Jump to content

Wilmont Sweeney: Difference between revisions

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|American judge}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Wilmont Sweeney
|image =
|office = California Superior Court Judge
|appointer = [[Jerry Brown Jr.]]
|term_start = 1979
|term_end = 1996
|predecessor =
|successor =
|birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1925|11|19}}
| birth_place = {{nowrap|[[Austin, TX]], U.S.}}
| death_date = {{nowrap|{{Death date and age|1999|04|24|1925|11|19}}}}
|death_place = [[Berkeley, CA]]
| party = [[Democrat]]
|spouse = Linetta McCarter (divorced)
|children = 2
|education = {{ubl| [[University of California, Berkeley]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])|[[UC Hastings College of Law]] ([[Law degree]])}}
}}
'''Wilmont Sweeney''' (1925-1999), attorney, politician, judge, was born in [[Austin, Texas]] November 19,1925. After serving in the Army during [[WWII]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/458557898/?terms=%22Wilmont%20Sweeney%22%20WWII&match=2| work=San Francisco Examiner| title=Berkeley Negro Runs for Judge|last=Piazzi|first=Frank| date=January 25, 1966|access-date=September 4, 2021}}</ref> he graduated from the [[University of California, Berkeley]] with a degree in political science in 1950, from [[UC Hastings College of Law]] in 1955, and was elected to the City Council of [[Berkeley, CA]] in 1961<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Wilmont-Sweeney-2933666.php| work=San Francisco Chronicle| title=Wilmont Sweeney|last=Lee|first=Henry K.| date=April 29, 1999|access-date=September 4, 2021}}</ref>. He was Berkeley's first Black councilmember. In 1974 he was inducted as the first Black judge in Berkeley-Albany Municipal Court<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/608812748/?terms=Wilmont%20Sweeney&match=1| work=Berkeley Daily Gazette| title=Wilmont Sweeney takes judicial oath in City Hall |date=November 15, 1974|access-date=September 4, 2021}}</ref>; in 1979 he was appointed Superior Court judge by [[California Governor]] [[Jerry Brown Jr.]]<ref>https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-1996-06-10/html/CREC-1996-06-10-pt1-PgE1040.htm</ref>. He lived at 1610 Stannage Avenue, Berkeley for many years, listing the address on ballots for his re-election to Superior Court judge<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/736088177/| work=Oakland Tribune| title=Nonpartisan Offices|date=May 5, 1980|access-date=September 4, 2021|page=25}}</ref>.
'''Wilmont Sweeney''' (1925-1999), attorney, politician, judge, was born in [[Austin, Texas]] November 19,1925. After serving in the Army during [[WWII]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/458557898/?terms=%22Wilmont%20Sweeney%22%20WWII&match=2| work=San Francisco Examiner| title=Berkeley Negro Runs for Judge|last=Piazzi|first=Frank| date=January 25, 1966|access-date=September 4, 2021}}</ref> he graduated from the [[University of California, Berkeley]] with a degree in political science in 1950, from [[UC Hastings College of Law]] in 1955, and was elected to the City Council of [[Berkeley, CA]] in 1961<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Wilmont-Sweeney-2933666.php| work=San Francisco Chronicle| title=Wilmont Sweeney|last=Lee|first=Henry K.| date=April 29, 1999|access-date=September 4, 2021}}</ref>. He was Berkeley's first Black councilmember. In 1974 he was inducted as the first Black judge in Berkeley-Albany Municipal Court<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/608812748/?terms=Wilmont%20Sweeney&match=1| work=Berkeley Daily Gazette| title=Wilmont Sweeney takes judicial oath in City Hall |date=November 15, 1974|access-date=September 4, 2021}}</ref>; in 1979 he was appointed Superior Court judge by [[California Governor]] [[Jerry Brown Jr.]]<ref>https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-1996-06-10/html/CREC-1996-06-10-pt1-PgE1040.htm</ref>. He lived at 1610 Stannage Avenue, Berkeley for many years, listing the address on ballots for his re-election to Superior Court judge<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/736088177/| work=Oakland Tribune| title=Nonpartisan Offices|date=May 5, 1980|access-date=September 4, 2021|page=25}}</ref>.


