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{{Short description|American judge}}
{{other people|William Justice}}
{{other people|William Justice}}
{{Infobox judge
'''William Wayne Justice''' (February 25, 1920 – October 13, 2009) was an [[United States|American]] jurist. He served as a United States District Judge for the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas|Eastern District of Texas]] and a Senior United States District Judge for the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas]].
| honorific-prefix =
| name = William Wayne Justice
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| office = [[Senior status|Senior Judge]] of the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas]]
| term_start = June 30, 1998
| term_end = October 13, 2009
| office1 = Chief Judge of the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas]]
| term_start1 = 1980
| term_end1 = 1990
| predecessor1 = [[Joseph Jefferson Fisher]]
| successor1 = [[Robert Manley Parker]]
| office2 = Judge of the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas]]
| term_start2 = June 7, 1968
| term_end2 = June 30, 1998
| nominator2 =
| appointer2 = [[List of federal judges appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson|Lyndon B. Johnson]]
| predecessor2 = [[Joseph Warren Sheehy]]
| successor2 = [[T. John Ward]]
| pronunciation =
| birth_name = William Wayne Justice
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1920|02|25}}
| birth_place = [[Athens, Texas]], US
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2009|10|13|1920|02|25}}
| death_place = [[Austin, Texas]], US
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| education = [[University of Texas School of Law]] ([[Bachelor of Laws|LL.B.]])
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<!--Embedded templates / Footnotes-->
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'''William Wayne Justice''' (February 25, 1920 – October 13, 2009) was a [[United States federal judge|United States district judge]] of the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas]].

==Education and career==

Born in [[Athens, Texas|Athens]], [[Texas]], Justice received a [[Bachelor of Laws]] from [[University of Texas School of Law]] in 1942. He was in the [[United States Army]] from 1942 to 1946. He was in private practice of law in Athens from 1946 to 1961. He was a city attorney of Athens from 1948 to 1950 and from 1952 to 1958. He was [[United States Attorney]] for the Eastern District of Texas from 1961 to 1968.<ref name="auto">{{FJC Bio|1217|nid=1383016|name=William Wayne Justice<!--(1920–2009)-->}}</ref>


==Federal judicial service==
==Early life==
Justice was born in 1920 in [[Athens, Texas]]. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from the [[University of Texas]], graduating from its School of Law in 1942. He joined the [[U.S. Army]] and served in [[India]] during [[World War II]]. In 1946, he began practicing law in Athens with his father, who was known as a voice for the disadvantaged. After serving as City Attorney in Athens for eight years, Judge Justice was selected by President [[John F. Kennedy]] in 1961 to serve as the [[U.S. Attorney]] for the Eastern District of Texas. In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed him to the [[U.S. District Court]] for the Eastern District of Texas, sitting in Tyler. Judge Justice took [[senior status]] in 1998 and later sat [[by designation]] in the Western District of Texas.


Justice was nominated by President [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] on April 25, 1968, to a seat on the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas]] vacated by Judge [[Joseph Warren Sheehy]]. He was confirmed by the [[United States Senate]] on June 6, 1968, and received his commission on June 7, 1968. He served as Chief Judge from 1980 to 1990. He assumed [[senior status]] on June 30, 1998. His service terminated on October 13, 2009, due to his death in [[Austin, Texas|Austin]], Texas.<ref name="auto"/>
==Legal career==
Justice was appointed to the federal bench by President [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]. He worked throughout his life to protect civil rights, uphold constitutional freedoms, and ensure equal justice for all. His public service earned awards and recognition, and the Center for Public Interest Law at the University of Texas at Austin honors his name and career. His landmark rulings have safeguarded the rights of minorities, the poor, and the politically powerless in many areas. These decisions addressed race discrimination in schools and housing, inhumane treatment in public facilities, the dilution of voting rights, inadequate education for immigrant and non-English speaking children, and the unnecessary institutionalization of the mentally retarded.<ref>Kemerer, Frank. 2008. ''William Wayne Justice: A Judicial Biography'', 2d ed. Austin: University of Texas Press.</ref>


===Notable cases===
Although his career on the bench was a long and distinguished one, Justice was best known for ''[[Ruiz v. Estelle]]'' and ''United States v. Texas.''


