California Appellate Court Legacy Project

The Legacy Project recounts the stories and preserves the rich judicial history of California judges, courts, and law through the voices of the justices who helped shape the development of California law in the 20th century.

The project was developed in 2006 as part of statewide efforts undertaken to commemorate the Centennial of the California Courts of Appeal in 2005.

Contact Info

Legacy Unit
(415) 865-4250
legacyproject@jud.ca.gov

"The Backbone of the Justice System" is a compilation of clips from Legacy Project interviews.

The oral history archive comprises more than 150 videotaped interviews of retired justices of the Courts of Appeal, as well as active justices who may be nearing retirement. Interviewers were selected from within the state's appellate branch, and in most instances the interviews were conducted by a justice who currently serves in the retired justice's former court.

The interviews touched upon a host of personal and professional recollections, including childhood and youth, education, law school years, judicial careers and other government service, judicial philosophies, notable opinions, concurrences and dissents, significant historical events, and the attitudes, events, and experiences that have shaped the justices' perspectives.

The resulting archive is a historical record of the personal experiences of individual justices and the changes that have emerged over the years in the California judicial system and the legal profession.

Staff of the Judicial Council of California continue to schedule interviews with justices as they retire from the bench. See below for photos, videos, transcripts, and biographies of the retired justices that have been interviewed to date. They are listed by the appellate district in which a justice served and sorted in alphabetical order.

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First Appellate District
Carl W. Anderson

Carl W. Anderson

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Terence L. Bruiniers

Terence L. Bruiniers

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Betty B. Deal

Betty B. Deal

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Robert L. Dondero

Robert L. Dondero

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Robert L. Dossee

Robert L. Dossee

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Zerne P. Haning, III

Zerne P. Haning, III

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Daniel M. Hanlon

Daniel M. Hanlon

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Robert F. Kane

Robert F. Kane

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Laurence D. Kay

Laurence D. Kay

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Donald B. King

Donald B. King

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J. Anthony Kline

J. Anthony Kline

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Harry W. Low

Harry W. Low

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James Marchiano

James Marchiano

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William A. Newsom, Jr.

William A. Newsom, Jr.

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Joanne C. Parrilli

Joanne C. Parrilli

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J. Clinton Peterson

J. Clinton Peterson

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Marcel Poché

Marcel Poché

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Stuart R. Pollak

Stuart R. Pollak

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John T. Racanelli

John T. Racanelli

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Maria P. Rivera

Maria P. Rivera

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Ignacio J. "Nace" Ruvolo

Ignacio J. "Nace" Ruvolo

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M.O. Sabraw

M.O. Sabraw

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Gabriel P. Sanchez

Gabriel P. Sanchez

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Patricia K. Sepulveda

Patricia K. Sepulveda

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Peter J Siggins

Peter J Siggins

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Gary E. Strankman

Gary E. Strankman

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Douglas E. Swager

Douglas E. Swager

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Herbert W. Walker

Herbert W. Walker

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Second Appellate District
Richard Abbe

Richard Abbe

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Arthur L. Alarcón

Arthur L. Alarcón

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Richard Aldrich

Richard Aldrich

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Orville Armstrong

Orville Armstrong

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Herbert L. Ashby

Herbert L. Ashby

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Elizabeth A. Baron

Elizabeth A. Baron

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Edwin F. Beach

Edwin F. Beach

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Paul Boland

Paul Boland

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Roger W. Boren

Roger W. Boren

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Paul Coffee

Paul Coffee

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Lynn D. "Buck" Compton

Lynn D. "Buck" Compton

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Candace D. Cooper

Candace D. Cooper

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Daniel A. Curry

Daniel A. Curry

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Robert R. Devich

Robert R. Devich

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Halim Dhanidina

Halim Dhanidina

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Norman L. Epstein

Norman L. Epstein

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Robert Feinerman

Robert Feinerman

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Macklin Fleming

Macklin Fleming

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Arthur Gilbert

Arthur Gilbert

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Jack E. Goertzen

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Margaret M. Grignon

Margaret M. Grignon

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J. Gary Hastings

J. Gary Hastings

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James H. Hastings

James H. Hastings

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Edward A. Hinz, Jr.

