Christopher Hayes took his judicial oath of office Jan. 24, becoming San Bernardino County’s newest judge.
Appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in December, Hayes spent nine years as senior appellate court attorney at the Fourth District Court of Appeal. Previously, he spent 10 years at the civil litigation firm Boies Schiller Flexner, including six as counsel. He clerked at the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeal for a year, and for Louisiana District Judge James Brady for another.
Seventeen county judges and five appellate justices attended the ceremony, as did five appellate justices.
Marsha Slough, former San Bernardino Superior Court presiding judge and former appellate justice at the Fourth District Court of Appeal, swore Hayes in.
“I am not sure that I’ve worked with someone who is so keenly admitted to the concept of equal justice and equanimity, and so committed to doing the right thing for the right reason, in the right way, even when it doesn’t gel with his own personal view. I can give you some examples of that over and over from our years of working together, of how he consistently does the right thing in the right way. I know that many of you who know him could also give your own examples, and if we called you up, the objection would be sustained that it is cumulative evidence and unduly repetitive,” Slough said.
Slough recounted the four qualities a good judge must have, according to Socrates: Hear courteously, answer wisely, think soberly and decide impartially.
“I witnessed to the fact that Chris Hayes has these qualities without a shadow of a doubt. They’ve come to him naturally, as you know. They come to him with ease, as they are who he is at his core. Chris is clearly intelligent, and you folks will learn that real quickly, but he is also observant. He cares,” Slough said.
Adrienne Martin, Hayes’ wife and a Claremont McKenna College professor, met him 20 years ago, working at a bookstore in Washington Square, New York. Together, they supported each other through five states and what she called a staggering range of roles: student, retail employee, corporate lawyer, court attorney, father, youth soccer coach and community leader. He gave his all as a manager, trial attorney, father, soccer coach and community builder, Martin said.
“When our daughters took an interest in soccer, he didn’t just coach them. He spearheaded an (American Youth Soccer Organization) EXTRA, and united club programs in our city, making competitive soccer with positive coaching available to hundreds of area kids,” Martin said.
When he saw that his soccer players were developing past his expertise, he started calling Spanish soccer coaches, attending more clinics and conferences, and all the highest licensing he could.
“Many of you know firsthand how his leadership brings us together into warm, sincere and joyful communities in his work as a court attorney, and now as a judge, he is dedicated to the power of the law to make our community stronger, safer and more compassionate. I feel it in this room, these many people from these many walks of life here to witness and celebrate,” Martin said.
Hayes began his speech with an apology and continued with thanks: he was sorry his two daughters had to listen to both their parents for so long, and he appreciated everyone who helped him on his way.
He thanked his mother and sister for raising him and setting an example of hard work overcoming obstacles. He thanked his father for giving him perspective, and thanked his aunt and stepfather. He thanked his high school friends for being a good crowd, and recounted one story he had of skipping school with them—to study for an political science test. He thanked Professor Paul Hurley, his first ethics professor at Claremont McKenna College, for inspiring him. He thanked the late Louisiana District Judge James Brady, for whom he clerked, for setting an example of judicial temperament and patience. He thanked the staff and justices at the Court of Appeal for keeping their focus on people.
“The most important trait is that they bring humility and humanity to legal issues. They never lose sight of the people at the heart of any dispute or any issue, no matter how abstract or how abstruse. It’s people that matter, that matter to them, and you can see that in their work. Justice Slough was in particular an incredible example of that to me,” Hayes said.
He thanked his soccer players for constantly improving, inspiring him to do better and get out of his comfort zone.
Hayes ended on his belief of the law’s purpose: “The law exists to improve people’s lives, and judges are here to solve people’s problems,” he said
