Stanley Sutherland Harris (October 19, 1927 – August 13, 2021) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

Early life and education

Born in Washington, D.C., Harris was the son of

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manager

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of the Washington Senators. He was in the United States Army in the aftermath of World War II, from 1945 to 1947. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Virginia in 1951 and a Bachelor of Laws from the

University of Virginia School of Law The University of Virginia School of Law (Virginia Law or UVA Law) is the law school of the University of Virginia, a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as part of his "academical v ...

in 1953, where he was an editor of the '' Virginia Law Review''.

Career

He was in private practice in Washington, D.C. from 1953 to 1970, when he became a judge on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia from 1970 to 1972. He then served on the

District of Columbia Court of Appeals The District of Columbia Court of Appeals is the highest court of the District of Columbia, in the United States. Established in 1970, it is equivalent to a state supreme court, except that its authority is derived from the United States Congr ...

from 1972 to 1982. In 1980, Harris was one of several more conservative judges, led by

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, who attempted unsuccessfully to prevent the reappointment as chief judge of

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He left the court to become the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia from February 5, 1982, to 1983, where he helped prosecute

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Federal judicial service

On November 1, 1983, Harris was nominated by President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia vacated by Judge

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Harris was confirmed by the United States Senate on November 11, 1983, and received his commission on November 14, 1983. He assumed senior status on February 1, 1996, and served in that capacity until June 2, 2001, when he retired. Harris died on August 13, 2021, at his home.

References

Sources

*
Interview with Hon. Stanley Harris, Oral History Project, Historical Society of the District of Columbia Circuit
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Stanley S. 1927 births 2021 deaths 20th-century American judges Judges of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals Judges of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia United States Army soldiers United States Attorneys for the District of Columbia United States district court judges appointed by Ronald Reagan University of Virginia alumni University of Virginia School of Law alumni Woodrow Wilson High School (Washington, D.C.) alumni