Lance Ito facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lance Ito
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Ito in 1995
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| Judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court | |
| In office 1987–2015 |
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| Appointed by | George Deukmejian |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Lance Allan Ito
August 2, 1950 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Margaret York
(m. 1981; died 2021) |
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles (BA) University of California, Berkeley (JD) |
Lance Allan Ito (born August 2, 1950) is an American retired judge. He is most famous for being the judge in the important O. J. Simpson murder case in 1995. This trial took place in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Lance Ito was born in Los Angeles, California. His parents, Jim and Toshi Ito, were held in internment camps during World War II.
Ito went to John Marshall High School. There, he was the student body president. He also won an award for being a scholar-athlete in 1968.
He continued his studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), earning his bachelor's degree in 1972. Later, he earned his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 1975.
Start of His Legal Career
After law school, Lance Ito joined the Los Angeles district attorney's office in 1977. He worked on many important legal cases. These included cases involving organized crime.
In 1981, he married Margaret Ann York. She became the first woman to reach the rank of Deputy Chief in the Los Angeles Police Department. They met while working at a crime scene.
In 1987, Governor George Deukmejian appointed Ito to be a judge in the Municipal Court. He was then promoted to the Superior Court in 1989.
As a judge, Ito handled several well-known cases. In 1991, he made a decision in a high-profile case involving a convenience store owner. In 1992, he also handled the start of the case against Lyle and Erik Menendez.
The O. J. Simpson Trial
Judge Ito became widely known for leading the 1995 murder trial of O. J. Simpson. Simpson was a famous former football player. The trial received a lot of attention.
Ito decided to allow television cameras in the courtroom. This meant that many people could watch the trial live. This decision was quite unusual at the time.
During the trial, there was a moment when the lawyers asked if Judge Ito should step down. This was because his wife, Margaret York, had worked with one of the detectives, Mark Fuhrman. The lawyers worried this might cause a conflict of interest. However, the request was later dropped.
After the Simpson Trial
After the O. J. Simpson trial, Judge Ito chose not to give interviews about the case. Judges in California follow rules that prevent them from talking about ongoing or future court matters.
He used his public recognition to help improve the justice system. He worked on ideas like having more interpreters in court. He also focused on rules for people from other countries who were involved in court cases.
In 2012, his courtroom was one of many that closed due to budget cuts. Judge Lance Ito retired from his position in 2015.
See also
In Spanish: Lance Ito para niños
- List of Asian American jurists