Edward A. Hinz, Jr.

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Shirley M. Hufstedler

Shirley M. Hufstedler

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Frank Jackson

Frank Jackson

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Earl Johnson, Jr.

Earl Johnson, Jr.

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Patti S. Kitching

Patti S. Kitching

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Joan D. Klein

Joan D. Klein

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Sandy R. Kriegler

Sandy R. Kriegler

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Elwood G. Lui

Elwood G. Lui

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Robert M. Mallano

Robert M. Mallano

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William A. Masterson

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Richard M. Mosk

Richard M. Mosk

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Richard C. Neal

Richard C. Neal

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Michael G. Nott

Michael G. Nott

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Reuben A. Ortega

Reuben A. Ortega

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Steven Z. Perren

Steven Z. Perren

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Steven J. Stone

Steven J. Stone

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Robert S. Thompson

Robert S. Thompson

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Charles S. Vogel

Charles S. Vogel

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Miriam A. Vogel

Miriam A. Vogel

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Arleigh M. Woods

Arleigh M. Woods

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John Zebrowski

John Zebrowski

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Laurie Zelon

Laurie Zelon

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Third Appellate District
Coleman A. Blease

Coleman A. Blease

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Consuelo M. Callahan

Consuelo M. Callahan

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Rodney Davis

Rodney Davis

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Hugh A. Evans

Hugh A. Evans

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Fred K. Morrison

Fred K. Morrison

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George W. Nicholson

George W. Nicholson

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Robert K. Puglia

Robert K. Puglia

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Ronald B. Robie

Ronald B. Robie

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Arthur G. Scotland

Arthur G. Scotland

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Richard M. Sims, III

Richard M. Sims, III

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Keith F. Sparks

Keith F. Sparks

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Fourth Appellate District
Richard M. Aronson

Richard M. Aronson

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Patricia D. Benke

Patricia D. Benke

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Gerald Brown

Gerald Brown

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Gordon Cologne

Gordon Cologne

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Charles W. Froehlich

Charles W. Froehlich

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Richard D. Fybel

Richard D. Fybel

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John G. Gabbert

John G. Gabbert

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Barton C. Gaut

Barton C. Gaut

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Judith L. Haller

Judith L. Haller

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Thomas Hollenhorst

Thomas Hollenhorst

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Richard D. Huffman

Richard D. Huffman

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Raymond Ikola

Raymond Ikola

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Daniel J. Kremer

Daniel J. Kremer

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Gerald J. Lewis

Gerald J. Lewis

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Judith D. McConnell

Judith D. McConnell

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Franklin D. McDaniel

Franklin D. McDaniel

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Alex C. McDonald

Alex C. McDonald

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James A. McIntyre

James A. McIntyre

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Art W. McKinster

Art W. McKinster

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Eileen C. Moore

Eileen C. Moore

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Gilbert Nares

Gilbert Nares

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Manuel A. Ramirez

Manuel A. Ramirez

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William F. Rylaarsdam

William F. Rylaarsdam

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Harmon G. Scoville

Harmon G. Scoville

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David Sills

David Sills

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Sheila P. Sonenshine

Sheila P. Sonenshine

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Robert J. Timlin

Robert J. Timlin

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William L. Todd, Jr.

William L. Todd, Jr.

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John K. Trotter, Jr.

John K. Trotter, Jr.

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Edward J. Wallin

Edward J. Wallin

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James D. Ward

James D. Ward

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Howard B. Wiener

Howard B. Wiener

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Fifth Appellate District
Kenneth Andreen

Kenneth Andreen

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James A. Ardaiz

James A. Ardaiz

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Jay R. Ballantyne

Jay R. Ballantyne

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Timothy S. Buckley

Timothy S. Buckley

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Dennis Cornell

Dennis Cornell

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Betty Dawson

Betty Dawson

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Stephen J. Kane

Stephen J. Kane

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Robert L. Martin

Robert L. Martin

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James F. Thaxter

James F. Thaxter

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Steven M. Vartabedian

Steven M. Vartabedian

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Rebecca Wiseman

Rebecca Wiseman

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George N. Zenovich

George N. Zenovich

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