In November 1970, Justice notably ordered the [[Texas Education Agency]] (TEA) to [[Desegregation|desegregate]] its schools in ''United States v. Texas'', which is regarded as one of the most extensive desegregation orders in legal history as it encompassed over a thousand school districts and nearly two million students.<ref>{{citeweb|title=United States District Court, E.D. Texas, Marshall Division. UNITED STATES of America v.
In November 1970, Justice notably ordered the [[Texas Education Agency]] (TEA) to [[School integration in the United States|desegregate]] its schools in ''United States v. Texas'', which is regarded as one of the most extensive desegregation orders in legal history as it encompassed over a thousand school districts and nearly two million students.<ref>{{cite web|title=United States District Court, E.D. Texas, Marshall Division. UNITED STATES of America v. STATE OF TEXAS, Texas Education Agency, Dr. J. W. Edgar, Commissioner of Education, Cason Independent School District, et al. — 321 F.Supp. 1043|url=http://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/exhibits/ww_justice/documents_2/Texas_opinion_1_1970.pdf|publisher=[[University of Texas School of Law]] — Tarlton Law Library|date=1970}}</ref> It was upheld by the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit|Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit]].<ref>''United States v. Texas'', 506 ''F. Supp''. 405 (E.D. Tex. 1981),</ref> At that time, many schools in Texas, particularly those in [[East Texas]], remained segregated and the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) referred the matter to the [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]] as it had limited powers to enforce desegregation laws. <ref>{{cite web|title=UNITED STATES V. TEXAS|url=http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/jru02|publisher=[[Texas State Historical Association]]}}</ref>
STATE OF TEXAS, Texas Education Agency, Dr. J. W. Edgar, Commissioner of Education, Cason Independent School District, et al. — 321 F.Supp. 1043|url=http://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/exhibits/ww_justice/documents_2/Texas_opinion_1_1970.pdf|publisher=[[University of Texas School of Law]] — Tarlton Law Library|date=1970}}</ref> It was upheld by the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit|Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit]].<ref>''United States v. Texas'', 506 ''F. Supp''. 405 (E.D. Tex. 1981),</ref> At that time, many schools in Texas, particularly those in [[East Texas]], remained segregated and the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) referred the matter to the [[United States Department of Justice|Department of Justice]] as it had limited powers to enforce desegregation laws. According to the [[Texas State Historical Association]], Justice's "decision detailing how integration was to occur quickly captured the attention of both public school officials and top state policymakers."<ref>{{citeweb|title=UNITED STATES V. TEXAS|url=http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/jru02|publisher=[[Texas State Historical Association]]}}</ref>


In 1972, Texas prison inmate David Ruiz filed a fifteen page handwritten civil rights complaint alleging he was confined under unconstitutional conditions, harassed by prison officials, given inadequate medical care, and subjected to unlawful [[solitary confinement]]. His complaint was combined with others to become a [[class action suit]] (''Ruiz v. Estelle'', 550 F.2d 238). The trial, which began in October 1978, lasted a year. In a 118-page, 1979 decision,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~jimi/450/ruiz.pdf|title=''Ruiz v. Estelle'', 503 F.Supp. 1295 (1980)|year=1980|work=PDF|accessdate=2009-11-04}}</ref> Judge Justice ruled that the conditions of imprisonment within the TDC prison system constituted [[cruel and unusual punishment]] in violation of the [[United States Constitution]].<ref>
In 1972, Texas prison inmate David Ruiz filed a fifteen page handwritten civil rights complaint alleging he was confined under unconstitutional conditions, harassed by prison officials, given inadequate medical care, and subjected to unlawful [[solitary confinement]]. His complaint was combined with others to become a [[class action suit]] (''Ruiz v. Estelle'', 550 F.2d 238). The trial, which began in October 1978, lasted a year. In a 118-page, 1979 decision,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~jimi/450/ruiz.pdf|title=''Ruiz v. Estelle'', 503 F.Supp. 1295 (1980)|year=1980|work=PDF|accessdate=2009-11-04}}</ref> Judge Justice ruled that the conditions of imprisonment within the TDC prison system constituted [[cruel and unusual punishment]] in violation of the [[United States Constitution]].<ref>
{{cite web
{{cite web
|url=http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/PP/fpo65.html
|url=http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fpo65
|title=Handbook of Texas Online - Pope, Lawrence Chalmous
|title=Handbook of Texas Online - Pope, Lawrence Chalmous
|publisher=www.tshaonline.org
|publisher=www.tshaonline.org
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|first=Paul
|first=Paul
}}
}}
</ref> The decision led to Federal oversight of the system, with a prison construction boom and "sweeping reforms ... that fundamentally changed how Texas prisons operated."<ref>{{cite web |url=|title=30-year Texas prison battle ends |publisher=''[[Dallas Morning News]]'' |date=June 8, 2002}}</ref>
</ref> The decision led to federal oversight of the system, with a prison construction boom and "sweeping reforms ... that fundamentally changed how Texas prisons operated."<ref>{{cite news |title=30-year Texas prison battle ends |newspaper=[[Dallas Morning News]] |date=June 8, 2002}}</ref>