As Superior Court juvenile court judge, Sweeney promoted counseling and rehabilitation as alternatives to detention centers. California's juvenile court judges bestow an award in Sweeney's name honoring judges who uphold this ideal <ref>https://www.caljudges.org/docs/PDF/JudgeMargaretHenry.pdf</ref>. In Alameda County, a minimum security residential program for males age 15 to 19 is named to honor Wilmont Sweeney <ref>https://probation.acgov.org/juvenile-services/juvenile-facilities.page</ref>.
As Superior Court juvenile court judge, Sweeney promoted counseling and rehabilitation as alternatives to detention centers. California's juvenile court judges bestow an award in Sweeney's name honoring judges who uphold this ideal <ref>https://www.caljudges.org/docs/PDF/JudgeMargaretHenry.pdf</ref>. In Alameda County, a minimum security residential program for males age 15 to 19 is named to honor Wilmont Sweeney <ref>https://probation.acgov.org/juvenile-services/juvenile-facilities.page</ref>.

Sweeney was noted for his sense of humor and proportion, and was well respected as a councilmember. He once said: <blockquote>When I grew up in Texas, I came to find out early in life, that, when you're dealing with the bad guys, you've always got to remember that it's not enough that you win the game, and win it fairly and squarely, you've still got to win the fight afterwards out in the parking lot.</blockquote> Quoted in {{cite book| url=https://archive.org/details/berkeleyatwar19600rora| url-access=registration| author=[[W. J. Rorabaugh]]| title=Berkeley at War: The 1960s| place=New York| publisher= Oxford University Press| year= 1989| isbn=978-0-19-506667-8|page=54}} [A study of the unrest on the Berkeley campus of the [[University of California]] during the era of the [[Free Speech Movement]].]
...
...


Revision as of 05:02, 5 September 2021

Wilmont Sweeney
California Superior Court Judge
In office
1979–1996
Appointed byJerry Brown Jr.
Personal details
Born(1925-11-19)November 19, 1925
Austin, TX, U.S.
DiedApril 24, 1999(1999-04-24) (aged 73)
Berkeley, CA
Political partyDemocrat
SpouseLinetta McCarter (divorced)
Children2
Education

Wilmont Sweeney (1925-1999), attorney, politician, judge, was born in Austin, Texas November 19,1925. After serving in the Army during WWII[1] he graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in political science in 1950, from UC Hastings College of Law in 1955, and was elected to the City Council of Berkeley, CA in 1961[2]. He was Berkeley's first Black councilmember. In 1974 he was inducted as the first Black judge in Berkeley-Albany Municipal Court[3]; in 1979 he was appointed Superior Court judge by California Governor Jerry Brown Jr.[4]. He lived at 1610 Stannage Avenue, Berkeley for many years, listing the address on ballots for his re-election to Superior Court judge[5].

As Superior Court juvenile court judge, Sweeney promoted counseling and rehabilitation as alternatives to detention centers. California's juvenile court judges bestow an award in Sweeney's name honoring judges who uphold this ideal [6]. In Alameda County, a minimum security residential program for males age 15 to 19 is named to honor Wilmont Sweeney [7].

Sweeney was noted for his sense of humor and proportion, and was well respected as a councilmember. He once said:

When I grew up in Texas, I came to find out early in life, that, when you're dealing with the bad guys, you've always got to remember that it's not enough that you win the game, and win it fairly and squarely, you've still got to win the fight afterwards out in the parking lot.

Quoted in W. J. Rorabaugh (1989). Berkeley at War: The 1960s. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 54. ISBN 978-0-19-506667-8. [A study of the unrest on the Berkeley campus of the University of California during the era of the Free Speech Movement.] 

 ...


References

  1. ^ Piazzi, Frank (January 25, 1966). "Berkeley Negro Runs for Judge". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  2. ^ Lee, Henry K. (April 29, 1999). "Wilmont Sweeney". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  3. ^ "Wilmont Sweeney takes judicial oath in City Hall". Berkeley Daily Gazette. November 15, 1974. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  4. ^ https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-1996-06-10/html/CREC-1996-06-10-pt1-PgE1040.htm
  5. ^ "Nonpartisan Offices". Oakland Tribune. May 5, 1980. p. 25. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
  6. ^ https://www.caljudges.org/docs/PDF/JudgeMargaretHenry.pdf
  7. ^ https://probation.acgov.org/juvenile-services/juvenile-facilities.page


Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wilmont_Sweeney&oldid=1042471502"