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 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.  Courts of appeal review final judgments of superior courts with most cases resolved by written opinion.

Click here for a detailed history of the Court of Appeal for the Fourth Appellate District, Division One written by Former Presiding Justice Gerald Brown.

Division One is located in San Diego and hears appeals from the superior courts of San Diego and Imperial Counties.  It is one of three geographically distinct divisions of the Fourth District Court of Appeal - Division Two is located in Riverside, and Division Three in Santa Ana.  Together, the Fourth District includes Southern California counties to the east and south of Los Angeles County, as well as Inyo County.  There are ten justices in Division One assisted by legal, clerical, administrative and technical staff.

Division Two is located in Riverside and hears appeals from the superior courts of Inyo, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.  It is one of three geographically distinct divisions of the Fourth District Court of Appeal - Division One is located in San Diego, and Division Three in Santa Ana.  Together, the Fourth District includes Southern California counties to the east and south of Los Angeles County, as well as Inyo County.  There are seven justices in Division Two assisted by legal, clerical, administrative and technical staff.

Division Three is located in Santa Ana and hears appeals from the superior court in Orange County.  It is one of three geographically distinct divisions of the Fourth District Court of Appeal - Division One is located in San Diego and Division Two in Riverside.  Together, the Fourth District includes Southern California counties to the east and south of Los Angeles County, as well as Inyo County.  There are eight justices in Division Three assisted by legal, clerical, administrative and technical staff.

In January 2010, the court dedicated its current home, a three-story 53,500 square foot facility, on a two-acre site in the heart of the Santa Ana Civic Center. Among the building’s many noteworthy features is the artwork in the building lobby. Student artists at various Orange County high schools prepared large colorful murals illustrating some of the court’s leading cases. The lobby artwork is the result of a collaborative effort between the court and the Orange County Department of Education.