Robert Bruce King (born January 29, 1940) is a
United States circuit judge
In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and the associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit judges of the U.S. ...
of the
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (in case citations, 4th Cir.) is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:
* District of Maryla ...
.
Early life and education
King was born in 1940 in
White Sulphur Springs,
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
. His father died when King was only ten, leaving his mother, Gladys, a widow at thirty-one. Gladys raised King and his two siblings while working in a kitchen at
The Greenbrier
The Greenbrier is a luxury resort located in the Allegheny Mountains near White Sulphur Springs in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, in the United States.
Since 1778, visitors have traveled to this part of the state to "take the waters" of the ...
resort, all the while instilling in them the importance of hard work and education. King and his sister would later endow a scholarship at
West Virginia University
West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State College ...
in honor of their mother's dedication to her children and their education.
After receiving his
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
degree from
West Virginia University
West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State College ...
in 1961, King entered active duty in the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
and served as an officer in the
Office of Special Investigations. After his discharge in 1964, he returned to
Greenbrier County
Greenbrier County () is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 32,977. Its county seat is Lewisburg. The county was formed in 1778 from Botetourt and Montgomery counties in Virginia.
History
P ...
to work as a teacher. While teaching, he met his future wife, a fellow teacher named Julia Kay Doak, and the two wed in April 1965. The following year, King enrolled at
West Virginia University College of Law
The West Virginia University College of Law is the professional school for the study of law at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. The law school was established in 1878 as the first professional school in the s ...
, where he was a member of the
West Virginia Law Review
The ''West Virginia Law Review'' is a triannual student-run law review published by the West Virginia University College of Law. It was established in 1894 and is the fourth oldest law review in the United States.
History
The journal underwent s ...
and president of the Student Bar Association. He graduated
Order of the Coif
The Order of the Coif is an honor society for United States law school graduates. The name is a reference to the ancient English order of advocates, the serjeants-at-law, whose courtroom attire included a coif—a white lawn or silk skullcap, whi ...
in 1968.
Professional career
King began his legal career as 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 ...
in
Charleston for
Judge John A. Field, Jr. on the
Southern District of West Virginia
The United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia (in case citations, S.D. W. Va.) is a federal court in the Fourth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are ...
. After clerking, King joined the firm Haynes & Ford in
Lewisburg. He returned to Charleston in 1970 to serve as an
Assistant United States Attorney
An assistant United States attorney (AUSA) is an official career civil service position in the U.S. Department of Justice composed of lawyers working under the U.S. Attorney of each U.S. federal judicial district. They represent the federal gove ...
in the
Southern District of West Virginia
The United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia (in case citations, S.D. W. Va.) is a federal court in the Fourth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are ...
, where he stayed until 1974. One of King's most significant prosecutions during this time involved the bribing of a juror in the 1968 trial of former West Virginia Governor
William Wallace Barron
William Wallace Barron (December 8, 1911 – November 12, 2002) was an American Democratic politician in West Virginia. He was the state's 26th Governor from 1961 to 1965.
Life and career
He was born in Elkins, West Virginia. He attended Washi ...
and some of his associates, who faced corruption charges. The jury foreperson confessed to accepting a bribe for acquittals, and Governor Barron subsequently pled guilty, received a twelve-year prison sentence, and became a government witness in the trials of two other people implicated in the bribery. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, King also prosecuted five
Logan County Logan County is the name of ten current counties and one former county in the United States:
* Logan County, Arkansas
* Logan County, Colorado
* Logan County, Idaho (1889–1895)
* Logan County, Illinois
* Logan County, Kansas
* Logan County, ...
officials on civil rights charges relating to electoral fraud.
In 1974, King returned to private practice at Spilman, Thomas, Battle & Klostermeyer in
Charleston and became a partner in 1975. While at the Spilman firm, King served on the West Virginia State Bar's Committee on Legal Ethics. He investigated alleged ethical violations by lawyers and represented the committee in proceedings before the
Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia is the state supreme court of the state of West Virginia, the highest of West Virginia's state courts. The court sits primarily at the West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston, although from 1873 ...
