Appealing CSULB alumni Judge

"I wanted to be a teacher," Huffman said. " I didn't think I would be able to afford law school, but a friend encouraged me to try. Now I have the best of both."

Huffman now sits as an appellate court judge in the 4th district court in San Diego and teaches criminal procedure classes at night at the University of San Diego.

"It is nice to teach those coming up," Huffman said. "Plus it keeps me current since so much has changed since I started out."

Graduating from CSULB in 1961, Huffman started on a career that swept him through the criminal, federal and finally appellate courts.

Working first for The Organized Crime Bureau under the attorney general, Huffman was involved in prosecuting men with such colorful monikers as Jimmy the Weasel. He moved to San Diego in the early ‘70s to work with a friend in the district attorney's office as chief deputy prosecutor. There he worked on a landmark case; the first execution in the State of California in over 25 years.

"It was a difficult case," Huffman said. "The law [concerning the death penalty] was re-enacted in the mid-‘70s but hadn't been used in  California. Harris was the first."
 
 
 

He moved up to the superior courts in 1985 and finally the appellate division in 1988. Appellate judges review decisions by lower courts, if the losing side feels there were judicial errors made causing the case to go against them. As one of three judges in the 4th appellate court, Huffman can read over 180 opinions and sit, or hear live arguments, on over 300 cases a year.

"It is a lot of paperwork," Huffman says.  "Reading, writing and doing office work for three out of four weeks a month."

Then one week of the month he and his two partners in law hear oral arguments.

Outside of work Huffman enjoys the rare chance to play a little golf and helps his wife of 42 years decorate their renaissance-style home.

"She really takes care of the house," Huffman says with a smile. "I just go with her to the antique stores to carry things."

But, Huffman does get two weeks vacation every year which he spends doing something he loves.  Working as a sitting trial judge in criminal court.

"I love to be on the bench in [criminal] court," Huffman said. "It
keeps me fresh."

Because of Huffman's busy schedule, he doesn't get much chance to visit CSULB, but was able to get away when he was given a Distinguished Alumni Award. "I was surprised and honored to receive the award," Huffman said. "It was nice to see the campus again.".