Christopher C. Cottle

Christopher Clarke Cottle is a former Justice of the Court of Appeal, Sixth Appellate District. He was appointed to the position by Governor Wilson on January 6, 1993, and was confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments on February 4, 1993. He was then confirmed by the electorate on November 8, 1994 to a four-year term commencing January 3, 1995. Prior to his appointment, he served as an Associate Justice of the same court from September 29, 1988 until February 4, 1993. He was appointed to this position by Governor Deukmejian on August 12, 1988 and then confirmed by the electorate to a 12-year term in 1990. During this time, he also served as the Acting Presiding Justice of the Court from March 1, 1992 until February 4, 1993. Christopher was also a Judge of the Superior Court of Santa Cruz County from August 26, 1977 until September 29, 1988. He was appointed by Governor Brown Jr. on July 7, 1977 and was then elected in 1978 (unopposed) and re-elected in 1984 (unopposed). He served as the presiding judge in 1986 and 1984. Before his judicial career, Christopher worked as a District Attorney from January 8, 1975, to August 26, 1977, and as an Assistant District Attorney from June 1, 1968 to January 8, 1975 in Santa Cruz County. He also had a private law practice in San Jose from 1967-1968 and worked as a Counselor for the San Francisco Probation Department and as a janitor at Hastings College of Law while attending law school. Christopher received his J.D. from Hastings College of Law in San Francisco in June 1966 and his B.S. from Stanford University in Palo Alto (with a football scholarship) in June 1962. He is a member of the California Judges Association and a former member of the California Judicial Council’s Advisory Committee on Voir Dire and the California District Attorneys Association. He was also an instructor for Evidence at Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz from 1972-1976. Christopher was born on May 18, 1940 in Los Angeles, California. He is married with two sons and enjoys playing tennis and racquetball, and skiing. He is a Democrat and an Episcopalian and served as the Senior Warden of St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church. He was admitted to the California Bar on December 23, 1966 and to the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit and U.S. District Court, Northern District of California in December 1966.