Thelton Henderson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thelton Henderson
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| Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California | |
| Assumed office November 28, 1998 |
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| Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California | |
| In office 1990–1997 |
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| Preceded by | William Austin Ingram |
| Succeeded by | Marilyn Hall Patel |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California | |
| In office June 30, 1980 – November 28, 1998 |
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| Appointed by | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Cecil F. Poole |
| Succeeded by | William Alsup |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Thelton Eugene Henderson
November 28, 1933 Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Education | University of California, Berkeley (BA, JD) |
Thelton Eugene Henderson (born November 28, 1933) is a retired United States district judge. He served on the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Judge Henderson has been very important in the area of civil rights as a lawyer, a teacher, and a judge.
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Early Life and Education
Thelton Henderson was born on November 28, 1933, in Shreveport, Louisiana. He went to the University of California, Berkeley and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1956.
He then studied law at the UC Berkeley School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor degree in 1962. This degree is needed to become a lawyer. Before becoming a lawyer, he served in the United States Army as a Corporal from 1956 to 1958.
A Career in Law and Justice
After law school, Henderson became the first African-American attorney for the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice. He worked there from 1962 to 1963, helping to protect people's rights.
He also worked as a private lawyer in Oakland, California, and later in San Francisco. He helped people get legal help at the East Bayshore Neighborhood Legal Center. He also taught law as an assistant dean at Stanford Law School and as a professor at the Golden Gate University School of Law.
Working for Civil Rights
During his time with the Civil Rights Division, Judge Henderson was sent to the Southern United States. His job was to watch local police and make sure they were not violating anyone's civil rights.
He even investigated a terrible bombing in 1963 that harmed many people. In this role, he met Martin Luther King Jr. and other important leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. He earned their trust, even though he worked for the government.
Becoming a Federal Judge
On May 9, 1980, President Jimmy Carter chose Thelton Henderson to become a judge. He was nominated for a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.
The United States Senate approved his nomination on June 26, 1980. He officially became a judge on June 30, 1980. He served as the main judge, called the Chief Judge, from 1990 to 1997.
Retirement from Active Service
On November 28, 1998, Judge Henderson took on a new role called senior status. This means a judge can reduce their workload but still hear cases.
Later, on August 11, 2017, he took inactive senior status. This means he is still a federal judge, but he no longer hears cases or takes part in the court's daily work.
Important Cases and Decisions
Judge Henderson made many important decisions during his time on the bench. These decisions often helped protect people's rights and the environment.
Protecting Dolphins
In the late 1980s, Judge Henderson oversaw a long case about how the fishing industry caught tuna. Some fishing methods accidentally caught and harmed dolphins in their nets.
Environmental groups said that millions of dolphins were drowning because companies were not following safety rules. Judge Henderson stopped attempts by the government to make these rules less strict. He also worked to keep the "dolphin safe label" on tuna products strong.
Prison Reform Efforts
In 1982, Judge Henderson overturned a conviction in a complex case involving a prison incident. This was a significant decision.
In 1995, he made a landmark decision in a civil rights case called Madrid v. Gomez. He found that the way force was used and the medical care at Pelican Bay State Prison were against the United States Constitution. He even visited the prison himself to see the conditions.
In 2005, he found that the medical care in California's prison system was so bad that it violated prisoners' rights. He said it was cruel and unusual punishment and had led to unnecessary deaths. In 2006, he appointed someone to take over and fix the healthcare system in California prisons.
Fairness in Education
In 1997, Judge Henderson ruled against Proposition 209, a California law that aimed to end affirmative action. Affirmative action is a policy that tries to make sure groups who have been discriminated against get fair opportunities.
However, a higher court later overturned his decision.
Awards and Recognition
Judge Henderson has received many honors for his work. These include the Thurgood Marshall Award from the American Bar Association and the Bernard Witkin Medal from the State Bar of California.
He also received the Pearlstein Civil Rights Award and the Distinguished Service Award. The Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Award recognized his professionalism and ethics. He also received the Judge Learned Hand Award and was named Alumnus of the Year by the University of California, Berkeley.
The Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice at Boalt Hall (UC Berkeley School of Law) is named after him. A documentary about his life, called Soul of Justice, was released in 2005. In 2024, he was honored by being inducted into the California Hall of Fame.
See also
- List of African-American federal judges
- List of African-American jurists
- List of United States federal judges by longevity of service
