Overview

• He died Tuesday at his downtown San Diego condo after a period of failing health, according to his wife, Marcia Gill.
• Appointed in 1974, he served 50 years on the bench and retired last December on his 90th birthday.
• The Superior Court said he presided over thousands of criminal cases, including complex matters and late-career decisions on placements for sexually violent predators.
• His docket included the 217-day 1993 trial of daycare volunteer Dale Akiki, which ended in acquittal after seven hours of jury deliberation.
• A rosary and funeral are set for Oct. 8 at Our Lady of the Rosary in Little Italy, with the family requesting donations to Scouting America’s San Diego-Imperial Council or Father Joe’s Villages in lieu of flowers.