Karen J. Williams
Karen Johnson Williams | |
---|---|
Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit | |
In office July 8, 2009 – November 2, 2013 | |
Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit | |
In office July 1, 2007 – July 8, 2009 | |
Preceded by | William Walter Wilkins |
Succeeded by | William Byrd Traxler Jr. |
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit | |
In office March 2, 1992 – July 8, 2009 | |
Appointed by | George H. W. Bush |
Preceded by | Robert F. Chapman |
Succeeded by | Henry Franklin Floyd |
Personal details | |
Born | Orangeburg, South Carolina | August 4, 1951
Died | November 2, 2013 Orangeburg, South Carolina | (aged 62)
Education | Columbia College (B.A.) University of South Carolina Law School (J.D.) |
Karen Johnson Williams (August 4, 1951 – November 2, 2013) was a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, appointed in 1992 and serving as its Chief Judge from 2007 until her retirement in 2009. Williams was mentioned as a potential nominee to the United States Supreme Court during the administration of George W. Bush.[1][2]
Education and career
Born in Orangeburg, South Carolina, Williams received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia College in 1972 and a Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina Law Center in 1980. She was in private practice in Orangeburg from 1980 to 1992.[3]
Federal judicial service
On January 27, 1992, Williams was nominated by President George H. W. Bush to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit vacated by Judge Robert F. Chapman. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 27, 1992, and received her commission on March 2, 1992. She became Chief Judge in 2007.[3]
Illness and retirement
Williams took inactive senior status suddenly on July 8, 2009 after being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease.[4] She stated her desire to leave the bench while still able to perform her judicial duties, so that her future decisions would not be questioned because of her illness.[5] She died on November 2, 2013.[6]
See also
References
- ^ John Monk, Early-onset Alzheimers forces Judge Karen Williams' retirement, The State (July 10, 2009).
- ^ Who, Marquis Who's (1 November 2001). "Who's Who in the South and Southwest, 2001-2002". Marquis Who's Who, LLC – via Google Books.
- ^ a b "Williams, Karen J. - Federal Judicial Center". www.fjc.gov.
- ^ Josh White and Jerry Markon, Diagnosis of Early Alzheimer's Forces Chief Judge to Retire, The Washington Post (July 10, 2009).
- ^ Dionne Gleaton, Alzheimer's forces judge's retirement, The Times and Democrat (July 9, 2009).
- ^ http://www.thestate.com/2013/11/02/3073339/former-federal-judge-karen-williams.html
Sources
- 1951 births
- 2013 deaths
- American women judges
- Columbia College (South Carolina) alumni
- Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- People from Orangeburg, South Carolina
- United States court of appeals judges appointed by George H. W. Bush
- 20th-century American judges
- University of South Carolina School of Law alumni