On Thursday, April 3, 2025, the California Commission on Judicial Performance publicly admonished former Judge Howard H. Shore of the San Diego County Superior Court. This action comes in light of prior misconduct, which the commission previously addressed with a severe public censure issued in 2023.
The commission found that former Judge Shore had engaged in improper absences from the courthouse, totaling at least 155 days during 2021 and 2022, exceeding his available vacation time by 87 days. Notably, he was absent from the courthouse every Friday between May 28, 2021, and November 18, 2022. Following the censure, Judge Shore made statements that the commission deemed misleading, lacking transparency regarding the circumstances that led to his public censure.
In addition to the attendance issues, the commission highlighted Judge Shore’s conduct during pre-trial criminal hearings, where he made comments perceived as undignified and offensive, potentially indicating bias based on race. His remarks included the use of a racial slur in a hypothetical scenario while debating with an expert witness, which the commission characterized as irrelevant and inappropriate interjections.
The commission noted that the severity of Judge Shore’s misconduct was exacerbated by the earlier censure.
A copy of the press release can be found here.