==Honors and recognition==
==Honors and recognition==

In 2004, the William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law was established in his honor at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. The Justice Center promotes equal justice for all through legal education, scholarship and public service.<ref>''William Wayne Justice Center'' http://www.utexas.edu/law/academics/centers/publicinterest/about/judgejustice.html</ref>
In 2004, the William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law was established in his honor at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. The Justice Center promotes equal justice for all through legal education, scholarship and public service.<ref>''William Wayne Justice Center'' http://www.utexas.edu/law/academics/centers/publicinterest/about/judgejustice.html</ref>


On November 16, 2006, Justice received the first "Morris Dees Justice Award" given annually to a lawyer who has devoted his career to serving the public interest and pursuing justice, and whose work has brought about positive change in the community, state, or nation. It was created by the international law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and The University of Alabama School of Law to honor [[Morris Dees]] for his lifelong devotion to public service. Dees, who is co-founder and chief trial counsel for the [[Southern Poverty Law Center]] in [[Montgomery, Alabama|Montgomery]], [[Alabama]], presented the award at a ceremony in Skadden offices in [[New York City]].<ref>“Civil Rights Legend Morris Dees to Discuss Litigating Against Hate Groups, March 1.” University of Texas at Austin School of Law News & Events. Press release, February 12, 2007. http://www.utexas.edu/law/news/2007/021207_dees.html</ref><ref>McCracken, Jennifer. "Judge Justice Honored with the First Morris Dees Award." University of Alabama. Press Release, September, 2006.</ref>
On November 16, 2006, Justice received the first "Morris Dees Justice Award" given annually to a lawyer who has devoted his career to serving the public interest and pursuing justice, and whose work has brought about positive change in the community, state, or nation. It was created by the international law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and The University of Alabama School of Law to honor [[Morris Dees]] for his lifelong devotion to public service. Dees, who is co-founder and chief trial counsel for the [[Southern Poverty Law Center]] in [[Montgomery, Alabama|Montgomery]], [[Alabama]], presented the award at a ceremony in Skadden offices in [[New York City]].<ref>"Civil Rights Legend Morris Dees to Discuss Litigating Against Hate Groups, March 1." University of Texas at Austin School of Law News & Events. Press release, February 12, 2007. {{cite web |url=http://www.utexas.edu/law/news/2007/021207_dees.html |title=Civil Rights Legend Morris Dees to Discuss Litigating Against Hate Groups, March 1 |accessdate=2009-01-13 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516081941/http://www.utexas.edu/law/news/2007/021207_dees.html |archivedate=2008-05-16 }}</ref><ref>McCracken, Jennifer. "Judge Justice Honored with the First Morris Dees Award." University of Alabama. Press Release, September, 2006.</ref>


