San Francisco court publicizes CJP letter finding 'no basis for action' against judge

San Francisco Superior Court has moved to shut down resurfacing allegations that Judge Braden C. Woods demeaned female attorneys and made inappropriate comments in court.

The court publicized a two-year-old letter Friday from the Commission on Judicial Performance that found "no basis for action" on the allegations, following a 16-month investigation.

The court said the nearly four-year old allegations were reignited this week with reports of San Francisco Deputy Public Defender Diamond Ward challenging Woods to recuse himself from a hearing in a felony case based on their previous interactions, a Mission Local news report said.

A news release from San Francisco Superior Court stated that an April 2023 letter from the Commission on Judicial Performance responding to a San Francisco Public Defender's Office complaint said, "The commission found no basis for action against the judge or determined not to proceed further in this matter."

The court said Friday it was "imperative to refute these unfounded allegations" recently raised by Ward.

The original allegations from December 2021 -- that Woods had made "sexually charged and inappropriate statements," lost his temper while on the bench, and was "demeaning young women attorneys of color who appear in his courtroom" -- were investigated and closed, the court's news release said.

San Francisco Superior Court Executive Officer Brandon E. Riley said in the new release, "There is an established process known as California Code of Civil Procedure (CCP) § 170.6 to challenge a judicial officer for disqualification without the requirement to prove any bias or unfair conduct.

"This process was not utilized in the new case. Instead, these nearly four-year-old allegations, which formed 'no basis for action,' were made public this week in a motion under California Code of Civil Procedure 170.1, which requires disqualification for cause.

"It is essential that the public understands that these allegations were thoroughly scrutinized and subsequently no action was taken against Judge Woods."

The court's news release said that since January 2024, Woods has presided over 20 criminal jury trials in which the Public Defender's Office has represented the defendant without incident.

Woods was appointed to the bench in 2012 and currently presides over criminal trials. Before his judicial appointment, he served in multiple leadership positions in the District Attorney's Office.

The court also disputed a Mission Local article published June 5 that claimed the district attorney's office made similar complaints and that Woods had been reassigned as a result.

Under California Code of Judicial Ethics Canon 3B (9), Judge Woods is not permitted to speak about a pending or impending case.