Key Points: Joshua Groban Faces a Critical 12-Year Vote
- California Supreme Court Justice Joshua Groban is on the November 3, 2026 ballot, asking for a full 12-year term.
- It is a simple yes or no vote, and Groban has no opponent.
- He was retained in 2022 with 68 percent, and the San Francisco Chronicle backs a yes vote.
- His biggest 2026 ruling limits “blanket” attempts to push judges off cases.
- He is not the singer Josh Groban, though the shared name causes mix-ups.
Who Is Joshua Groban?
Joshua Groban is an associate justice of the California Supreme Court. Gov. Jerry Brown appointed him in November 2018, and he took his seat on January 3, 2019.
He grew up in Del Mar, then studied at Stanford and Harvard Law. He worked at big law firms before joining Brown’s team as a senior advisor.
In that job, he helped advise on more than 600 judicial appointments. He never served as a trial judge before the high court.
Why Joshua Groban Is on Your Ballot
California appoints its justices, then asks voters to confirm them. The ballot question reads whether the justice should be elected to the term provided by law.
Groban’s first vote came in 2022, when he won with 68 percent. That covered the remainder of an earlier term, so this time he is asking for a full 12 years.
Justice Evans is on the same ballot with the same request.
How a Retention Vote Works
There is no rival candidate. Voters choose yes or no, and a majority of yes votes keeps the justice in office.
This is where many voters stumble. The question appears far down the ballot, and plenty of people skip it or guess.
The Chronicle’s editorial board noted that voters have little guidance on how to judge these races. It said that no reported problems can be a good sign.
The Ruling Everyone Is Talking About
The biggest case with Groban’s name on it came in late May 2026. He wrote a unanimous opinion limiting “blanket” challenges to judges.
In California, a party can remove a judge from a case without giving a reason, under a rule called Section 170.6. Some groups had used that tool to push certain judges off every case they brought.
The ruling keeps the rule alive, but lets courts look at evidence of bad-faith, systematic use. It partly overturned a 1977 decision called Solberg.
A National Echo Nobody Is Connecting
Here is the angle most people miss. Across the country, a bigger argument is playing out over when judges can be removed from cases.
In Minnesota, the Justice Department recently asked an appeals court to investigate federal judges and keep two off immigration cases. That is a different legal process from California’s rule.
Still, both share one worry: that pushing judges off whole groups of cases can change outcomes without ever proving bias. Groban’s opinion is one state’s answer, and it is worth reading beyond California.
Other Cases That Shaped His Record
In 2025, he wrote a 6 to 1 ruling striking down a required warning on police complaint forms. The court said the warning could scare off truthful complaints.
In 2026, he wrote a 4 to 3 opinion in a death penalty case. It upheld one defendant’s sentence and overturned the other’s conviction, because that man’s lawyer overrode his right to choose his defense goal.
He also wrote separately in a bail case, saying unaffordable bail is generally a problem for people not accused of violent or sexual crimes.
What Critics and Supporters Say
Supporters point to his State Bar rating of Exceptionally Well Qualified and his clean disciplinary record. Review sites found no public discipline or controversies.
Critics tend to focus on the retention system itself, not on him. They say voters cannot easily judge a justice’s work.
Retention votes are usually quiet, and California voters rarely oust a justice. The most famous exception came in 1986, when voters removed three.
Not the Singer
Plenty of readers searching this name are looking for Josh Groban, the singer and actor. He is a different person, born in 1981 in Los Angeles.
The justice has said the singer once congratulated him online after his appointment. Searchers should check the middle name and the title before sharing anything.
What to Do Before November 3
Look at the back half of your ballot and find the Supreme Court question. A yes vote keeps Groban and Evans in office, while a no vote says you want someone new.
Compare endorsements, but also read short summaries of rulings, since those show how a justice thinks. Even a quick look beats leaving the box blank.
Groban’s next 12 years will shape rulings on bail, policing, and judicial independence in the nation’s largest state.