Richard Mansfield Bilby (May 29, 1931 – August 11, 1998) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Arizona.

Education and career

Born on May 29, 1931, in Tucson, Arizona, Bilby served in the United States Army as a Corporal from 1952 to 1954. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1955 from the University of Arizona and a

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

in 1958 from the University of Michigan Law School. He was a

law clerk A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person, generally someone who provides direct counsel and assistance to a lawyer or judge by researching issues and drafting legal opinions for cases before the court. Judicial clerks often play significant ...

for Judge Richard Harvey Chambers of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1958 to 1959. He was in private practice in Tucson from 1959 to 1979.

Federal judicial service

Unsuccessful Court of Appeals nomination by Ford

Bilby was nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, to a seat being vacated by Judge Richard Harvey Chambers, by President

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...

on August 3, 1976. However, the Senate never voted on his nomination and it expired with the end of the Congressional session.Wolfgang Saxon
Richard Mansfield Bilby, 67, Judge in Charles Keating Case
'' The New York Times'' (August 14, 1998).

District Court nomination by Carter

Bilby was nominated by President Jimmy Carter on June 5, 1979, to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Arizona vacated by Judge

William C. Frey William C. Frey (July 24, 1919 – February 16, 1979) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Arizona. Education and career Born in Tucson, Arizona, Frey was in the United States Army as a Maj ...

. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 25, 1979, and received his commission on September 26, 1979. He served as Chief Judge from 1984 to 1990. He assumed senior status on May 29, 1996. His service terminated on August 11, 1998, due to his death.

Notable case

While a judge, Bilby probably was most known for having presided over the 1992 case against Charles Keating.

Death

A lifelong resident of Tucson, Bilby died on August 11, 1998, while walking his dog near his summer home in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Personal

Bilby was survived by his wife, Elizabeth Thomas Bilby, and two daughters from a previous marriage that ended in divorce. Bilby's brother, Kenneth W. Bilby, was an executive vice president at RCA for many years.Paid Notice: Deaths BILBY, KENNETH
'' The New York Times'' (August 5, 1997).

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bilby, Richard Mansfield 1931 births 1998 deaths Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Arizona United States district court judges appointed by Jimmy Carter 20th-century American judges University of Michigan Law School alumni University of Arizona alumni Arizona lawyers United States Army officers