.
In 1977, at the recommendation of West Virginia
Senator Robert Byrd,
President Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 19 ...
appointed King
U.S. Attorney
United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal ...
for the
Southern District of West Virginia
The United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia (in case citations, S.D. W. Va.) is a federal court in the Fourth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are ...
. As U.S. Attorney, King took on high-profile white-collar crime and public corruption cases. His investigation into the liquor industry and Alcohol Beverage Control Commission of West Virginia resulted in the conviction of more than forty individuals and corporations on charges including commercial bribery, mail fraud, extortion, and
RICO
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization.
RICO was en ...
violations.
In 1981, King returned to private practice and helped found the law firm King Betts & Allen (now Allen Guthrie McHugh & Thomas). He was a managing partner from 1981 to 1993 and from 1997 until his judicial appointment in 1998. During his thirty years of practice, King tried over 120 cases and argued many appeals. As a federal prosecutor, he prosecuted defendants in cases involving public corruption, electoral fraud, organized crime, and many other crimes. In private practice, he also handled many criminal cases as well as civil cases ranging from wrongful death, personal injury, products liability, professional malpractice, and civil rights. Reflecting on King's record,
Judge M. Blane Michael of the
Fourth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (in case citations, 4th Cir.) is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:
* District of Maryland
...
remarked that “there was little that Judge King had not done in the practice of law by the time he became a judge."
Federal judicial service
President Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again f ...
nominated King to the
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (in case citations, 4th Cir.) is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:
* District of Maryla ...
on June 24, 1998, after Judge
Kenneth Keller Hall
Kenneth Keller Hall (February 24, 1918 – July 8, 1999) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and was previously a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the S ...
assumed
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 ...
. “It’s the utmost compliment to be recommended and supported by
Senator Byrd and
Senator Rockefeller,” said King to the
Charleston Gazette
The ''Charleston Gazette-Mail'' is the only daily morning newspaper in Charleston, West Virginia. It is the product of a July 2015 merger between ''The Charleston Gazette'' and the ''Charleston Daily Mail''. The paper is one of nine owned by HD ...
, “
d the expression of support by
President Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...
is the greatest honor of my life.” At the
Senate Judiciary Committee
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the Department of Justice (DOJ), consider executive and judicial nominations, a ...
’s hearing on September 9, 1998, Senator Byrd praised King’s “deep-seated integrity, strong work ethic, and love of public service.” He also compared King to
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Maced ...
, who, when presented with an indictment, would “put one hand over one ear and keep that ear closed” to ensure both sides would have an equal opportunity to present their case. “I believe that Bob King will be the same
ind of judge” said Byrd. 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 ...
unanimously confirmed King to the
Fourth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (in case citations, 4th Cir.) is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:
* District of Maryland
...
on October 8, 1998, and he received his commission the next day.
In August 2021, King announced plans to assume
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 ...
upon the confirmation of a successor. However, in November, he formally withdrew his August letter and announced he would continue on as an active member of the Fourth Circuit. Reports surfaced that judge King preferred former U.S. Senator
Carte Goodwin
Carte Patrick Goodwin (born February 27, 1974) is an American attorney and politician who served as a United States senator from West Virginia in 2010. A member of the Democratic Party, he was appointed by Governor Joe Manchin on July 16, 2010 t ...
to be nominated to replace him while the White House preferred J. Jeaneen Legato, a personal-injury lawyer in Charleston, West Virginia.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:King, Robert Bruce
1940 births
Assistant United States Attorneys
Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
Living people
Military personnel from West Virginia
People from White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
United States Air Force officers
United States Attorneys for the Southern District of West Virginia
United States court of appeals judges appointed by Bill Clinton
West Virginia University College of Law alumni
20th-century American judges
21st-century American judges