Article 1. General Provisions of California Government Code >> Title 8. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 1.

The state is divided into six court of appeal districts designated and constituted as follows:
  (a) The Counties of San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Lake, Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte, Contra Costa, Alameda, and San Mateo shall constitute the First Appellate District.
  (b) The Counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles shall constitute the Second Appellate District.
  (c) The Counties of Siskiyou, Modoc, Trinity, Shasta, Lassen, Tehama, Plumas, Colusa, Glenn, Butte, Sierra, Sutter, Yuba, Nevada, Yolo, Placer, Sacramento, El Dorado, San Joaquin, Amador, Calaveras, Alpine, and Mono shall constitute the Third Appellate District.
  (d) The Counties of Inyo, San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, San Diego, and Imperial shall constitute the Fourth Appellate District.
  (e) The Counties of Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Merced, Mariposa, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare, and Kern shall constitute the Fifth Appellate District.
  (f) The Counties of Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito shall constitute the Sixth Appellate District.

The Court of Appeal for the First Appellate District consists of five divisions having four judges each, and shall hold its regular sessions at San Francisco.

The Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District consists of eight divisions having four judges each. One division shall hold its regular sessions in Ventura County, Santa Barbara County, or San Luis Obispo County, at the discretion of the judges of that division, and the other divisions shall hold their regular sessions at Los Angeles.

The Court of Appeal for the Third Appellate District consists of one division having 11 judges and shall hold its regular sessions at Sacramento.

The Court of Appeal for the Fourth Appellate District consists of three divisions. One division shall hold its regular sessions at San Diego and shall have 10 judges. One division shall hold its regular sessions in the San Bernardino/Riverside area and shall have seven judges. One division shall hold its regular sessions in Orange County and shall have eight judges.

The Court of Appeal for the Fifth Appellate District consists of one division having 10 judges and shall hold its regular sessions at Fresno.

The Court of Appeal for the Sixth Appellate District consists of one division having seven judges and shall hold its regular sessions at San Jose.

Upon the creation of a new court of appeal district or division, the Governor shall appoint pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 16 of Article VI of the Constitution three or more persons to serve as judges thereof as provided in the legislation creating the district or division. The judges of said district or division elected at the first general election at which they had the right to become candidates shall so classify themselves by lot that the term of office for at least one of them expires at the end of four years, at least one of them at the end of eight years, and at least one of them at the end of 12 years, and entry of such classification shall be made in the minutes of said district or division, signed by each of the judges thereof, and a duplicate thereof filed in the office of the Secretary of State.