The Supreme Court of California is the highest judicial body in the state and sits at the apex of the judiciary of California.
[4][5] Under the 1849 Constitution of California, the Supreme Court had a chief justice and two associate justices, with six-year terms of office.
[4] The 1849 Constitution specified that the first Supreme Court justices would be appointed by the Legislature and that the justices would be subject to partisan direct elections from that point forward.
[6] The Governor could appoint justices in the event of a vacancy on the Court in between the elections.
[8] In 1934, the state implemented the present system of gubernatorial appointment with retention elections, replacing the direct election of justices.