Adam Noakes, an administrative law judge with the Health and Human Services Agency under California’s Department of Social Services, is running to be a San Diego Superior Court judge. He is seeking Office No. 31.
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Noakes, 45, who lives in San Diego, faces one opponent for the seat. He has been endorsed by about 30 superior court or administrative law judges as well as several local law enforcement unions.
The San Diego County Bar Association rated Noakes as “Well Qualified,” the organization’s second-highest evaluation rating for judicial candidates.
According to the organization, the rating indicates a candidate possesses “a high-level professional ability, experience, competence, integrity and/or temperament indicating high-level ability to perform the judicial function.” The evaluations are not endorsements.
Judicial races are nonpartisan.
The Union-Tribune emailed a series of questions to Noakes and other candidates to help inform voters about their positions, priorities and plans if elected.
Noakes’ campaign said no AI was used to generate responses to the Union-Tribune’s questions.
A healthy and safe society depends on fair, independent, and impartial judges. I have dedicated my life to these ideals and I pledge to uphold them as a Judge. I have broad litigation experience, advanced legal education, military service, and lifelong commitment to others.
For the past five years, I have served as an Administrative Law Judge, hearing over 1,100 cases, ruling on motions, evaluating evidence, serving as fact-finder, and issuing well-reasoned decisions applying facts to law while ensuring due process. Previously, I practiced all aspects of litigation at large and boutique firms. I earned a J.D. from UCLA and LL.M. from Pepperdine. A military veteran, I also served two years as a missionary in Brazil.
Married 21 years and father of four daughters, the culmination of my life uniquely prepares me to deliver fair, independent, and impartial justice from day one.
I believe I will strengthen public trust in a fair, independent, and impartial judiciary. A strong court system is essential for civil society: it resolves disputes through a neutral third party, delivers justice for broken laws, and ensures due process with fairness for all.
I dedicated my life to service. From organizing my community at 17 to support a battered women’s shelter, to two years as a volunteer missionary in Brazil, to enlisting in the military, to 21 years of faithful dedicated marriage with four beautiful daughters. These experiences taught me discipline, compassion, staying in my lane, following the law, and the critical importance of impartiality.
For the last five years, I have served as an Administrative Law Judge, neutrally applying facts to law. I possess the temperament, judgment, and commitment to be an impartial decision-maker who hears every party with dignity and upholds justice.
My judicial philosophy is clear: Judges must ensure due process is equally applied to all parties, apply the law impartially as written, and set aside personal policy opinions, political views, or bias when deciding cases.
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I am guided by the ideal of Lady Justice — blindfolded for impartiality, holding balanced scales for objective weighing of evidence, and wielding the sword to defend rights and administer justice under the law. She never places a thumb on the scale.
At their best, judges are peacemakers. They serve as neutral third parties, providing a fair forum for resolving disputes when parties cannot. By embodying fairness, independence, and impartiality, judges restore public faith in the system and promote lasting peace in society. This philosophy shapes my rulings today as an Administrative Law Judge and will guide me on the Superior Court, ensuring fidelity to the law and equal justice for all.
I am the only candidate in this race who has dedicated his life to upholding the Constitution and equal justice for all. With unmatched real-world experience and proven judicial temperament, I stand apart as a military veteran, current Administrative Law Judge, former missionary, and dedicated family man.
I am the only candidate in this race endorsed by law enforcement, firefighters, and the Deputy District Attorneys Association — plus dozens of judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and community leaders. My extensive education includes a J.D. from UCLA, and an LL.M. from Pepperdine’s top-ranked Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. Service to others and our society defines me. I pledge to decide every case on the facts and law — with fairness, independence, impartiality, and respect — while efficiently managing dockets without activism or agendas.
Only I bring this breadth of military, litigation, dispute resolution, and hands-on judicial experience to strengthen public trust in our courts.
AI represents one of the most transformative technological advances of our lifetime, with exponential growth in power and potential. It equips parties and courts with rapid information and analysis, fundamentally shaping legal work.
As an administrative law judge, I have seen its early use firsthand. AI-generated briefs often present complex arguments and citations that sound persuasive but frequently rely on inapplicable sources. For example, in a recent case I heard, one brief attempted to apply Internal Revenue Code rules to SNAP “income” definitions — distinct regulations with different standards — creating a strong-sounding but misguided position.
Used carefully, with precise prompts and thorough verification against primary sources, AI is a powerful tool. Blind reliance, however, is dangerous.
The judiciary must adapt, just as it has with the internet, email, video conferencing, and DNA evidence. We need clear guardrails to harness AI’s benefits while protecting fairness, accuracy, and due process in our courts.
I am grateful for the recognition by my peers and colleagues that I am “Well Qualified” to hold judicial office. I bring over five years of exemplary judicial experience presiding over more than a thousand cases with a strong record of fairness, efficiency, and integrity. I have earned endorsements from not just the legal profession, but also numerous organizations representing law enforcement, firefighters, and small businesses.
I received no negative comments from the community in the bar association’s vetting process and I am the only candidate in my race with the breadth and depth of education, judicial experience, and life experience necessary to magnify this judicial office. I am confident my proven judicial performance, combined with my broad legal background, demonstrates my ability to serve San Diego County well as a Superior Court Judge.
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