Harlington Wood Jr.

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Harlington Wood Jr.
Senior Judge of the
Dwight Eisenhower
Personal details
Born
Harlington Wood Jr.

(1920-04-17)April 17, 1920
University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (AB, JD
)
Websitewww.harlingtonwoodjr.com

Harlington Wood Jr. (April 17, 1920 – December 29, 2008) was an

Wounded Knee incident in 1973 at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. His accomplishments and impact as both jurist and statesman included participation in many recent events around the world, which he circled three times, including Russia, Outer Mongolia, Europe, Cambodia, Greenland, China, Japan and South America
.

Early life and education

Wood was born in

bar, he went into private practice in Springfield, Illinois, with his father, from 1948 to 1958.[3]

Legal career

In 1958, Wood was appointed

anti-war demonstrations in Washington, D.C.; and national political nominating conventions in Miami, Florida.[2]

Wounded Knee

Main article:
Wounded Knee incident

On Feb. 27, 1973, almost two hundred armed

tribal government's complicity in discrimination. United States marshals and American troops subsequently surrounded the town, and for ten weeks the two sides traded intermittent gunfire, and two Sioux were killed. On March 13, Wood — then assistant attorney general for the Civil Division of the US Justice Department — became the first government official who was allowed to enter Wounded Knee, under armed escort of residents of the reservation. He met with AIM leaders for two hours and, while he shortly thereafter became ill and did not conclude the negotiation, he is credited as the "icebreaker"[1][4] between the government and AIM. The stand-off ended in an agreement on May 6 to end the occupation without further bloodshed
.

Federal judicial service

Wood was nominated by President Richard Nixon on May 11, 1973, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois vacated by Judge Omer Poos. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on July 13, 1973, and received his commission on July 18, 1973. His service was terminated on May 28, 1976, due to elevation to the Seventh Circuit.[2]

Wood was nominated by President Gerald Ford on April 14, 1976, to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit vacated by Judge John Paul Stevens. He was confirmed by the Senate on May 6, 1976, and received his commission on May 7, 1976. He assumed senior status on January 15, 1992, serving in that status until his death, though he did not hear cases after 2003.[2]

Wood served on

St. Louis University School of Law
.

Legal decisions

In the 1977 appellate case of

Luther Swygert, writing for a panel including Judge Wood as well as Judge William G. East and himself, found that judicial immunity is available only when a judge has jurisdiction over the subject-matter
of a case and that it is not available when he acts in "clear absence of all jurisdiction." Although Indiana statute law permitted the sterilization of institutionalized persons under certain circumstances, it provided for the right to notice, the opportunity to defend and the right to appeal. The Court of Appeals found no basis in statutory or common law for a court to order the sterilization of a minor child simply upon a parent's petition. It also held that Judge Stump's action could not be justified as a valid exercise of the power of courts to fashion new common law. In 1978, the United States Supreme Court reversed the Seventh Circuit's decision.

Personal life

"Woody" to his friends, Wood was often referred to as

New Salem, despite being an untrained amateur. More surprisingly, the production was attended by esteemed politicians of the day, such as Illinois Senator Scott W. Lucas, Vice President Alben W. Barkley, Wood (in Lincoln theatrical makeup) and Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson. The play was reviewed by esteemed film critic Brooks Atkinson of The New York Times
, who wrote favorably of both it and its star.

The part of Lincoln is played modestly and honestly by Harlington Wood Jr., a tall, loose-jointed young lawyer in Springfield ... (who) seems to be using his voice unnaturally, striving after an effect that he does not entirely achieve. But according to historians in the neighborhood, his manner, his height, his weight and his appearance are remarkably authentic for the part; and his performance solves happily the greatest problem in a Lincoln play.[5]

Death

Wood stopped hearing cases in 2003, and lived in a convalescent facility until his death on December 29, 2008, in Petersburg, Illinois.[6]

Legacy

Fellow appellate judge William J. Bauer notes that Wood "was simply a very good judge; he didn't lean to one side or the other" He further reflected that "every case he wrote, he wrote very well."[3]

