Stephen Reinhardt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stephen Reinhardt
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| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit | |
| In office September 11, 1980 – March 29, 2018 |
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| Appointed by | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Seat established by 92 Stat. 1629 |
| Succeeded by | Kenneth K. Lee |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Stephen Roy Shapiro
March 27, 1931 New York City, New York |
| Died | March 29, 2018 (aged 87) Los Angeles, California |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Pomona College (AB) Yale University (LLB) |
Stephen Roy Reinhardt (born Stephen Roy Shapiro; March 27, 1931 – March 29, 2018) was a very important judge in the United States. He served as a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. This court hears appeals from many states in the western U.S.
Judge Reinhardt worked from his office in Los Angeles, California. He was the last federal appeals judge still working who had been chosen by President Jimmy Carter.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Stephen Roy Shapiro was born in New York City into a Jewish family. His father, Samuel Shapiro, was a lawyer. His mother was Silvia Handelsman. Stephen changed his last name to Reinhardt after his mother divorced his father and married film director Gottfried Reinhardt.
Stephen went to University High School in Los Angeles. He then attended Pomona College, finishing in three years with a degree in Government in 1951. He later earned a law degree from Yale Law School in 1954.
Starting His Legal Career
After law school, Reinhardt worked for the United States Air Force in Washington, D.C. He was a lieutenant in the legal counsel's office. Then, he worked for a judge named Luther Youngdahl for two years.
In 1958, he started working at a private law firm called O'Melveny & Myers. He focused on entertainment law. Later, he joined a smaller firm in Los Angeles that became known for labor law.
Reinhardt also helped the government in other ways. He was part of the California Advisory Committee for the United States Commission on Civil Rights from 1962 to 1974. He also advised politicians like Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley and California governor Jerry Brown. From 1975 to 1980, he was on the Los Angeles Police Commission, even leading it for some time.
Becoming a Federal Judge
President Jimmy Carter chose Stephen Reinhardt to be a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. This happened on November 30, 1979. The United States Senate approved his appointment on September 11, 1980.
He officially started his job as a judge on September 11, 1980. Judge Reinhardt served on the court until he passed away on March 29, 2018.
Other Public Service
Beyond his work as a judge, Stephen Reinhardt continued to help his community. He was the Secretary for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Los Angeles Amateur Athletic Foundation.
In 2005, Judge Reinhardt gave the oath of office to Antonio Villaraigosa, who became the mayor of Los Angeles.
Personal Life
Stephen Reinhardt's mother married movie director Gottfried Reinhardt, who was the son of another famous director, Max Reinhardt.
Stephen Reinhardt married his first wife, Mary Wainwright, in 1956. They had three children together and were married for almost 25 years before they divorced. His second wife was Maureen Kindel, who led the Los Angeles Board of Public Works in the 1980s. Later, he married Ramona Ripston. She was the Executive Director of the ACLU of Southern California until she retired in 2011. They were married until his death.
Death
Stephen Reinhardt passed away in Los Angeles on March 29, 2018. He died from a heart attack.
His Approach to Law
Judge Reinhardt was known for being one of the most liberal judges on the appeals courts. This means he often supported individual rights and protections, especially for people who might be disadvantaged. He once said he was "a liberal from a very young age" and felt he was "born that way."
Sometimes, his decisions were overturned by the Supreme Court. But he didn't think this meant he was wrong. He believed the Supreme Court often changed the law, and he tried to follow the law as he understood it. He once joked, "They can't catch 'em all," when asked about his decisions being reversed.
Even with his decisions sometimes being overturned, many young lawyers wanted to work for him. He helped many of his law clerks get jobs working for Supreme Court justices.
One of his former clerks, Michael Dorf, said that Judge Reinhardt would follow Supreme Court rules even if he disagreed with them. He would make decisions based on how he thought the law should be read, not worrying if the Supreme Court might disagree.
Reinhardt did not believe in originalism, which is a way of interpreting the Constitution based on what its writers originally intended. Instead, he thought the Constitution should be used to bring justice to everyone, especially those who needed it most.
Important Cases and Decisions
Here are some of the important decisions Judge Reinhardt made:
- Cardoza-Fonseca v. U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (1985): This case was about how people could ask for asylum (protection) in the U.S. Judge Reinhardt's decision helped clarify the rules for asylum seekers. The Supreme Court agreed with his decision.
- Yniguez v. Arizonans for Official English (1991): This case looked at a rule in Arizona that said English was the only official language. Judge Reinhardt decided this rule went too far and limited people's right to free speech. The Supreme Court later said the case didn't need a decision anymore because the person who brought the case had left her job.
- Compassion in Dying v. Washington (1996): This case was about whether doctors could prescribe medicine to help terminally ill patients end their lives. Judge Reinhardt's court decided that a law stopping this went against people's rights. However, the Supreme Court later disagreed with this decision.
- Silveira v. Lockyer (2002): In this case, Judge Reinhardt's court decided that the right to bear arms (have guns) was a right for groups, like a militia, not for individuals. The Supreme Court later disagreed with this and said it was an individual right.
- Perry v. Brown (2012): Judge Reinhardt wrote the main decision in this case. He said that Proposition 8, a California law that banned same-sex marriage, was against the law because it treated people unfairly. He argued that California had no good reason to take away the right to marry from same-sex couples.
- Hernandez v. Chappell (2017): In this case, Judge Reinhardt ruled that a person could not be executed because they were mentally ill.
Awards and Honors
Judge Reinhardt received many awards for his work:
- 1987: Appellate Judge of the Year by the California Trial Lawyers Association
- 1993: St. Thomas More Medallion Award by Loyola Law School
- 1993: Donald Wright Award by the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice
- 1995: Appellate Justice of the Year by the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles
- 1998: Champion of Justice: Legal Award by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- 2004: Award for Judicial Excellence by the Idaho Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- 2004: Meritorious Service Award by the University of Oregon Law School
