Oliver Jesse Carter (April 7, 1911 – June 14, 1976) was a
United States district judge
The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...
of the
.
Education and career
The son of future
California Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of California is the highest and final court of appeals in the courts of the U.S. state of California. It is headquartered in San Francisco at the Earl Warren Building, but it regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sacra ...
Justice
Jesse W. Carter
Jesse Washington Carter (December 19, 1888 – March 15, 1959) was an American lawyer and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California from September 12, 1939 to March 15, 1950.
Biography
Carter was born in Carrville, Trinity County, Cali ...
, Carter was born in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
where his father was attending the
Golden Gate University School of Law
Golden Gate University School of Law (informally referred to as GGU School of Law, GGU Law and Golden Gate Law) is one of the professional graduate schools of Golden Gate University. Located in downtown San Francisco, California, GGU is a Califor ...
. Carter received a
Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...
from the
University of California, Hastings College of the Law
The University of California, Hastings College of the Law (UC Hastings) is a Public university, public Law school in the United States, law school in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1878 by Serranus Clinton Hastings, UC Hastings was the ...
in 1935. He was in private practice in
Redding, California from 1936 to 1938. He was an assistant district attorney of
Shasta County
Shasta County (), officially the County of Shasta, is a county in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its population is 182,155 as of the 2020 census, up from 177,223 from the 2010 census. The county seat is Redding.
Shasta ...
, California from 1938 to 1939. He returned to private practice in Redding from 1940 to 1950, and served in the
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature, the lower house being the California State Assembly. The State Senate convenes, along with the State Assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Cal ...
from 1941 to 1949.
Federal judicial service
On September 27, 1950, Carter received a
recess appointment
In the United States, a recess appointment is an appointment by the president of a federal official when the U.S. Senate is in recess. Under the U.S. Constitution's Appointments Clause, the President is empowered to nominate, and with the advi ...
from President
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...
to a new seat on the
created by 63 Stat. 493. Formally nominated to the same seat by President Truman on November 27, 1950, he was confirmed by the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
on December 13, 1950, and received his commission on December 21, 1950. He served as Chief Judge from 1970 to 1976, assuming
senior status
Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on April 7, 1976. Carter served in that capacity until his death on June 14, 1976, of a heart attack.
Notable case
Carter presided over the eight-week trial of
Patty Hearst
Patricia Campbell Hearst (born February 20, 1954) is the granddaughter of American publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst. She first became known for the events following her 1974 kidnapping by the Symbionese Liberation Army. She was found a ...
, including the jury's return of a guilty verdict on March 20, 1976. Following the trial, Carter died unexpectedly prior to the resolution of Hearst's sentencing, which ultimately took place on September 24, 1976.
References
Sources
*
External links
Guide to the Oliver J. Carter Collection, 1951-1976. Collection Guide, California State Library, California History Room.Join California Oliver J. Carter
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Oliver Jesse
1911 births
1976 deaths
University of California, Hastings College of the Law alumni
Democratic Party California state senators
Judges of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
United States district court judges appointed by Harry S. Truman
20th-century American judges
Lawyers from San Francisco
People from Redding, California
20th-century American politicians