James Martin Fitzgerald
James Martin Fitzgerald (born October 7, 1920 in Portland , Oregon , † April 3, 2011 in Santa Rosa , California ) was an American lawyer .
Life
Fitzgerald studied at the University of Oregon , but left the university again after a short time to do his military service in the National Guard . After retiring from the National Guard, he began studying at Willamette University in Salem , Oregon. During the Second World War he served in the United States Marine Corps from 1942 to 1946 , most recently as a sergeant , and came here in the South Pacificfor use. After retiring from active service, Fitzgerald settled in Portland. He worked as a firefighter while studying at Willamette University. There he received a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1950 . He also married in 1950. The marriage later had four children. Soon after, the young couple settled in Ketchikan in the Alaska Territory . He also continued his studies at Willamette University's Law School , Willamette University College of Law , and received a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) in 1951 . Fitzgerald was now returning to Ketchikan.
From 1952 to 1956 he was Assistant United States Attorney for the District of the Alaska Territory. From 1956 to 1959 he was an attorney for the city of Anchorage . In 1959, he served as legal advisor to Governor William Allen Egan . Also in 1959, he was the first head of the Alaska Department of Public Safety in the new state . He then served as a judge in the Third District Judge of the Alaska Superior Court from 1959 to 1972 and served as the presiding judge from 1969 to 1972. Fitzgerald was one of the first eight judges on the newly established Alaska Superior Court. From 1972 to 1975 he was a judge on the Alaska Supreme Court .
On December 2, 1974, President Gerald Ford nominated him to be a judge on the United States District Court for the Alaska District to fill the vacant seat of Judge Raymond E. Plummer. On December 18, 1974, he was confirmed by the United States Senate. He was sworn in on December 20th. From 1984 to 1989 he was the chief judge of this district. On January 1, 1989, Fitzgerald reached senior status and went into semi-retirement. His vacant seat has been filled with James Keith Singleton Jr.
As part of a bill introduced by Senator Mark Begich , which was signed by President Barack Obama in March 2012 , the United States Courthouse in Anchorage was renamed the James M. Fitzgerald United States Courthouse in April 2014 .
Web links
- James Martin Fitzgerald in the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges
- REMEMBERING JAMES MARTIN FITZGERALD , April 14, 2011, Congressional Record Online
Individual evidence
- ↑ James Keith Singleton Jr. in the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges
- ↑ Anchorage's United States Courthouse renamed the James M. Fitzgerald United States Courthouse , April 14, 2014, General Services Administration website
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Fitzgerald, James Martin |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American lawyer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 7, 1920 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Portland , Oregon |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 3, 2011 |
| Place of death | Santa Rosa , California |