Alameda County Superior Court Judge James Cramer died at his Piedmont home Wednesday morning, a courts spokesman has confirmed.
Cramer was on his ninth year on the bench, and had a full day of cases scheduled for hearings at his Dublin courtroom. His cause of death has not been released. He was in his mid 60s.
Presiding Judge Thomas Nixon released a statement Wednesday afternoon saying Cramer’s loss will be “deeply felt.”
“Jim was an exemplary judge, but an even more exemplary colleague and friend,” Nixon said. “His passing has left those that knew him in shock and grief. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family and friends.”
Cramer was appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2015. His most publicized moment as a judge came in 2018, when he rejected a plea deal involving the two men charged in connection with the Ghost Ship fire, after hearing hours of emotional pleas from family members of the 36 people killed.
Before becoming a judge, Cramer worked as an attorney in the Alameda County Public Defender’s office. He spent 11 years there. Before that, he worked as a private attorney, and before that, briefly, as a prosecutor. He was well-respected by lawyers on both “sides” of the criminal justice system.
Cramer’s term had been set to expire in 2029.