Legacy Project

Justice William Wunderlich

Portrait

Retirement Date

Fri, 04/30/2004 - 12:00

Job Title

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Richard J. McAdams

JCC — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 23:47:33 +0000

Richard J. McAdams JCC Fri, 12/15/2023 - 15:47

Sixth District Court of Appeal

Start Date

Tue, 09/23/2003 - 12:00

Biography

Richard John McAdams is a former Associate Justice for the Sixth District Court of Appeal from 2003 to 2011. Before this role, McAdams held several other judicial offices. He was elected to the Superior Court in June 1998 and served until 2003. Prior to that, he was a Municipal Court Judge for the Coordinated Superior and Municipal Courts in Santa Cruz. He was appointed to this position by Governor Brown Jr. on April 26, 1977, succeeding Judge Roland K. Hall. He was elected in 1982 and reelected in 1988 and 1994. He also served as the Presiding Judge in 1990, 1987, 1984, and 1980. Before his judicial career, McAdams was a private law practitioner in Santa Cruz, California, where he handled family law and personal injury cases. He was a partner at Fox, McAdams & Popin from February 1976 to April 1977, and at Fox & McAdams from May 1974 to February 1976. He also worked as a sole practitioner from April 1973 to May 1974. During this time, he provided free services to Head Start, a local daycare center, and other nonprofit organizations.

McAdams has been a member of the California Judges Association since 1977 and has served on several of its committees. He has also been a member of the California Judicial Council and the California Center for Judicial Education and Research. In addition to his judicial work, McAdams has been a faculty member at the Judicial College of the California Center for Judicial Education and Research since 1991. He has also been a panelist and speaker at various conferences.

McAdams received his Juris Doctor degree from Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco in June 1968. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley, which he received in June 1965. He attended the University of Oregon in Eugene from 1961 to 1963 and graduated from San Mateo High School in San Mateo, California, in 1961. Born on February 27, 1944, in Albany, California, McAdams is married and has two children. He was admitted to the California Bar, the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, and the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, on January 9, 1969. He is a Democrat and practices the Catholic faith.

Person Type

Portrait

Richard John McAdams

Retirement Date

Mon, 02/28/2011 - 12:00

Job Title

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Christopher C. Cottle

JCC — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 23:47:33 +0000

Christopher C. Cottle JCC Fri, 12/15/2023 - 15:47

Start Date

Thu, 09/29/1988 - 12:00

Biography

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.

Person Type

Justice Christopher Cottle

Portrait

Retirement Date

Mon, 01/01/2001 - 12:00

Job Title

Presiding Justice

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Harry F. Brauer

JCC — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 23:47:33 +0000

Harry F. Brauer JCC Fri, 12/15/2023 - 15:47

Sixth District Court of Appeal

Start Date

Fri, 11/02/1984 - 12:00

Biography

Harry F. Brauer is a retired Associate Justice of the Court of Appeal, Sixth Appellate District. He was appointed to the newly-created court by Governor Deukmejian on September 14, 1984 and was confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments on November 2, 1984. He was then confirmed by the electorate on November 4, 1986 and retired from the bench on June 30, 1989. Prior to his appointment to the Court of Appeal, Justice Brauer served as a judge of the Superior Court of Santa Cruz County from January 2, 1973 to November 2, 1984. He was appointed to the position by Governor Reagan in December 1972, and was elected in 1974 and reelected in 1980. Before that, Justice Brauer served as a judge of the Municipal Court of Santa Cruz Judicial District from January 2, 1962 to January 2, 1973. He was appointed to that position by Governor Brown, Sr. in December 1961 and was elected in 1964 and reelected in 1970. Before taking on the role of a judge, Justice Brauer worked in private law practice from 1954 to 1962, specializing in commercial and appellate law. He was an associate, and then partner, at Wyckoff, Parker, Boyle & Pope in Watsonville, California. From 1953 to 1954, he was a law clerk to U.S. District Judge Edward P. Murphy in San Francisco, California. Justice Brauer was a member of the California Judges Association in 1962 and a former member of the Chief Justice's Select Committee on the Courts and the Media from 1979 to 1980; the Judicial Council Criminal Justice Planning Committee from 1973 to 1979; the California Joint Legislative Committee for Revision of the Penal Code from 1970 to 1972; the Board of Directors of Watsonville Community Hospital from 1968 to 1972; and the Board of Directors of Family Service Association of Santa Cruz County from 1958 to 1961. He was also a former chair of the Santa Cruz County Civil Service Commission from 1960 to 1961. Justice Brauer taught at the California Trial Judges College Session (CJER) in Berkeley in 1973, as well as at judicial workshops sponsored by the California Judicial Council and Conference of California Judges. He was also a faculty member at the California College of Trial Judges in 1972, 1971, and 1969. Justice Brauer's noteworthy decisions include Dong v. Board of Trustees (1987), Kahn v. Superior Court (1987), Eldridge v. Tymshare, Inc. (1987), City of Carmel-by-the-Sea v. Board of Supervisors (1986), People v. Wilson (1986), Sher v. Leiderman (1986), West v. Johnson & Johnson Products, Inc. (1985), Akers v. Kelley Co. (1985), and In re Marriage of Lugo (1985). Justice Brauer received his LL.B. from Yale University Law School in New Haven, Connecticut in February 1951, where he served as a board of editors in 1950 and 1951. He also received his Ph.D. with honors from the University of Chicago in 1947. He was admitted to the California Bar on July 31, 1952. Justice Brauer is a Democrat and his interests include mountain climbing, backpacking, fishing, and listening to classical music. He is married to a psychiatric social worker and has one child.

