year, and the Inland Empire American Board of Trial Advocates Judge of the Year.

Justice King’s spouse, Judge Pamela King, currently serves as a San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge, and he has three sons, all of whom are lawyers. Justice King plans to rejoin the private sector, arbitrating and mediating disputes.