--- title: "Cynthia Aaron | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/cynthia-aaron-6300" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # Cynthia Aaron California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District · Associate Justice ## Profile - Court: California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District - State: California - Role: Associate Justice - Service status: former - Last verified: 2026-06-30 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Associate Justice, California Court of Appeal, 4th District, 2003-present - After retiring in 2023, Justice Aaron became a full‐time neutral mediator and appellate consultant through Judicate West, assisting parties in resolving disputes and advising on appellate strategy Judicate West. - Associate Justice of the California Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division One, serving from January 2003 until her retirement on January 12, 2023 after 20 years on the appellate bench. - Prior role: U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California (1994–2003) - Early legal work: Trial attorney at Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc. (1984–1988), then co‐founded a law firm specializing in federal criminal defense ### Education - cum-laude — Harvard University — 1984 - in Psychology — with distinction, Stanford University, Phi Beta Kappa — B.A. (1979) - Harvard Law School ### Additional information - By Governor Gray Davis in 2003 (Appointed to the Court of Appeal). - Psychology, with distinction & honors — Stanford University — 1979 - Date of birth: 1957-05-03 - Community service: Former president of the San Diego County Judges Association and board member of the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program. - Committees & leadership: Served on the State–Federal Judicial Council for seven years and the Appellate Advisory Committee for six years. - Awards: Recipient of the AJC Judge Learned Hand Award for leadership, equity, and excellence in law. - Birth place: Minneapolis, MN ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### audiovisual evidence Scope: statewide A party offering an electronic sound or sound-and-video recording must provide the court and opposing parties a transcript and provide opposing parties a duplicate of the recording. Evidence excerpt: the party must provide to the court and to opposing parties a transcript of the electronic recording and provide opposing parties with a duplicate of the electronic recording [California Rule 2.1040, Electronic recordings presented or offered into evidence](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/two/rule2_1040) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote proceedings Scope: statewide California courts should permit remote participation in covered civil proceedings, subject to the statute, local rules, and controlling orders. Evidence excerpt: courts should permit parties to appear remotely at conferences, hearings, and proceedings in civil cases consistent with Code of Civil Procedure section 367.75 [California Rule 3.672, Remote proceedings](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_672) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote participants and witnesses Scope: statewide Covered civil parties and witnesses may appear remotely, and the court may conduct proceedings in whole or in part using remote technology. Evidence excerpt: that party or witness may appear remotely and the court may conduct conferences, hearings, and proceedings, in whole or in part, through the use of remote technology [California Code of Civil Procedure section 367.75](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=367.75.&lawCode=CCP) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### recording and broadcasting Scope: statewide Court proceedings may not be photographed, recorded, or broadcast except as Rule 1.150 permits. Evidence excerpt: Except as provided in this rule, court proceedings may not be photographed, recorded, or broadcast. [California Rule 1.150, Photographing, recording, and broadcasting in court](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/one/rule1_150) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### expedited jury trial presentations Scope: statewide In expedited jury trials, parties may use slides, electronic presentations, projections, exhibit notebooks, and other methods approved at the pretrial conference. Evidence excerpt: the parties may present summaries and may use photographs, diagrams, slides, electronic presentations, overhead projections, individual notebooks of exhibits for submission to the jurors, or other innovative methods of presentation approved at the pretrial conference [California Rule 3.1551, Case presentation](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_1551) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### expedited jury trial pretrial agreements Scope: statewide Voluntary expedited jury trial submissions must identify party agreements concerning electronic presentations and other proposed presentation methods. Evidence excerpt: Any agreements of the parties to use photographs, diagrams, slides, electronic presentations, overhead projections, notebooks of exhibits, or other methods of presenting information to the jury [California Rule 3.1548, Pretrial submissions for voluntary expedited jury trials](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_1548) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### exhibit admission Scope: statewide An exhibit must be admitted by the judge before it may be used in the case. Evidence excerpt: The judge must to allow you to admit the exhibit as evidence in order for you to use it in your case. [How to introduce exhibits at a trial](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/how-introduce-exhibits-trial) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/6300/cynthia-aaron/) - [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/6300/cynthia-aaron/) - [California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/6300/cynthia-aaron/) - [California Rule 2.1040, Electronic recordings presented or offered into evidence](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/two/rule2_1040) - [California Rule 3.672, Remote proceedings](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_672) - [California Code of Civil Procedure section 367.75](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=367.75.&lawCode=CCP) - [California Rule 1.150, Photographing, recording, and broadcasting in court](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/one/rule1_150) - [California Rule 3.1551, Case presentation](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_1551) - [California Rule 3.1548, Pretrial submissions for voluntary expedited jury trials](https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_1548) - [How to introduce exhibits at a trial](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/how-introduce-exhibits-trial) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/6300/cynthia-aaron/) - [Wikidata: Cynthia Aaron](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5200010) - [appellate.courts.ca.gov](https://appellate.courts.ca.gov/district-courts/4dca/bio/cynthia-aaron) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/6300/cynthia-aaron/) - [Wikidata: Cynthia Aaron](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5200010) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/cynthia-aaron-6300", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/cynthia-aaron-6300", "name": "Cynthia Aaron | KnowJudges", "description": "Cynthia Aaron, California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District. 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