Person Type

Portrait

Justice Brauer

Retirement Date

Fri, 06/30/1989 - 12:00

Job Title

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Nat A. Agliano

JCC — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 23:47:31 +0000

Nat A. Agliano JCC Fri, 12/15/2023 - 15:47

Start Date

Fri, 11/02/1984 - 12:00

Biography

Nat A. Agliano was born on February 18, 1932, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Sicilian immigrant parents. He married Lillian Bergren on August 29, 1953, in Reno, Nevada, and they have four children: Michael, Lisa, Cheryl, and Julie. Agliano served in the U.S. Army from January 1954 to January 1956. He is a Republican and enjoys playing golf. Agliano graduated from Monterey High School in 1949 and Saint Thomas Aquinas Grammar School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1945. He earned an A.A. from Monterey Peninsula College in June 1951. He then attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he played football and earned a B.S. in Business Administration in January 1954. Agliano received his J.D. from Hastings College of the Law, San Francisco, California, in June 1959. He was admitted to the California Bar and to the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, on January 12, 1960. Agliano started his career as a Legal Research Assistant at the California Department of Justice in Sacramento in 1959. He then served as a Deputy Attorney General in the California State Department of Justice's Criminal Division from January 1960 to December 1962. He practiced private law in Salinas, Monterey County, from December 1962 to October 1971, partnering with Panelli & Aaliano. Agliano was appointed by Governor Reagan as a Judge for the Municipal Court, Salinas Judicial District, Monterey County, on September 29, 1971, and served until March 15, 1972. He then served as a Judge for the Superior Court, Monterey County, from March 16, 1972, to November 2, 1984, having been appointed by Governor Reagan and elected unopposed in 1974 and 1980. Agliano was appointed as an Associate Justice for the same court by Governor Deukmejian on September 14, 1984, and served until April 16, 1986. He was then appointed as the Presiding Justice for the Court of Appeal, Sixth Appellate District, by Governor Deukmejian on March 31, 1986. He was confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments on April 16, 1986, and by the electorate to a 12-year term in 1988. He retired from the bench on February 28, 1992. Since 1992, Agliano has been available as a private judge and is a member of the Judicial Arbitration & Mediation Services, Inc. (JAMS). Agliano has been a member of the California Judges Association since 1971 and served on its Criminal Law and Procedure Committee in 1976. He was also a member of the California Judicial Council's Sentencing Practices Advisory Committee from 1976 to 1977 and the Monterey County Bar Association from 1963 to 1971. Agliano made significant decisions as an appellate justice, including the Municipal Court v. Superior Court (1988), Financial Corp. of America v. Wilburn (1987), and In re Estate of Parrette (1985). His significant trial court decisions include City of Oakland v. Oakland Raiders (1982).

