Hon. Charles Hayes
Case Manager: Genevieve Kenizwald
Tel: (619) 233-1323
E-Mail
Judge Hayes served 24 years as a trial judge and sat in an
independent calendar department with a caseload of over 700 civil cases
for the last 15 years. He presided over hundreds of civil court and
jury trials involving complex business disputes, consumer issues,
medical malpractice, insurance bad faith, personal injury, mobile home
park disputes, employment disputes, as well as consumer class actions.
As a civil judge he handled hundreds of discovery disputes, demurrers
and motions for summary adjudication and summary judgment on his law and
motion calendar. Additionally, he conducted mediations and scores of
judicial settlement conferences using the mediation caucus approach.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Business and Commercial Litigation
Employment (including Wrongful Termination, Discrimination, Sexual
Harassment)
Real Estate and Landlord-Tenant Disputes
Medical and Legal Malpractice
Insurance Bad Faith
Mobile Home Park Disputes
Wage and Hour
Consumer Class Actions
Personal Injury
EDUCATION
Pepperdine University School of Law, Straus Institute for Dispute
Resolution:
Mediating the Litigated Case & STAR Approach to Mediation Strategies
J.D., California Western School of Law, San Diego, 1969
B.A. in Political Science, Occidental College, Los Angeles, 1966
JUDICIAL EXPERIENCE
1987-2010 Judge of the Superior Court, San Diego County
1986-1987 Judge of the San Diego Municipal Court, San Diego Judicial
District
In addition to his judicial responsibilities as trial judge, Judge Hayes
served as Chair of the Court’s Rules Committee; Co-Chair of the Court’s
ADR committee, which developed San Diego’s successful Mediation Pilot
Project leading to the present Mediation Program; and on the Court’s
Executive Committee, the Superior Court’s governing body. Prior to his
civil assignment he presided over general civil and criminal trials
including death penalty cases.
Judge Hayes has served as a panel member for Continuing Education of the
Bar, National Business Institute, Lorman Education Services, and the
Center for Judicial Education and Research on matters concerning civil
litigation, civil procedure and complex litigation.
LEGAL AND TRIAL EXPERIENCE
1985-1986 Chief Deputy District Attorney, San Diego District Attorney’s
Office
1978-1985 Chief, Consumer Fraud Division, San Diego District Attorney’s
Office & Special Assistant to the U.S. Attorney, Southern District of
California
1973-1978 Deputy District Attorney, Consumer Fraud Division, San Diego
District Attorney’s Office
1970-1973 Deputy District Attorney, San Diego District Attorney’ Office
As a lawyer, Judge Hayes tried complex court and jury trials in federal
and state courts. As Chief of the Fraud Division he personally handled
complex consumer fraud cases and supervised 8 lawyers in their handling
of consumer fraud cases and business crimes.
PAST AND CURRENT MEMBERSHIPS
Member, Executive Committee, San Diego Superior Court’s governing body
Co-Chair of the ADR Committee, San Diego Superior Court
Chair of the Rules Committee, San Diego Superior Court
Member of Board of Trustees, San Diego County Public Law Library
Member of Board of Trustees, San Diego Law Library Justice Foundation
Senior Master, Welsh Inn, American Inns of Court
Member of Board of Directors, Youth Tennis San Diego, Inc.
Member of Board of Directors, American Diabetes Association, San Diego
Chapter
PERSONAL
Judge Hayes is married to the Honorable Judge Judith F. Hayes, a judge
of the San Diego Superior Court. He is an award-winning wine maker, a
former wine judge and in his spare time presides over a small vineyard
of cabernet and merlot vines.
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