As I noted yesterday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Maureen Duffy-Lewis has found California's female director quota law, SB 826, to violate the Equal Protection clause of the California Constitution (A person may not be . . . denied equal protection of the law"). Crest v. Padilla, L.A. Super. Ct. Case No. 19STCV27561 (March 13, 2022). Judge Duffy-Lewis issued her verdict following a lengthy trial. Here are some highlights of the verdict:
Because Judge Duffy-Lewis found SB 826 violated the California Constitution's equal protection clause, she did not make a decision on whether the law also violated the California Constitution's prohibition on discrimination based on sex in public employment, or contracting (Cal. Const. Art. I, ยง 31).
While many may be disappointed by Judge Duffy-Lewis' verdict, it should be no surprise. As Governor Jerry Brown stated in his signing message: "There have been numerous objections to this bill and serious legal concerns have been raised. I don't minimize the potential flaws that indeed may prove fatal to its ultimate implementation".