SAN JOSE — An appointed judge on Monday lifted a temporary restraining order that had blocked supporters of a recall campaign to oust Santa Clara Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky from collecting signatures, giving them a shot at recalling him in elections next June.

Kay Tsenin, a retired San Francisco Superior Court judge, said at the end of an hour-long hearing that the recall campaign could begin collecting signatures and would regain any of the 160 days they lost to gather them as a result of the TRO that was issued earlier this month.

The ruling prompted a dozen campaign supporters in the courtroom, including Stanford Law School professor Michele Dauber, to erupt into applause. As she rose to leave the court, Tsenin said: “It's not about that, ladies and gentlemen. It's about the law.”