Person Type

Portrait

Justice Nat Agliano

Retirement Date

Fri, 02/28/1992 - 12:00

Job Title

Presiding Justice

Tags

George N. Zenovich

JCC — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 23:47:31 +0000

George N. Zenovich JCC Fri, 12/15/2023 - 15:47

Start Date

Fri, 03/23/1979 - 12:00

Biography

George N. Zenovich is a retired Associate Justice of the Court of Appeal in the Fifth Appellate District. He was appointed to this position by Governor Brown Jr. on January 23, 1979, succeeding Associate Justice Roy J. Gargano who had retired. His appointment was confirmed by the Commission of Judicial Appointments on February 28, 1979, and he took his oath on March 23, 1979. He was confirmed by the electorate in 1982 and retired from the bench on June 30, 1984. Before his appointment, Zenovich served as a California State Senator from 1971 to 1979. He was elected in 1970 from the 16th Senatorial District, which primarily covered Fresno County. After reapportionment in 1974, the district, now the 14th, included the western half of the City of Fresno and Fresno County, Madera, Merced, and Mariposa Counties, and most of Stanislaus County. Prior to his senatorial role, he was a California State Assemblyman for the 32nd District (Fresno) from 1962 to 1970. He also had a private law practice in Fresno, California from 1953 to 1979, where he worked as a sole practitioner. Zenovich has been a member of several organizations including the American Bar Association and the Fresno County Bar Association since 1953. He is also a life member of the Fresno Musicians Local 210 since 1940 and the Los Angeles Musicians Local 47 since 1949. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars since 1947, the CSUF Alumni Association since 1948, and the Themis Society Southwestern Law School. He was formerly a member of the American Legion, Fresno from 1947 to 1980, and the NAACP, Fresno from 1960 to 1980. In 1972, Zenovich served as an Adjunct Professor of Political Science at California State University, Fresno. He holds a Certificate of Attendance from the International Academy of Law, The Hague, Holland (1954), an LL.E from Southwestern College of Law, Los Angeles, California (1952), and a B.A. from Fresno State College (1948). He is also a graduate of Fresno High School (1940), Washington Junior High School (1937), and Lowe Grammar School (1934), all located in Fresno. Zenovich was born on April 29, 1922, in Fresno, California. He is married and has two children. He plays the bass and enjoys photography. He was admitted to the California Bar on July 22, 1953, to the U.S. Supreme Court on April 29, 1969, and to the U.S. District Court Eastern District of California on November 15, 1976. He is a Democrat and was a member of the Fresno County Democratic Central Committee from 1956 to 1962. He is also a member of St. Peter the Apostle Serbian Church in Fresno.

Person Type

Portrait

George N Zenovich

Retirement Date

Sat, 06/30/1984 - 12:00

Job Title

Tags

James F. Thaxter

JCC — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 23:47:31 +0000

James F. Thaxter JCC Fri, 12/15/2023 - 15:47

Start Date

Thu, 12/06/1990 - 12:00

Biography

James Ferris Thaxter is a retired Associate Justice of the Court of Appeal, Fifth Appellate District. He was appointed to the newly created position by Governor Deukmejian on December 6, 1989 and confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments on January 5, 1990. He was subsequently confirmed by the electorate to a 12-year term in 1990. Prior to his appointment, he served as a Judge of the Superior Court, Fresno County from May 1, 1985 to January 5, 1990 after being appointed by Governor Deukmejian on April 1, 1985 and elected in 1986. Before his appointment to the judiciary, Thaxter worked in private law practice, concentrating on business litigation and probate contests in Fresno, California from January 1960 to March 1985. He was a partner in Andrews, Andrews, Thaxter, Jones & Baxter from January 1962 to March 1985 and an associate in Andrews and Andrews from January 1960 to December 1962. Thaxter was a member of the California Judges Association from 1985-present and the Fresno County Bar Association from 1960-present. He served as President of the Fresno County Bar Association in 1976 and Secretary in 1965. He was also Chair of Fresno County Legal Services, Inc. from 1967-69 and past President of the Central Valley YMCA from 1974-75. Thaxter was a participant in the CEB program, “Preparing Now for Discovery Under the New Act” in 1986 and authored noteworthy opinions such as Putnam v. Clague, People v. Berry, Responsible Citizens v. Superior Court, and Silva v. Lucky Stores, Inc. He holds a LL.B. from Hastings College of the Law, San Francisco, California (Order of the Coif; Thurston [Scholastic Honor] Society; and Phi Delta Phi; Associate Editor, Hastings LJ 1958-59); a B.A. from Fresno State College (now California State University), Fresno; and an A.A. from University of California, Berkeley. He graduated from Fresno High School in 1951. Outside of his professional life, Thaxter enjoys backpacking and reading. He is married and has two children. He is a Republican and was admitted to the California Bar on January 12, 1960, the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California in January 1960, and the U.S. Tax Court.

Person Type

Portrait

James F Thaxter

Retirement Date

Fri, 01/05/2001 - 12:00

Job Title

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Robert L. Martin

JCC — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 23:47:31 +0000

Robert L. Martin JCC Fri, 12/15/2023 - 15:47

Start Date

Mon, 12/27/1982 - 12:00

Biography

Justice Robert L. Martin was appointed to a newly-created position by Governor Brown Jr. on December 1, 1982 and was confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments on December 27, 1982. He was also a Judge of the Superior Court, Fresno County from 1977-1982 and was elected to the position in 1978. Before that, he had a private law practice focusing on personal injury, business and family law cases in Fresno, California. He also had past employment as a Deputy and Senior Deputy District Attorney of Fresno County from 1960-64, and a Trust Officer at Pacific National Bank and Bank of America in San Francisco from 1957-60. He holds a LL.B from Lincoln University Law School (first in his class) and an A.A. from San Jose State College. He also served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and has been a member of the California Judges Association, American Bar Association, and Fresno County Bar Association since 1976.

