James A. Redden
James A. Redden | |
---|---|
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon | |
In office March 13, 1995 – March 31, 2020 | |
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon | |
In office 1990–1995 | |
Preceded by | Owen M. Panner |
Succeeded by | Michael Robert Hogan |
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon | |
In office February 20, 1980 – March 13, 1995 | |
Appointed by | Jimmy Carter |
Preceded by | Seat established by 92 Stat. 1629 |
Succeeded by | Ann Aiken |
10th Oregon Attorney General | |
In office January 3, 1977 – March 24, 1980 | |
Governor | Robert W. Straub Victor Atiyeh |
Preceded by | Lee Johnson |
Succeeded by | James M. Brown |
Oregon State Treasurer | |
In office January 1, 1973 – January 3, 1977 | |
Governor | Tom McCall |
Preceded by | Robert W. Straub |
Succeeded by | H. Clay Myers Jr. |
Member of the Oregon House of Representatives | |
In office 1963–1969 | |
Personal details | |
Born | James Anthony Redden Jr. March 13, 1929 Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Died | March 31, 2020 | (aged 91)
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse |
Joan Johnson
(m. 1951; died 2018) |
Children | 2 |
Residence(s) | Beaverton, Oregon |
Education | Boston College Boston College Law School (LLB) |
James Anthony Redden Jr. (March 13, 1929 – March 31, 2020)[1] was an American judge and politician from Oregon. He was a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, from 1995 to 2020, and, before that, had served as a federal judge since 1980.[2] Before his appointment to the bench, he was a trial attorney, and a career Democratic politician, serving as a legislator and in two of the state's constitutional offices, as Treasurer and Attorney General.[3][4]
Early life and education
Redden was born in
Career
Law
After engaging in the private practice of law in Massachusetts for only a year, Redden moved to Portland, Oregon, in 1955 to take the Oregon State Bar exam and a position with a title insurance company. His work as a title examiner lasted only one year, followed by an equally brief tenure as a claims adjuster for Allstate Insurance Company.[7] Neither position satisfied what he would later describe as a growing passion for the law, particularly as it plays out in the courtroom.[2] Redden lived for the next seventeen years in Medford, Oregon, where he built a law practice. He became immersed in politics, quickly becoming regarded as one of the Democratic Party's "rising stars".[2]
Politics
It was as a favor to a friend seeking a challenger to the incumbent
Jurist
Redden was nominated by President Jimmy Carter on December 3, 1979, to a new seat on the United States District Court for the District of Oregon created by 92 Stat. 1629. He was confirmed by the United States Senate and received his commission on February 20, 1980. He served as Chief Judge from 1990 to 1995, and then assumed senior status on March 13, 1995.[10] He assumed inactive senior status on March 31, 2017.[11]
Notable cases
In 1983, Redden dismissed weapons charges, from 1975, against American Indian Movement leader Dennis Banks.[12]
After 2003, Redden emerged as a central figure in the tension between industry and environmental concerns about the
Personal life
Redden married Joan Johnson in 1951; she predeceased him in 2018.[1] They had two sons, William and James; James is a journalist at the Portland Tribune.[17] Redden died on March 31, 2020, eighteen days after his 91st birthday, shortly after being treated for congestive heart failure. He had been living in an adult foster care home.[1]
Honors
The federal courthouse in Medford, Oregon, where Redden practiced law for 17 years,[2] was renamed by an Act of Congress in his honor.[18]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Pamplin Media Group. "James A. Redden, longtime Oregon politician and judge, passes away at 91". Portland Tribune.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Rojas-Burke, Joe (July 11, 2005). "James A. Redden: An amiable Judge, A hard line on salmon". The Oregonian. pp. A1.
- ^ "Oregon Department of Justice Administrative Overview". Oregon Blue Book. Oregon Secretary of State. 2006.
- ^ "Oregon State Treasury Administrative Overview". Oregon Blue Book. Oregon Secretary of State. 2006.
- ^ United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626, Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts; Roll 911; p. 5A; E.D. 83; Image 191.0.
- ^ a b Painter Jr., John (April 7, 1990). "3 judges take overdue break to note decade together on federal bench". The Oregonian. pp. B4.
- ^ a b "James Anthony Redden." Marquis Who's Who. Marquis Who's Who, 2006. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale. 2006. [1] Retrieved: 2006-12-07
- ^ a b Barnard, Jeff (February 19, 2006). "Judge: "Follow the Law, Save the Salmon"". The Columbian. (UPI) Vancouver, WA: Columbian Publishing Co. pp. A1.
- ^ Van Meter, Heather (Fall 2005). "Judges Helen Frye, Owen Panner and James Redden". Oregon Benchmarks. The U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 10, 2007. Retrieved June 6, 2007.
- ^ a b James Anthony Redden at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- ^ Friedman, Michele (July 12, 2017). "The End of an Era: James A. Redden Closes His Chambers". The U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
- ^ "Dismissal of charge against Indian leader upheld". New York Times. September 2, 1984. pp. A28.
- ^ Milstein, Michael (December 11, 2007). "Judge rips latest plan to help salmon". The Oregonian.
- ^ Learn, Scott (November 23, 2011). "Judge James Redden to step down after a decade on the Northwest's biggest salmon lawsuit". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
- ^ Milstein, Michael (November 25, 2005). "U.S. offers new fish tactics for Columbia basin". The Oregonian. pp. B1.
- ^ Harden, Blaine (November 25, 2005). "Bush Policy Irks Judges in West; Rulings Criticize Agencies for Not Protecting the Environment". Washington Post. pp. A1.
- ^ Bernstein, Maxine (April 2, 2020). "James A. Redden, longtime federal judge and Oregon politician, dies at age 91". The Oregonian. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
- Pub. L.104–208 (text) (PDF)
External links
- James Anthony Redden at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.