Legal News

9th Circuit Judge Joseph Sneed III dies at 87

By Jason Siegel

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Joseph Sneed III died at his home last week. He was 87.

After a quarter-century as a law school teacher, Sneed was appointed deputy attorney general and then nominated to the appeals court by President Nixon in 1973.

The self-identified conservative judge made two significant dissents in 2001 that were endorsed by a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court, the San Francisco Chronicle notes. Sneed wrote California could evict public housing tenants for drug-related acts done by them or a guest and could impose a 25 or 50 years to life sentence for repeat felons whose "third strike" was for shoplifting.

Also of note, Sneed was a member of the judicial panel that appointed Kenneth Starr to investigate President Bill Clinton's Whitewater investments.

A memorial service will be held this Friday at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary the Virgin Episcopal Church in San Francisco.

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Obituary
San Francisco Chronicle Obituary
Ninth Circuit press release on event celebrating Sneed's 30th year at the appeals court

Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on February 14, 2008 (boomark / email).