Zerne P. Haning III

Zerne P. Haning III is a retired Associate Justice of the Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Division Five. He was appointed to the newly-created position by Governor Brown Jr. on December 2nd, 1982, and was confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments on December 29th, 1982 and took his oath the same day. He was then confirmed by the electorate on November 4th, 1986 and reconfirmed by the electorate to a full 12-year term on November 6th, 1990. He retired from the position on March 31st, 2000. Prior to this, Haning was a Judge of the Superior Court of San Mateo County, appointed by Governor Brown Jr. on January 7th, 1981 and taking the oath on January 30th, 1981. He also served periodically as a Juvenile Court Referee for San Mateo County Superior Court from 1971 to 1977. Before his judicial career, Haning was in private law practice in San Mateo, California from 1965 to 1981, and was a partner at Haning, Fox & Guheen. He also had a practice in Riverside, California in 1965. Haning has been a member of the California Judges Association since 1981, and a former member of the California Judicial Council's Advisory Committee on Legal Forms from 1976 to 1978. He was also a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (1964-1981), California Trial Lawyers Association (1964-1981), San Mateo County Bar Association (1969-1981, of which he was President in 1977), and San Mateo County Trial Lawyers Association (1969-1981, of which he was a Director from 1973 to 1974). He was also the past President of the San Mateo Park Improvement Association in 1976. Haning has also been active in the California State Bar, where he served as Vice President from 1980-81, was a member of the Board of Governors from 1978-81, a member of the Board Special Committee on Law School Accreditation from 1979-80, Chair of the Executive Committee of the Criminal Law Section in 1977, and a member of the Committee on Criminal Law and Procedure from 1971-76 (as an Advisor in 1976, Chair in 1975, and Vice Chair in 1974). Haning has also been a participant in The Rutter Group programs, and has served as Lecturer and Panel Moderator at various CEB programs. Haning is a graduate of Washburn University of Topeka School of Law, where he was Editor in Chief of the Washburn LJ from 1961-62. He also has a B.A. in Economics from San Francisco State College, which is now known as San Francisco University. Haning was born on June 1st, 1933 in Lincoln, Nebraska, and was admitted to the California Bar on January 12th, 1965, as well as the Kansas and New Mexico Bars in 1962, and the U.S. Supreme Court in 1971. In his free time, Haning enjoys fishing.