==Death==
[[Image:William Wayne Justice tombstone, Austin, TX IMG 2151.JPG|200px|thumb|right|Judge Justice's tombstone at the [[Texas State Cemetery]] in [[Austin, Texas|Austin]], [[Texas]]]]
[[Image:William Wayne Justice tombstone, Austin, TX IMG 2151.JPG|200px|thumb|right|Judge Justice's tombstone at the [[Texas State Cemetery]] in [[Austin, Texas|Austin]], [[Texas]]]]
Justice died on October 13, 2009, in [[Austin, Texas|Austin]], Texas.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/state/stories/101509dnmetjustice.21610d29a.html |title=U.S. District Judge William Wayne Justice dies; rulings led to sweeping prison reforms |newspaper=[[Dallas Morning News]] |date=October 14, 2009}}</ref> Though [[Governor of Texas|Governor]] [[Bill Clements|William Perry Clements Jr.]], had frequently quarreled with Justice, [[Bill Hobby]], the Democrat from [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] and the [[lieutenant governor]] under both of Clements' nonconsecutive terms, lauded the judge: "Judge Justice dragged Texas into the 20th century. God bless him. He was very unpopular, but he was doing the right thing."<ref>"Texas Federal Judge, 89, Dies", ''[[Laredo Morning Times]]'', October 15, 2009, p. 11A</ref>

Justice died on October 13, 2009, in [[Austin, Texas|Austin]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/state/stories/101509dnmetjustice.21610d29a.html |title=U.S. District Judge William Wayne Justice dies; rulings led to sweeping prison reforms |publisher=''[[Dallas Morning News]]'' |date=October 14, 2009}}</ref> Though [[Governor of Texas|Governor]] [[Bill Clements|William Perry Clements, Jr.]], had frequently quarreled with Justice, [[Bill Hobby]], the Democrat from [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] and the [[lieutenant governor]] under both of Clements' nonconsecutive terms, lauded the judge: "Judge Justice dragged Texas into the 20th century. God bless him. He was very unpopular, but he was doing the right thing."<ref>"Texas Federal Judge, 89, Dies", ''[[Laredo Morning Times]]'', October 15, 2009, p. 11A</ref>


==Other notable cases==
==Other notable cases==
Line 41: Line 107:
*''Graves v. Barnes'', 343 ''F. Supp''. 704 (W.D. Tex. 1972)
*''Graves v. Barnes'', 343 ''F. Supp''. 704 (W.D. Tex. 1972)
*''Morales v. Turman'', 383 ''F. Supp''. 53 (E.D. Tex. 1974)
*''Morales v. Turman'', 383 ''F. Supp''. 53 (E.D. Tex. 1974)
*''Doe v. Plyer'', 458 ''F. Supp''. 569 (E.D. Tex. 1978)
*''United States v. Hall'', 468 ''F. Supp''. 123 (E.D. Tex. 1979)
*''United States v. Hall'', 468 ''F. Supp''. 123 (E.D. Tex. 1979)
*''Wells v. Hutchinson'', 499 ''F. Supp''. 174 (E.D. Tex. 1980)
*''Wells v. Hutchinson'', 499 ''F. Supp''. 174 (E.D. Tex. 1980)
Line 56: Line 123:
*Blais, Lynn E. "William Wayne Justice: The Life of the Law." ''Texas Law Review'' 77.1 (Nov. 1998): 1-7.
*Blais, Lynn E. "William Wayne Justice: The Life of the Law." ''Texas Law Review'' 77.1 (Nov. 1998): 1-7.
*"Dedication and Tributes. Judge William Wayne Justice." ''Annual Survey of American Law'' 1986 (Apr. 1987): vii-xx.
*"Dedication and Tributes. Judge William Wayne Justice." ''Annual Survey of American Law'' 1986 (Apr. 1987): vii-xx.
*Dubose, Louis. "A Texas ‘Advocate for Justice.'" ''The Nation'' 13 November 2000: 20-22.
*Dubose, Louis. "A Texas 'Advocate for Justice.'" ''The Nation'' 13 November 2000: 20-22.
*Elliot, Janet. "Justice Recognized for a Career built on Seminal Cases." ''Houston Chronicle'' 4 December 2006.
*Elliot, Janet. "Justice Recognized for a Career built on Seminal Cases." ''Houston Chronicle'' 4 December 2006.
*Gamino, Denise. "High-profile Justice Hitting Trail to Austin." ''The Austin-American Statesman'' 25 May 1998: A1.
*Gamino, Denise. "High-profile Justice Hitting Trail to Austin." ''The Austin-American Statesman'' 25 May 1998: A1.
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==References==
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
{{Reflist}}
<!--See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags-->


