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William H. Waste

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William Harrison Waste
21st Chief Justice of California
In office
January 1926 – June 6, 1940
Preceded byLouis Wescott Myers
Succeeded byPhil S. Gibson
Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court
In office
November 25, 1921 – January 1926
Appointed byGovernor William Stephens
Preceded byLucien Shaw
Succeeded byJesse W. Curtis Sr.
Presiding Justice of the California Court of Appeals, First District
In office
January 1, 1919 – November 24, 1921
Appointed byGovernor William Stephens
Preceded byThomas J. Lennon
Succeeded byJohn F. Tyler
Personal details
Born(1868-10-31)October 31, 1868
Chico, California, U.S.
DiedJune 6, 1940(1940-06-06) (aged 71)
Berkeley, California, U.S.
Spouse
Mary Jane Ewing
​
(m. 1896)​
Alma materUniversity of California, Berkeley (B.Phil.)
University of California, Hastings College of the Law (LL.B.)

William Harrison Waste (October 31, 1868 – June 6, 1940) was the 21st Chief Justice of California.

Biography

Born near Chico, California, Waste was educated at Los Angeles High School, graduating in 1887.[1] He graduated from the University of California in 1891 and Hastings Law School in San Francisco in 1894.[2][3] He practiced law in Oakland and later in Berkeley. In 1893, he co-founded the Holmes Library Association, which later became the Berkeley Public Library, and was its first president.[4] From 1902 to 1905 he served in the California State Assembly as a Republican from the 52nd district.[5][6]

In April 1905, Governor George Pardee appointed Waste as judge of the Alameda County Superior Court, where he remained until December 1918.[7][8] On December 19, 1918, Governor William Stephens appointed Waste the presiding justice of the First District Court of Appeal, Division One.[9] Waste replaced Thomas J. Lennon, who was named to the Supreme Court on December 20, 1918.[9]

When Frank M. Angellotti resigned as Chief Justice, Governor Stephens elevated Lucien Shaw to Chief Justice, and then named Waste to take Shaw's place as an Associate Justice effective November 25, 1921.[10][11] In December 1925, Chief Justice Louis Wescott Myers resigned and Governor Friend W. Richardson named Waste the Chief Justice as of January 1926.[12][13] In November 1926, Waste was retained in the election.[14][15] When Waste was elevated to Chief Justice, Jesse W. Curtis Sr. was named from the Second District Court of Appeal, Division One, to fill the vacancy as Associate Justice.[16]

Among his notable cases is In re San Francisco Chronicle (1934),[17] a contempt of court proceeding against a newspaper for publishing an article stating the court had ruled in a case that was still pending. The story concerned David Lamson, who was convicted, sentenced to the death penalty, and had filed an appeal. The newspaper ran a story that the court granted a new trial, based on anonymous sources. The newspaper asserted it had published in "good faith" but the court rejected the defense. In an opinion by Waste, the court found the Chronicle in contempt and fined the paper, editor and managing editor.[18]

State bar

Waste was the first lawyer registered with the State Bar of California.[19] As Chief Justice, he was assigned State Bar Number 1 in 1927 when the State Bar was formed and began registering attorneys and judges.

Personal life

On September 16, 1896, he married Mary Jane Ewing in Oakland, California, with whom he had two children.[20][21]

Death

Waste died in office on June 6, 1940, and Associate Justice Phil S. Gibson was named the next Chief Justice on June 20, 1940.[22]

Legacy

Waste was the first recipient of the Benjamin Ide Wheeler Medal in 1929.[23]



References

  1. ^ "Alumni History and Hall of Fame Project" (PDF). Los Angeles Unified School District. p. 243. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  2. ^ "Degrees Conferred, University of California". San Francisco Call. Vol. 70, no. 24. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 24 June 1891. p. 3. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  3. ^ "Hastings Community". Hastings Alumni Publications. 81. San Francisco, CA: Hastings College of the Law Alumni Association: 23. Fall 1992. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  4. ^ "Holmes Library for the Town". San Francisco Call. Vol. 78, no. 79. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 18 August 1895. p. 11. Retrieved July 12, 2017. A proposition was made to the Town Trustees last evening by William H. Waste, president of the Holmes Library Association, to turn over to Berkeley the entire property of the Holmes Library, without cost or incumbrance.
  5. ^ "Metcalf Tells Voters of Oakland at a Great Meeting that Republican State Ticket Will Win on Tuesday". San Francisco Call. Vol. 87, no. 152. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 30 October 1902. p. 9. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  6. ^ "United Desire for State Aid". San Francisco Call. Vol. 93, no. 24. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 24 December 1902. p. 9. Retrieved July 12, 2017. Assemblyman-elect William H. Waste
  7. ^ "Governor Appoints Two Judges". Mariposa Gazette. No. 45. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 22 April 1905. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  8. ^ Past and Present of Alameda County, California (1914).
  9. ^ a b "Needham Successor to Judge Langdon". Madera Weekly Tribune. No. 41. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 19 December 1918. p. 4. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  10. ^ "John Tyler Takes Post". Sacramento Union. No. 25820. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 27 November 1921. p. 17. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  11. ^ "Justice Waste Announces Candidacy Supreme Court". Madera Tribune. No. 37. California Digital Newspaper Collection. UPI. 14 June 1926. p. 4. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  12. ^ "California News Briefs". Livermore Journal. Vol. 7, no. 13. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 19 December 1925. p. 10. Retrieved July 12, 2017. Associate Justice William H. Waste of Berkeley has been named Chief Justice of the California supreme court to succeed Chief Justice Louis W. Meyers, resigned.
  13. ^ Johnson, J. Edward (1966). History of Supreme Court, Vol 2, Justices, 1900-1950 (PDF). San Francisco, CA: Bancroft-Whitney Co. pp. 65–70. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
  14. ^ "Justice Waste Announces Candidacy Supreme Court". Madera Tribune. No. 37. California Digital Newspaper Collection. UPI. 14 June 1926. p. 4. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  15. ^ "Bills, Coulter, Laughlin, Young Lead in Vote". Healdsburg Tribune. No. 3. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 3 November 1926. p. 1. Retrieved July 12, 2017. William H. Waste was named chief justice, the only candidate.
  16. ^ "Judge Curtis Named to Supreme Bench". Healdsburg Tribune. No. 30. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 8 December 1925. p. 2. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  17. ^ In re San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Cal. 2d 631 (1934).
  18. ^ "Courts. Contempt by Publication. Comment on pending Proceedings". Columbia Law Review. 39 (8): 1423–1429. December 1939. doi:10.2307/1116651. JSTOR 1116651.
  19. ^ "Looking Back on 75 Years" (PDF). California State Bar. p. 12. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  20. ^ "Will Marry the Leading Soprano, Attorney W. H. Waste and Miss May Ewing to Wed". San Francisco Call. Vol. 80, no. 96. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 4 September 1896. p. 13. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  21. ^ "Swell October Wedding". San Francisco Call. Vol. 80, no. 101. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 9 September 1896. p. 9. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  22. ^ "New Chief Justice Takes Notice". Madera Tribune. No. 46. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 20 June 1940. p. 2. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  23. ^ Benjamin Ide Wheeler Medal- Retrieved 2018-07-31

See also

Legal offices
Preceded by Chief Justice of California
1926–1940 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court
1921–1926 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Presiding Justice of the California Court of Appeals, First District]]
1919–1921 		Succeeded by
John F. Tyler
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