Person Type

Portrait

Robert L Martin

Retirement Date

Mon, 06/30/1997 - 12:00

Job Title

Tags

Timothy S. Buckley

JCC — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 23:47:31 +0000

Timothy S. Buckley JCC Fri, 12/15/2023 - 15:47

Start Date

Thu, 11/08/1990 - 12:00

Biography

Timothy Steven Buckley is a retired Associate Justice from the Court of Appeal, Fifth Appellate District. He was appointed to this position by Governor Deukmejian on December 19, 1990, succeeding Associate Justice Hollis G. Best. His appointment was confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments on December 27, 1990, and he took his oath on the same day. He was later confirmed by the electorate on November 8, 1994, for a 12-year term that began on January 3, 1995. Before his appointment to the Court of Appeal, Buckley served as a Judge for the Superior Court in Kings County from January 7, 1985, to December 27, 1990. He was elected to this position on June 5, 1984, succeeding Judge Dennis L. Beck. Prior to this, he was a Judge for the Justice Court in the Hanford Judicial District, Kings County, from September 26, 1978, to January 6, 1985. He was appointed to this position by the Kings County Board of Supervisors on September 19, 1978, following the death of Judge Ernest W. Dunn. He was elected in 1980 and reelected in 1982, both times unopposed. Before his judicial career, Buckley was in private law practice in Lemoore, California, from April 1, 1975, to October 1, 1978. He was a partner at Sharp, Maroot, Behrens & Buckley from April 1, 1976, to October 1, 1978, and at Atkinson & Buckley from April 1, 1975, to April 1, 1976. Prior to this, he practiced law in Hanford, California, from December 17, 1973, to April 1, 1975, with the firm Dunn, Timm & Mayo. Buckley has been a member of the California Judges Association since 1979. He is also an author, having written an article titled "Parens Patriae: An Effective Remedy Lost" on antitrust, which was intended for publication in Santa Clara Lawyer but was not published due to a Supreme Court decision that made the article moot. Buckley served in the U.S. Army from February 15, 1968, to February 15, 1970, as a Specialist 5th Class, stationed in Germany. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Santa Clara Law School, where he was an Associate Editor for the Santa Clara Lawyer from 1972 to 1973. He also has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and graduated from Lemoore High School in Lemoore, California, in 1963. Born on September 26, 1945, in Hanford, California, Buckley is married and has two children. He was admitted to the California Bar, the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, and the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, on December 17, 1973. He is a practicing Roman Catholic.

Person Type

Portrait

Timothy S Buckley

Retirement Date

Mon, 01/03/2005 - 12:00

Job Title

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Jay R. Ballantyne

JCC — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 23:47:29 +0000

Jay R. Ballantyne JCC Fri, 12/15/2023 - 15:47

Start Date

Fri, 05/16/1986 - 12:00

Biography

Jay R. Ballantyne is a retired Associate Justice from the Court of Appeal, Fifth Appellate District. He was appointed to this position by Governor Deukmejian on April 17, 1986, succeeding Associate Justice Kenneth Andreen who had retired. His appointment was confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments on May 16, 1986, the same day he took his oath. He retired from the bench on August 31, 1988. Before his appointment to the Court of Appeal, Ballantyne served as a Judge for the Superior Court in Tulare County from June 20, 1966, to May 16, 1986. He was elected to this position in June 1966 for a term that began in January 1967. He was appointed to this position on an interim basis by Governor Brown, Sr. on June 17, 1966, until his elected term began. He was re-elected in 1972, 1978, and 1984. He served as the Presiding Judge from July 1983 to July 1984. In terms of past employment, Ballantyne served as the District Attorney, Public Guardian, and Public Administrator from 1959 to 1966. He was also a Deputy District Attorney in Tulare County from 1952 to 1953. He had a private law practice in Visalia, California from 1953 to 1958, where he was a partner at McKinney and Ballantyne. He was also an associate at a North Hollywood law firm from 1952 to 1953. Ballantyne has been a member of several organizations including the International Academy of Trial Judges (serving as President in 1992), the California Judges Association (serving as Vice President from 1982 to 1983), the American Legion, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and the Lions Club. He was also the Chair of the California Obscenity Study Commission from 1965 to 1967. In terms of education, Ballantyne earned his LL.B. in 1951 from Southwestern University Law School in Los Angeles, California. He also holds a B.S. degree from the University of Southern California, which he earned in 1948. Ballantyne was born on May 4, 1926, in Cumberland, Wyoming. He is married and has four children. He enjoys playing tennis and golf. He was admitted to the California Bar on January 9, 1952. He is a member of the Latter-Day Saints Church (Mormon).

Person Type

Portrait

Jay R Ballentyne

Retirement Date

Wed, 08/31/1988 - 12:00

Job Title

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