Donald F. Gaffney at a glance
- Current role
- Superior Court Judge, Civil Panel, North Justice Center, Department N16
- Court
- Superior Court of California, County of Orange
- Jurisdiction
- California · State
- Judicial service
- Active
Donald F. Gaffney
Superior Court Judge, Civil Panel, North Justice Center, Department N16 · Superior Court of California, County of Orange
Available research
Biography
Judicial service
- Judge, Superior Court of California, County of Orange, 2008-present
Education
- California State University-Fullerton · BA, 1988
- Harvard University · JD, 2001
Courtroom rules and guidance
Courtroom Equipment
Orange County reports that most courtrooms have an overhead projector and wall-mounted screen. Counsel may connect their own equipment through VGA or HDMI, should bring required cables and adapters, and should confirm availability with the courtroom clerk with as much advance notice as possible.
Please check with the department's courtroom clerk for availability of equipment and give as much advanced notice as possible.Evidence Presentation Equipment ↗
Audiovisual Evidence
A party offering an electronic sound or sound-and-video recording must provide the court and opposing parties a transcript and provide opposing parties a duplicate of the recording.
the party must provide to the court and to opposing parties a transcript of the electronic recording and provide opposing parties with a duplicate of the electronic recordingCalifornia Rule 2.1040, Electronic recordings presented or offered into evidence ↗
Remote Proceedings
California courts should permit remote participation in covered civil proceedings, subject to the statute, local rules, and controlling orders.
courts should permit parties to appear remotely at conferences, hearings, and proceedings in civil cases consistent with Code of Civil Procedure section 367.75California Rule 3.672, Remote proceedings ↗
Remote Participants And Witnesses
Covered civil parties and witnesses may appear remotely, and the court may conduct proceedings in whole or in part using remote technology.
that party or witness may appear remotely and the court may conduct conferences, hearings, and proceedings, in whole or in part, through the use of remote technologyCalifornia Code of Civil Procedure section 367.75 ↗
Recording And Broadcasting
Court proceedings may not be photographed, recorded, or broadcast except as Rule 1.150 permits.
Except as provided in this rule, court proceedings may not be photographed, recorded, or broadcast.California Rule 1.150, Photographing, recording, and broadcasting in court ↗
Expedited Jury Trial Presentations
In expedited jury trials, parties may use slides, electronic presentations, projections, exhibit notebooks, and other methods approved at the pretrial conference.
the parties may present summaries and may use photographs, diagrams, slides, electronic presentations, overhead projections, individual notebooks of exhibits for submission to the jurors, or other innovative methods of presentation approved at the pretrial conferenceCalifornia Rule 3.1551, Case presentation ↗
Expedited Jury Trial Pretrial Agreements
Voluntary expedited jury trial submissions must identify party agreements concerning electronic presentations and other proposed presentation methods.
Any agreements of the parties to use photographs, diagrams, slides, electronic presentations, overhead projections, notebooks of exhibits, or other methods of presenting information to the juryCalifornia Rule 3.1548, Pretrial submissions for voluntary expedited jury trials ↗
Exhibit Admission
An exhibit must be admitted by the judge before it may be used in the case.
The judge must to allow you to admit the exhibit as evidence in order for you to use it in your case.How to introduce exhibits at a trial ↗
Sources
Superior Court of California, County of Orange official judicial roster
Identity source · HTML · checked July 28, 2026
https://www.occourts.org/general-information/judicial-officersCourtListener judicial biographical directory
Identity source · HTML · checked August 2, 2026
https://www.courtlistener.com/person/13533/donald-fitzgerald-gaffney/Orange County Local Rules, Division 3 - Civil Rules
Judge research source · PDF · checked July 28, 2026
https://www.occourts.org/system/files?file=14div3.pdfCalifornia Rule 2.1040, Electronic recordings presented or offered into evidence
Judge research source · HTML · checked July 26, 2026
https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/two/rule2_1040California Rule 3.672, Remote proceedings
Judge research source · HTML · checked July 26, 2026
https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_672California Code of Civil Procedure section 367.75
Judge research source · HTML · checked July 26, 2026
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=367.75.&lawCode=CCPCalifornia Rule 1.150, Photographing, recording, and broadcasting in court
Judge research source · HTML · checked July 26, 2026
https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/one/rule1_150California Rule 3.1551, Case presentation
Judge research source · HTML · checked July 26, 2026
https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_1551California Rule 3.1548, Pretrial submissions for voluntary expedited jury trials
Judge research source · HTML · checked July 26, 2026
https://courts.ca.gov/cms/rules/index/three/rule3_1548How to introduce exhibits at a trial
Judge research source · HTML · checked July 26, 2026
https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/how-introduce-exhibits-trialEvidence Presentation Equipment
Judge research source · HTML · checked July 28, 2026
https://www.occourts.org/general-information/lawyers-litigants/evidence-presentation-equipment