Lawrence VanDyke testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee during his confirmation hearing to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, on October 30, 2019. Lawrence VanDyke testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee during his confirmation hearing to be U.S. Circuit judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, on Oct. 30, 2019. Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM

A Trump-appointed circuit judge said a majority appeals court ruling Friday in a case challenging California's ban on the in-state sale of force-fed foie gras could undermine political accountability.

In a footnote of his partial dissent in the case, Judge Lawrence VanDyke of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said the majority panel's decision to reject claims from foie gras sellers alleging federal law preempts the ban "encourages future short-circuiting of the democratic process by the political branches (whether intentional or not)."