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category}} <!-- for current and future use if material is uploaded -->
{{Portal|Texas|Biography|Law}}
{{Portal|Texas|Biography|Law}}
*[http://www.utexas.edu/law/academics/centers/publicinterest/ The University of Texas School of Law named its public interest center in honor of Judge Justice]
* [http://www.utexas.edu/law/academics/centers/publicinterest/ The University of Texas School of Law named its public interest center in honor of Judge Justice]
{{FJC Bio|1217}}
* {{FJC Bio|1217|nid=1383016|name=William Wayne Justice<!--(1920–2009)-->}}
*[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=43093208 Find A Grave: William Wayne Justice]
* [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/16/us/16justice.html?_r=0 New York Times: William Wayne Justice, Judge Who Remade Texas, Dies at 89]
* [http://www.utexas.edu/law/centers/publicinterest/judgejustice/index.html The University of Texas at Austin School of Law: The Honorable William Wayne Justice 1920 - 2009]
*[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/16/us/16justice.html?_r=0 New York Times: William Wayne Justice, Judge Who Remade Texas, Dies at 89]
*[http://www.utexas.edu/law/centers/publicinterest/judgejustice/index.html The University of Texas at Austin School of Law: The Honorable William Wayne Justice 1920 - 2009]


{{s-start}}
<br/><!--this break is to put visual space between the last information and the following template if needed-->
{{s-legal}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Joseph Warren Sheehy]]}}
{{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Judge of the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas]]}}|years=1968–1998}}
{{s-aft|after=[[T. John Ward]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Joseph Jefferson Fisher]]}}
{{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Chief Judge of the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas]]}}|years=1980–1990}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Robert Manley Parker]]}}
{{s-end}}


{{Authority control|VIAF=70565520}}
{{Authority control}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Justice, William
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = American judge
| DATE OF BIRTH = February 25, 1920
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| DATE OF DEATH = October 13, 2009
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Justice, William}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Justice, William}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:1920 births]]
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[[Category:Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas]]
[[Category:Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas]]
[[Category:United States district court judges appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson]]
[[Category:United States district court judges appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson]]
[[Category:American military personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:20th-century American judges]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:University of Texas at Austin alumni]]
[[Category:University of Texas at Austin alumni]]
[[Category:University of Texas School of Law alumni]]
[[Category:University of Texas School of Law alumni]]
[[Category:People from Henderson County, Texas]]
[[Category:People from Athens, Texas]]
[[Category:Burials at Texas State Cemetery]]
[[Category:Burials at Texas State Cemetery]]

Latest revision as of 16:32, 19 October 2024

For other people named William Justice, see William Justice (disambiguation).
William Wayne Justice
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
In office
June 30, 1998 – October 13, 2009
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
In office
1980–1990
Preceded byJoseph Jefferson Fisher
Succeeded byRobert Manley Parker
Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
In office
June 7, 1968 – June 30, 1998
Appointed byLyndon B. Johnson
Preceded byJoseph Warren Sheehy
Succeeded byT. John Ward
Personal details
Born
William Wayne Justice

(1920-02-25)February 25, 1920
Athens, Texas, US
DiedOctober 13, 2009(2009-10-13) (aged 89)
Austin, Texas, US
EducationUniversity of Texas School of Law (LL.B.)

