News Release: Sixth Appellate District Marks 20-Year Anniversary


Release Date: November 19, 2004	Release Number: 62

Sixth Appellate District Marks 20-Year Anniversary

San Jose—The Court of Appeal for the Sixth Appellate District is celebrating its 20-year anniversary this month, Administrative Presiding Justice Conrad L. Rushing has announced.

“The creation of the Sixth District Court of Appeal 20 years ago acknowledged a long-term need for an appellate court in the South Bay,” Presiding Justice Rushing stated. “But it also was a potent symbol of the growth and vitality of Silicon Valley. Although no figures are available on this, it is quite likely that this Court of Appeal deals with more non-patent high-tech questions than any other court in the world.”

Headquartered in San Jose, the Sixth Appellate District is one of six intermediate courts of review in California. Together, all six appellate courts reported more than 22,000 filings of records of appeal and original proceedings in fiscal year 2002–2003.

The Sixth Appellate District was created by 1982 legislation to address the growing number of appeals in the district’s four counties—Santa Clara, San Benito, Santa Cruz, and Monterey Counties.

When the appellate court first opened, it had only 3 judicial positions and 18 support staff. Today, the court has grown to 7 judicial positions, a clerk/administrator, and more than 40 other employees, including attorneys, secretaries, deputy clerks, systems administrators, and a law librarian.

Former Governor George Deukmejian appointed Presiding Justice Edward A. Panelli as the court’s first presiding justice, and he took office in September 1984. Justices Nat A. Agliano and Harry F. Brauer were appointed as the court’s first associate justices. The court’s first clerk was Richard Eyman.

After Justice Panelli was elevated to the California Supreme Court in 1985, Justice Agliano was appointed presiding justice of the appeal court. He served until his retirement in 1992.

In addition to Presiding Justices Panelli and Agliano, other justices who have served in that position are Presiding Justice Christopher Cottle (1993–2001), Acting Presiding Justice Patricia Bamattre-Manoukian (2001–2003), and Presiding Justice Rushing (2003–present).

To meet the district’s growing caseload, legislation created three new judicial positions in 1988. A seventh judicial position was created in 2001.

Current members of the court are Presiding Justice Rushing and Associate Justices Eugene M. Premo, Franklin D. Elia, Patricia Bamattre-Manoukian, Nathan D. Mihara, and Richard J. McAdams. There is one judicial vacancy, following the April 2004 retirement of Justice Wunderlich, who is serving as U.S. magistrate at Yosemite National Park.

Mr. Michael Yerly has been the Clerk/Administrator of the Sixth Appellate District since 1988, when he was elevated from chief deputy clerk to succeed Mr. Eyman, who retired.

For more information on the Sixth Appellate District, see the California Courts Web site at http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/courtsofappeal/6thDistrict. For biographical information on current justices, see http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/courtsofappeal/6thDistrict/justices.htm.