By Vanguard Staff
SACRAMENTO, CA – On Constitution Day, Sept. 17, one hundred retired California judges issued a sweeping Declaration of Judicial Independence, marking what is believed to be the first statewide declaration of its kind in the nation. The unprecedented statement underscores growing alarm within the legal community about the erosion of judicial independence and escalating threats to judges.
The declaration, drafted by a small group of retired judges and circulated statewide, quickly gathered 100 signatories. The judges emphasize that an impartial judiciary is essential to preserving democracy and warn that “these assaults on our judiciary are also assaults on our democracy, our cherished system of government, and they undermine the rule of law.”
The statement begins by drawing a direct connection between today’s challenges and the nation’s founding principles. “When in the course of current events, it becomes necessary to respond to unjust public criticism that threatens a fair and impartial judiciary, and to the increasingly dangerous and personal attacks on individual judges, we reaffirm our sworn commitments that compel this Declaration,” it states.
The signatories, though retired, remind the public that their oath to uphold the Constitution remains unbroken. “That we took this obligation freely and we will never seek release from our sacred commitment notwithstanding that we are now retired from the job of daily judging,” the judges write. They stress that their experience gives them perspective on the growing dangers judges now face, pointing to a rise in propaganda designed to “reduce respect for the judiciary, to influence the independent decision-making of individual judges, to threaten their physical safety and the safety of their families.”
The declaration warns that such tactics erode public trust in the justice system. “We are further witnessing the consequences of the public’s declining confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary,” the judges note. They argue that equal justice under law cannot be assured for anyone if it does not apply equally to everyone, adding that an independent judiciary, free from political influence or threat, “is essential to the preservation of the Constitution and to the rule of law that it enshrines.”
The retired judges pledge to speak out forcefully against attacks on the third branch of government. “We, therefore, pledge that we are committed to speak out against this existential threat to the independent third branch of government,” the declaration reads. “We will stand united in support of California’s judges and to the system of justice they serve. We will not allow irresponsible and false attacks on California’s judiciary to go unanswered.”
They go further, vowing to take action. “We, therefore, pledge to use every lawful and appropriate means necessary to protect not only California’s independent judiciary, but liberty and justice for all of those whose lives depend upon its existence.”
Among the first signatories are Judge Brett Alldredge (Ret.) of Tulare County Superior Court, Judge Suzanne Ramos Bolanos (Ret.) of San Francisco Superior Court, Judge George Eskin (Ret.) of Santa Barbara County Superior Court, and Judge John Pacheco (Ret.) of San Bernardino Superior Court, who spearheaded the effort.
The full list of 100 retired judges and justices, representing courts from every corner of the state, is attached to the declaration. The signatories include prominent figures from the state’s appellate and trial courts, such as Justice Richard Aronson (Ret.) of the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Judge LaDoris Cordell (Ret.) of Santa Clara Superior Court, Judge Thelton Henderson (Ret.) of the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, and Judge David Rosenberg (Ret.) of Yolo County Superior Court.
The declaration reflects not only a defense of the judiciary but a call to the public to understand the stakes for democracy. By issuing the statement on Constitution Day, the judges intentionally aligned their appeal with the nation’s founding principles, reminding citizens that the separation of powers and judicial independence are cornerstones of liberty.
The retired judges conclude that the judiciary cannot remain silent in the face of escalating attacks. Their declaration is both a warning and a promise: that they will not allow false narratives to weaken confidence in California’s courts, and that they will continue to defend the rule of law even in retirement.
