William Matthew Byrne Jr.

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William Matthew Byrne Jr.
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California
In office
February 28, 1998 – January 12, 2006
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California
In office
1994–1998
Preceded byManuel Real
Succeeded byTerry J. Hatter Jr.
Judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California
In office
May 20, 1971 – February 28, 1998
Appointed byRichard Nixon
Preceded bySeat established by 84 Stat. 294
Succeeded byVirginia A. Phillips
United States Attorney for the Central District of California
In office
March 26, 1967 – May 18, 1970
PresidentLyndon B. Johnson
Richard Nixon
Preceded byJohn K. Van de Kamp
Succeeded byRobert L. Meyer
Personal details
Born
William Matthew Byrne Jr.

(1930-09-03)September 3, 1930
Los Angeles, California
DiedJanuary 12, 2006(2006-01-12) (aged 75)
Los Feliz, California
Parent
EducationUniversity of Southern California (BS, LLB)

William Matthew Byrne Jr. (September 3, 1930 – January 14, 2006) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

Education and career

Born in

JAG Corps. He then went to work as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of California from 1958 to 1960, and was in private practice in Los Angeles for the next seven years. President Lyndon B. Johnson named him United States Attorney for the Central District of California in 1967. In 1970, Richard Nixon appointed him executive director of the President's Commission on Campus Unrest. He was also an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School.[1]

Federal judicial service

On April 21, 1971, President Richard Nixon nominated Byrne to a new seat on the United States District Court for the Central District of California created by 84 Stat. 294. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 20, and received his commission the same day. Byrne served as Chief Judge from 1994 to 1998. He assumed senior status on February 28, 1998.[1] His served in that capacity until his death on January 12, 2006, in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California.[2]

Pentagon Papers trial

Byrne was assigned the Pentagon Papers case the same year he arrived on the bench.[

Watergate complex in Washington nine months later.[citation needed
]

Days after the disclosure,

FBI director.[citation needed] On May 9, Byrne learned of yet another illegality: the FBI had secretly taped phone conversations between Ellsberg and Morton Halperin, who had supervised the Pentagon Papers study.[citation needed] Finally, when the government claimed it had lost all records of the wiretapping, Byrne declared a mistrial on May 11, 1973.[citation needed
]

It was later learned that while Byrne was presiding over the pending Ellsberg trial, John D. Ehrlichman met with Byrne at Nixon's Western White House (La Casa Pacifica) in San Clemente, California, to discuss the judge's becoming director of the FBI.[3] According to Ehrlichman's later testimony Byrne was eager for the appointment,[4] while Byrne stated that he had refused to consider the appointment during the pending trial.[3] Neither Byrne nor Ehrlichman revealed this discussion about the FBI directorship to the litigants in the Ellsberg case until his visit was discovered by the press.[citation needed] Ultimately, Byrne was not nominated as director of the FBI.[citation needed]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b William Matthew Byrne Jr. at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  2. ^ William Matthew Byrne Jr., 75; U.S. Judge Presided Over Trial of Pentagon Papers' Daniel Ellsberg, Los Angeles Times, by Elaine Woo, Times Staff Writer, Retrieved 13 June 2011, http://articles.latimes.com/2006/jan/14/local/me-byrne14
  3. ^
    ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 2022-12-16.
  4. ^ July 25, 1973 transcript of testimony by John D. Ehrlichman before the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities

Sources

External links

Legal offices
Preceded by
Seat established by 84 Stat. 294
Judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California
1971–1998
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California
1994–1998
Succeeded by