Edward Alexander Panelli (November 23, 1931 – July 20, 2024) was an American judge who was Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California, serving from December 24, 1985, to May 3, 1994.
In 1972, Panelli was named a judge of the Santa Clara County Superior Court, serving until 1983. He was appointed as Associate Justice, First District Court of Appeal, Division Four, 1983–1984, and then Presiding Justice, Sixth District Court of Appeal, 1984–1985, when the Sixth District was split off from the First District in 1984. To date, Panelli is the most recent member of California's highest court to have served in a division of the First District other than Division Three. Associate Justices Kathryn Werdegar, Ming Chin, Carol Corrigan, and Martin Jenkins all served in Division Three of the First District.
In 1985, Panelli was appointed to the California Supreme Court by GovernorGeorge Deukmejian.[6] His notable opinions include Moore v. Regents of the University of California (1990), which held that a person's discarded blood and tissue taken for medical tests are not one's personal property, and researchers do not need to share profits from their use in research or commercialization. Another notable case opinion is Jolly v. Eli Lilly (1988),[7] in which the court held a one-year statute of limitations began running on the date of discovery of the injury.[8] In 1989, Panelli voted with the majority in Thing v. La Chusa, and in 1992 concurred in the results in Knight v. Jewett and Mexicali Rose v. Superior Court.
Following his retirement from the bench in 1994, he became an arbitrator and mediator.[9][10] Panelli died in Saratoga, California on July 20, 2024, at the age of 92.[11]
Honors and legacy
In 1986, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws by his alma mater, Santa Clara University, where he served on the Board of Trustees.[12][13][14] There is an annual golf tournament in his name to raise money for law school scholarships.[15][16]
