Juez, Distrito 4, Division 3 — Tribunal de Apelaciones del Estado de California

Associate Justice David A. Thompson was appointed to the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Three, on May 18, 2012, and was confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments on June 28, 2012. The California State Bar Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation unanimously ranked Justice Thompson "exceptionally well qualified" for appointment to the Court of Appeal.  

Before being elevated, Justice Thompson was an Orange County Superior Court judge for fifteen years, and served as the Assistant Presiding Judge of that court in 2011 and 2012.  As a Superior Court judge, he presided over all types of civil and criminal matters at both the general and limited jurisdiction levels.  He was a member of the felony panel from 2008 to 2011, the general civil panel from 2002 to 2008, and the limited jurisdiction panel from 1997 until 2001. 

Prior to taking the bench, Justice Thompson was an attorney with Morrison & Foerster LLP in Irvine. As a member of the litigation group in 1996 and 1997 he handled general civil, construction defect and product liability cases. As a member of the real estate group from 1988 until 1996 he was involved in the acquisition, sale, development and financing of real property.

Justice Thompson was a civil litigation attorney with Rutan & Tucker LLP in Costa Mesa from 1983 until 1988. He maintained a general civil trial practice, handling contract and business tort cases, subsidence litigation, product liability defense and landlord‑tenant disputes. He also handled numerous writs and appeals.

In 1983 Justice Thompson was a staff attorney for Associate Justice Edward J. Wallin of the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Three.  He prepared draft opinions and performed research for Justice Wallin and other members of the Court. He was also an extern in 1982 with Justice Wallin, then sitting as an Orange County Superior Court judge.

Justice Thompson received his Juris Doctor from the University of California at Los Angeles (Order of the Coif) in 1983 and his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration (Finance) from Georgetown University (Summa Cum Laude) in 1980. He was born in Pasadena, California, in 1956 and was raised in Orange County. 

Thomas M. Goethals was appointed to the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Division Three, by Governor Jerry Brown.  Justice Goethals was rated “exceptionally well qualified” for the position by the California State Bar Commission on Judicial Nominees, and he was confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments on January 25, 2018.  Prior to his appointment to the Court of Appeal, Justice Goethals had served as a judge of the Superior Court in Orange County since 2003.  For two years he was the supervisor of Orange County’s felony trial courts.

Justice Goethals was born in 1952 in Glendale, California.  He graduated from Loyola High School, Santa Clara University, and Loyola Law School.  After passing the California Bar Exam, Justice Goethals worked for the Orange County District Attorney, where he supervised both the Homicide Unit and the Law and Motion Panel.  He also worked for the law firm then known as Robinson and Robinson.  In 1990, he joined the firm which became Pohlson, Moorhead and Goethals, where he remained until his appointment to the Superior Court.  During his twenty-five years in practice, Justice Goethals tried nearly 200 jury trials, including both civil and criminal matters.  At the time of his appointment to the Superior Court, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Orange County Bar Association.

Justice Goethals was an adjunct professor at his alma mater, Loyola Law School, from 1998 through 2017.  He has also been an adjunct professor at Whittier Law School.  Justice Goethals has taught his fellow judges through the CJER program since 2008.

Justice Goethals has been married since 1976 to his high school sweetheart.  He and his wife, Patty, have three married children and a growing gaggle of grandchildren.