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) recalled:

My first solo jury trial in the United States District Court in

University of Illinois
to tense negotiations at Wounded Knee. From a law practice in Springfield, his life story takes us on far-flung adventures and reaches the highest levels of the Department of Justice in Washington. Long and lean with a sparkle in his eye and a wry grin, Harlington Wood has left his mark not just on this attorney, but on our nation. Abe Lincoln is his hero and Wood played him convincingly in local theatre. But his connection with that great Prairie lawyer is more than just a dramatic pose. Harlington Wood's public life brought that great Lincoln tradition to his courtrooms and to all who were fortunate to share his journey.

As well, Circuit Judge and legal author

Richard A. Posner
notes in the foreword for Wood's posthumously-published book, An Unmarked Trail:

Harlington and I have been colleagues on the Seventh Circuit for many years, but until I read his fascinating memoir I had only a dim idea of his extraordinary life, including distinguished service in World War II and his decisive contribution on behalf of the Justice Department in resolving the Wounded Knee crisis in 1973. Nor had I realized what an extraordinary world traveler Harlington was — how intrepid, resilient and adventurous. His modesty is excessive, but cannot quite conceal his sterling character and a life of great public service seasoned with excitement.

Alison Davis Wood (no relation), a producer at WILL-TV (PBS), noted that Wood demonstrated "how great men can live among us in quiet unassuming ways. She remarks that his life was a "true reflection of the American Dream — a Midwestern boy's own desire for adventure takes him around the world and back".

Wood traveled extensively, including three trips around the world, five trips to the former Soviet Union and one trip to Russia. During some of those travels, he worked with foreign judges in former Iron Curtain countries, helping them establish democratic legal systems.[1]

He was a former president of the Abraham Lincoln Association and former chairman of the Lincoln Legal Papers research project.[1]

Judge Wood's papers are held by the Illinois History and Lincoln Collections at the University of Illinois Library at Urbana-Champaign.

Articles and briefs authored

  • "Composition and Procedure Before International Criminal Court," World Peace Through Law Center, 1970
  • "The Crooked Christmas Tree," 1993
  • "Judiciary Reform," American University Law Review 44(5): June 1995
  • "Last Look," American Heritage (New Series) 50(2): Apr. 1999 [Stalin article]
  • "Leader of the Seventh," Journal of Contemporary Health Law and Policy 17(1): 2000 Judge Richard Posner tribute
  • "Real Judges," New York University Annual Survey of American Law 58(2): 2001
  • "Footnote to History: a Personal Account of Wounded Knee 1973 told for Lauren and Alex," University of Illinois Law Review, 1995
  • "Footnote to History"

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Petersburg judge to receive honor for legal career". Showcase.netins.net. Retrieved 2009-01-24.
  2. ^ a b c d Harlington Wood Jr. at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  3. ^ a b "Harlington Wood Jr., 1920-2008: Federal appellate judge in Chicago". chicagotribune.com. 2009-01-02. Retrieved 2009-01-24.
  4. ^ Weber, Bruce (2009-01-18). "Harlington Wood Jr., 88, Siege Negotiator, Is Dead - Obituary (Obit)". NYTimes.com. Retrieved 2009-01-24.
  5. ^ "The Abraham Lincoln Observer » Blog Archive » More than a Lincoln buff". Blogs.sj-r.com. 2009-01-05. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2009-01-24.
  6. ^ "Harlington Wood photos displayed". Isba.org. Archived from the original on 2008-09-08. Retrieved 2009-01-24.

Further reading

  • Harlington Wood Jr., "An Unmarked Trail: The Odyssey of a Federal Judge" (1996, 2004)
  • Collins Fitzpatrick, "The Oral History of Judge Harlington Wood Jr." (1997)
  • Charles Chapin, "Memories of Cotton Hill and Highview" (2003)
  • Re charges of corruption in the Illinois General Assembly, Statement of Prentice H. Marshall & Harlington Wood Jr.,:

External links

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Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
1973–1976 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
1976–1992 		Succeeded by
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