CA Bar #: 222286 (December 2002)
Appointed By: Gov. Edmund G. Brown, Jr.
The Hon. Hernaldo J. Baltodano is an associate justice of the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Six[1]. Baltodano was appointed to the bench by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2022, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Martin J. Tangeman[1].
Baltodano had earlier been appointed to the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court by former Governor Jerry Brown on November 2, 2017, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Michael L. Duffy[1]. Before joining the Court of Appeal, he served on that court from November 2017 to 2022, where his assignments included criminal and civil departments[1]. From December 2020 to September 2021, Baltodano served as supervising criminal judge and helped establish pretrial services, mental health diversion treatment, and misdemeanor diversion programs in San Luis Obispo County[1].
Baltodano earned a B.A. in sociology from the University of California, Davis, in 1999[1]. At the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, he completed a J.D. in 2002[1]. He was admitted to the State Bar of California (December 2002).
After law school, Baltodano began his legal career in Los Angeles, practicing complex employment and class action litigation as an associate at Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai LLP (2003 to 2004), Employee Law Group (2004 to 2005), and SR Holguin PC (2005 to 2006)[1]. In 2006, he joined Robins Kaplan LLP as a senior associate[1]. Over the next five years, Baltodano continued in that capacity at Anderson McPharlin & Conners LLP and Sanchez & Amador LLP[1].
After relocating to San Luis Obispo in 2011, Baltodano co-founded Baltodano & Baltodano LLP with his wife, Erica Flores Baltodano, and served as a founding partner and senior litigation partner until his 2017 judicial appointment[1]. The firm handled complex civil cases on a contingency basis for hotel, restaurant, and agricultural workers, as well as nurses and mid-level executives, including wage theft, discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination matters.
In 2009, Public Counsel named Baltodano Advocate of the Year for pro bono work on behalf of special needs children[1]. That same year, the Children's Rights Project named him Volunteer of the Year. Baltodano & Baltodano LLP received the Access to Justice Advocate Award from the San Luis Obispo Legal Assistance Foundation in 2017[1]. His professional memberships have included service on the Executive Board of the California Judges Association and as vice chair of its Judicial Elections Committee[1]. He has also been a member of the California Latino/a Judges Association and of Governor Gavin Newsom's Judicial Selection Advisory Committee for the Central Coast Region[1].
Born in Nicaragua, Baltodano immigrated to the United States with his family at 15 months old and became an American citizen at age 19[1]. Outside the courtroom, he has regularly judged mock trial competitions for middle and high school students and has spoken to students about the judiciary[1].
Baltodano is registered as a Democrat[1].
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