Justice Blease to retire

 

The Recorder reports Cole Blease, Longest Serving Appellate Justice, to Retire From Third District Court

• Coleman “Cole” Blease, the longest active serving appellate justice in California will retire from the Third District Court of Appeal in June, 43 years to the day after he first took the bench, the court announced Monday.
• Blease, 92, has served on the Sacramento-based appellate court since 1979, when Gov. Jerry Brown, then in his first administration, appointed the former public law specialist and lobbyist.
• Blease is the second Third District justice to announce his retirement since retired appellate attorney Jon Eisenberg filed a disciplinary complaint alleging the court was taking too long to dispose of numerous cases. The complaint specifically accused Blease, Associate Justice William Murray Jr. and Presiding Justice Vance Raye of taking years to issue opinions.