William Justice
William Wayne Justice is a former Article III federal judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Justice passed away on October 14, 2009 at age 89.[1][2]
Early life and education
Justice graduated from the University of Texas School of Law with his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1942.[3]
Professional career
- U.S. Army, 1942-1946
- Private practice, Athens, Texas, 1946-1961
- City attorney, Athens, Texas, 1948-1950, 1952-1958
- U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, 1961-1968[3]
Judicial career
Eastern District of Texas
Justice was nominated by Lyndon B. Johnson on April 25, 1968 to a seat vacated by Joseph Sheehy. Justice was confirmed by the Senate on June 6, 1968 and received commission on June 6, 1968. Justice served as chief judge of the Eastern District of Texas from 1980 to 1990 and assumed senior status on June 30, 1998. He continued serving the court on senior status until his death on October 14, 2009.[3]
Noteworthy cases
United States v. Texas
In 1970 Judge Justice ruled in United States v. Texas that forced de-segregation of Texas public schools. This was sixteen years after the landmark 1954 Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education.[1]
Morales v. Truman
In the case of Morales v. Turman, Judge Justice found that the State of Texas was liable for inhumane treatment towards youths housed in facilities run by the Texas Youth Council. In the case, the State was found liable for punitive practices such as picking weeds and using chemical mace on youth inmates.[1]
Ruiz v. Estelle
In 1972, convicted armed robber David Ruiz and several other inmates from Texas filed a class action lawsuit over the treatment and management of prisoners in the Texas state prison system. The lawsuit alleged that the State of Texas allowed violent inmates to guard other prisoners, that there was massive overcrowding, lack of access to medical care, and excessive use of solitary confinement for minor violations. A settlement did not happen until 2002, but the case forced the State of Texas to expand its prisons and dedicate more resources for medical care before the case reached its conclusion. Many legal experts consider Ruiz v. Estelle one of the most important prison reform cases in the history of the federal judiciary.[1]
Legacy
Many legal experts and scholars consider Justice to be one of the first pro-civil rights federal judges in Texas. It was during the 1960s and 1970s that Judge Justice emerged as a civil rights advocate in the federal courts through his rulings. However, some Texans were not happy with his rulings. Many conservatives considered Justice a judicial activist. Some citizens had bumper stickers declaring the judge: "The most hated man in Texas."[1]
External links
- Judge Justice's Homepage at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- Justice remembered
- Judge William Wayne Justice: human being
- Judge Justice's Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
Footnotes
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Joseph Sheehy |
Eastern District of Texas 1968–1988 Seat #1 |
Succeeded by: NA
|
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 |
Anderson • Bratton • Christie • Collins • Cowen • Davis • Ely • Freedman • Gordon • Higginbotham • McNichols • Muecke • Nichols • Port • Rabinovitz • Robinson • Simons • Suttle • Weber • Whelan • Zampano | ||
| 1965 |
Bryant • Celebrezze • Coffin • Coleman • Collinson • Corcoran • Doyle • Eubanks • Fortas • Frankel • Gasch • Gibson • Gordon • Harris • Hemphill • Hill • Hunter • Landis • Langley • Leventhal • Maxwell • McEntee • Mehrtens • Nichol • Reynolds • Russell • Smith • Tamm • Thornberry • Young | ||
| 1966 |
Ainsworth • Atkins • Boyle • Cabot • Cassibry • Copple • Craven • Cummings • Dyer • Fairchild • Feinberg • Ferguson • Fullam • Garrity • Godbold • Goldberg • Goodwin • Gray • Guinn • Harvey • Hauk • Heaney • Heebe • Hickey • Hogan • Kaufman • Kinneary • Krentzman • Lay • Leddy • Lord • Lynch • MacKenzie • Mansfield • McCree • McRae • Mitchell • Motley • Napoli • Nichols • Noland • Peck II • Peckham • Pettine • Pittman • Porter • Real • Roberts • Robinson • Robinson • Rubin • Russell • Scott • Seals • Seitz • Simpson • Singleton • Skelton • Smith • Smith • Taylor • Thomas • von der Heydt • Watson • Winter • Wise | ||
| 1967 |
Arnow • Beckworth • Belloni • Butzner • Cancio • Carter • Clayton • Combs • Comiskey • Curtin • Eaton • Edenfield • Fernandez-Badillo • Gesell • Gordon • Jones • Keith • Kellam • Lambros • Maletz • Marshall • Masterson • Merhige • Morgan • Murray • Neville • Pollack • Pregerson • Theis • Troutman • Van Dusen • Waddy • Weiner • Weinstein • Whipple • Williams | ||
| 1968 |
Aldisert • Baldwin • Bownes • Bright • Green • Gubow • Henderson • Holloway • Hufstedler • Judd • Justice • Keady • Kerner, Jr. • Lasker • Latchum • Lawrence • McMillan • Morgan • Newman • Nixon • Pratt • Re • Rosenstein • Schwartz • Smith • Stahl • Travia • Woodward | ||
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State of Texas Austin (capital) |
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