WHEREAS, The Honorable Robert K. Puglia has retired as Presiding Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, after more than 27 years of dedicated trial and appellate judicial leadership and service, and in recognition of his exemplary record of personal and professional accomplishments, he is deserving of special honors and the highest commendations; and
WHEREAS, Robert K. Puglia was born October 16, 1929, in Westerville, Franklin County, Ohio, and served his country with honor in the United States Army Infantry, attaining the rank of Sergeant First Class, in the Korean War from 1952 to 1955; and
WHEREAS, He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of California at Berkeley School of Law, Boalt Hall; and
WHEREAS, In 1959, Robert Puglia was admitted to the California State Bar, the United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, and the United States District Court, Eastern District of California; and
WHEREAS, Robert Puglia thereafter distinguished himself as Chief Deputy District Attorney of Sacramento County and as a partner in a private law firm in Sacramento; and
WHEREAS, Governor Ronald Reagan appointed Robert Puglia as Judge of the Sacramento Superior Court in 1971, elevated him to Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, in 1974, and elevated him to Presiding Justice of that Court on November 27, 1974; and
WHEREAS, Justice Puglia was overwhelmingly confirmed by the electorate in 1974, 1978, and again in 1990; and
WHEREAS, During his tenure as Presiding Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, Presiding Justice Puglia established himself as a distinguished jurist, eloquent legal author, and keen legal intellect with instant recall of legal principles, case names, and citations; and
WHEREAS, During the same period, he established himself as an able and conscientious leader and administrator at the Court of Appeal, inspiring colleagues and employees alike to the highest standards; and
WHEREAS, Presiding Justice Puglia, as a triumvir on the Commission on Judicial Appointments, confirmed the appointments to the California Supreme Court of Chief Justice Ronald M. George, and Associate Justices Kathryn Werdegar, Ming Chin, and Janice Rogers Brown, and to the Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, of Associate Justices Cruz Reynoso, Coleman Blease, Frances Carr, Keith Sparks, Richard Sims, Fred Marler, Rodney Davis, Arthur Scotland, Joseph DeCristoforo, George Nicholson, Vance Raye, Fred Morrison, Janice Rogers Brown, Connie Callahan, and Harry Hull; and
WHEREAS, Presiding Justice Puglia served on assignment as Acting Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court in 1992, and as Associate Justice in 1995, 1994, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1984, 1983, and 1979; and
WHEREAS, Presiding Justice Puglia served as President of the California Judges Association, the Council of Chief Judges of Courts of Appeal, and the Anthony M. Kennedy American Inn of Court; and
WHEREAS, Presiding Justice Puglia as author, in concurrence or dissent, has participated in approximately 10,000 opinions of the Court of Appeal, including over 1,000 published opinions, a number of which established controlling legal precedent; and
WHEREAS, In those opinions, Presiding Justice Puglia has remained consistently faithful to the principles of judicial restraint and separation of powers; and
WHEREAS, The Legislature is indebted to Presiding Justice Puglia for initiating the return of Emmanuel Leutze’s renowned painting “Fort Sumter After the Bombardment” (which presently hangs in the State Capitol) to the State of California (to which the Honorable Norton Chipman, first Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, had bequeathed the painting in 1921) from the State of South Carolina, which had neglected to return it after borrowing it some years earlier; and
WHEREAS, Presiding Justice Puglia and his beautiful wife, Ingrid, are the parents of four wonderful children, Susan, Peter, David, and Thomas; and
WHEREAS, Presiding Justice Puglia has admirably and faithfully served the people of the State of California with great integrity and, by providing consistent interpretation of the law, has ensured equitable treatment for all citizens; now, therefore be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature of the State of California takes great pleasure in honoring Presiding Justice Robert K. Puglia on his outstanding record of judicial leadership with the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, commends, congratulates, and honors him on his long and distinguished record of public service and on his outstanding display of civic leadership, and conveys to him best, heartfelt wishes for good health and every continued success and happiness in his future endeavors.