Judge Michael J. Carrozzo

Judge Michael J. Carrozzo served on the Santa Barbara County Superior Court following his appointment by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2019. His tenure ended with a formal public censure issued by the California Commission on Judicial Performance for courtroom misconduct, after which he agreed to resign from his position in April 2025. His seat was subsequently filled by Governor Newsom's appointment of Sydney Bennett in March 2026. The CJP censure and resignation represent the most significant documented facts about Judge Carrozzo's judicial record. A public censure from the Commission on Judicial Performance is a serious formal sanction, reserved for conduct the Commission determines warrants public accountability. The censure specifically involved courtroom misconduct, which is a distinct category of judicial discipline focused on a judge's behavior during proceedings. Because Judge Carrozzo has resigned from the bench as of April 2025, this profile is provided for historical reference only. Attorneys will not appear before him in his judicial capacity going forward. No ruling analyses, attorney observations, or ingested content are available in the current dataset, so no patterns regarding his legal reasoning, procedural preferences, or substantive rulings can be reported.

Because Judge Carrozzo resigned from the bench in April 2025 following a CJP public censure, attorneys will not encounter him in an active judicial role. This profile does not support forward-looking strategic guidance for courtroom appearances, as there are no current proceedings over which he presides. For attorneys researching historical matters — such as reviewing prior rulings, seeking reconsideration of past orders, or understanding the procedural history of cases he handled — the relevant period of his judicial service runs from his 2019 appointment through April 2025. Any rulings issued during that period were issued under his authority as a sitting Santa Barbara County Superior Court judge. Attorneys with cases that were pending before Judge Carrozzo at the time of his resignation should confirm reassignment to a successor judge, as his seat was filled by the appointment of Sydney Bennett. Procedural steps taken in cases he presided over remain valid unless specifically challenged.

• critical

  Confirm Case Reassignment to Successor Judge

  Any case previously assigned to Judge Carrozzo must be confirmed as reassigned following his April 2025 resignation. Contact the Santa Barbara County Superior Court clerk to verify current judicial assignment.

• important

  Review CJP Public Censure Record

  The California Commission on Judicial Performance's public censure of Judge Carrozzo is a public document. Attorneys with cases where his conduct during proceedings is at issue should obtain and review the full censure record from the CJP.

• important

  Assess Impact of Misconduct on Prior Rulings

  If a client has an adverse ruling from Judge Carrozzo's tenure (2019–April 2025) and the CJP censure involved conduct relevant to that proceeding, consult appellate counsel regarding whether grounds for challenge exist.

• ›Judge Carrozzo is no longer presiding over any courtroom. Do not direct appearances or filings to him.
• ›For historical matters involving his prior rulings, obtain the official case record from the Santa Barbara County Superior Court clerk.
• ›If researching his prior conduct for appellate or post-judgment purposes, reference the official CJP public censure documentation rather than secondary sources.