or a guy who doesn't believe in publishing a lot of opinions, Michael Phelan sure has been busy lately.
Traditionally, Phelan has had one of the lowest publication rates on the court of appeal. Quiet and down to earth, he has stated publicly that he simply thinks there are already too many opinions crammed into the law books, and he prefers to pick his spots. Since leaving Division Two and taking over as PJ of Division Three, however, Phelan has been making a lot of law, with 29 opinions in the last two years.
In his first year as PJ, Phelan was unable to jumpstart Division Three, which remained the second-slowest division on the First District. The median time from briefing to decision in civil appeals was 202 days, criminal 142.
Phelan, who is often described as a close friend of Gov. Pete Wilson, has quietly earned respect as a jurist from his colleagues and court staff. He is seldom reversed or depublished by the California Supreme Court.
POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS: Phelan's wife, Susan, donated $500 to Wilson's 1990 gubernatorial campaign and $1,000 to his 1994 campaign.
