Monday, June 20, 2022

Justice Elia to retire at month's end

Last week's Recorder reported 6th District Justice Franklin Elia Announces His Retirement -- Associate Justice Franklin Elia has participated in 11,930 appellate decisions since joining the Sixth District Court of Appeal in October 1988.

  • Elia’s departure marks the end of a 34-year tenure on the appellate bench and a 47-year legal career that started in 1975 when, as a recent graduate of Santa Clara University School of Law, he joined the attorney general’s office as a deputy in the criminal division.
  • After a stint in the Palo Alto city attorney’s office, Elia, at age 33, was appointed to the Santa Clara County Municipal Court in 1983 by Gov. George Deukmejian. In 1986, he was elevated to the Superior Court and just two years after that Deukmejian named him to the Sixth District, making him one of the state’s youngest-ever appellate court justices at 38 years old.
  • Elia has participated in 11,930 appellate decisions and authored 3,793 opinions, including 330 published opinions.
The 6/21/22 DJ has After 34 years and 3 retention elections, Elia exits 6th District
  • “I leave the court knowing that I have done everything possible to be productive, and that I have always dedicated myself to the cause of justice. Now the time has come for me to pursue other interests both in the law and our community”
  • Originally from Tehran, Iran, Elia immigrated to the U.S. with his parents in the 1950s and graduated from Santa Clara University Law School. He was admitted to the California Bar in December 1975 and became a deputy state attorney general.