William Wayne Justice (February 25, 1920 – October 13, 2009) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

Education and career

[edit]

Born in Athens, Texas, Justice received a Bachelor of Laws from University of Texas School of Law in 1942. He was in the United States Army from 1942 to 1946. He was in private practice of law in Athens from 1946 to 1961. He was a city attorney of Athens from 1948 to 1950 and from 1952 to 1958. He was United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas from 1961 to 1968.[1]

Federal judicial service

[edit]

Justice was nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson on April 25, 1968, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas vacated by Judge Joseph Warren Sheehy. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 6, 1968, and received his commission on June 7, 1968. He served as Chief Judge from 1980 to 1990. He assumed senior status on June 30, 1998. His service terminated on October 13, 2009, due to his death in Austin, Texas.[1]

Notable cases

[edit]

In November 1970, Justice notably ordered the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to desegregate its schools in United States v. Texas, which is regarded as one of the most extensive desegregation orders in legal history as it encompassed over a thousand school districts and nearly two million students.[2] It was upheld by the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.[3] At that time, many schools in Texas, particularly those in East Texas, remained segregated and the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) referred the matter to the Department of Justice as it had limited powers to enforce desegregation laws. [4]

In 1972, Texas prison inmate David Ruiz filed a fifteen page handwritten civil rights complaint alleging he was confined under unconstitutional conditions, harassed by prison officials, given inadequate medical care, and subjected to unlawful solitary confinement. His complaint was combined with others to become a class action suit (Ruiz v. Estelle, 550 F.2d 238). The trial, which began in October 1978, lasted a year. In a 118-page, 1979 decision,[5] Judge Justice ruled that the conditions of imprisonment within the TDC prison system constituted cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the United States Constitution.[6] The decision led to federal oversight of the system, with a prison construction boom and "sweeping reforms ... that fundamentally changed how Texas prisons operated."[7]

Honors and recognition

[edit]

In 2004, the William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law was established in his honor at the University of Texas at Austin School of Law. The Justice Center promotes equal justice for all through legal education, scholarship and public service.[8]

On November 16, 2006, Justice received the first "Morris Dees Justice Award" given annually to a lawyer who has devoted his career to serving the public interest and pursuing justice, and whose work has brought about positive change in the community, state, or nation. It was created by the international law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and The University of Alabama School of Law to honor Morris Dees for his lifelong devotion to public service. Dees, who is co-founder and chief trial counsel for the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama, presented the award at a ceremony in Skadden offices in New York City.[9][10]

Death

[edit]
Judge Justice's tombstone at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin, Texas

Justice died on October 13, 2009, in Austin, Texas.[11] Though Governor William Perry Clements Jr., had frequently quarreled with Justice, Bill Hobby, the Democrat from Houston and the lieutenant governor under both of Clements' nonconsecutive terms, lauded the judge: "Judge Justice dragged Texas into the 20th century. God bless him. He was very unpopular, but he was doing the right thing."[12]

Other notable cases

[edit]
  • Montgomery v. White, 320 F. Supp. 303 (E.D. Tex. 1969)
  • Roper v. Beto, 318 F. Supp. 662 (E.D. Tex. 1970)
  • United States v. Texas, 321 F. Supp. 1043 (E.D. Tex. 1970), supplemented by 330 F. Supp. 235 (E.D. Tex. 1971)
  • Duke v. North Texas State University, 338 F. Supp. 990 (E.D. Tex. 1971)
  • McGuire v. Roebuck, 347 F. Supp. 1111 (E.D. Tex. 1972)
  • Graves v. Barnes, 343 F. Supp. 704 (W.D. Tex. 1972)
  • Morales v. Turman, 383 F. Supp. 53 (E.D. Tex. 1974)
  • Doe v. Plyer, 458 F. Supp. 569 (E.D. Tex. 1978)
  • United States v. Hall, 468 F. Supp. 123 (E.D. Tex. 1979)
  • Wells v. Hutchinson, 499 F. Supp. 174 (E.D. Tex. 1980)
  • Jones v. Latexo Independent School District, 499 F. Supp. 223 (E.D. Tex. 1980)
  • Young v. Pierce, 544 F. Supp. 1010 (E.D. Tex. 1982)
  • Lelsz v. Kavanagh, 98 F.R.D. 11 (E.D. Tex. 1982)
  • Nash v. Texas, 632 F. Supp. 951 (E.D. Tex. 1986)
  • Young v. Pierce, 640 F. Supp. 1476 (E.D. Tex. 1986)
  • Texans Against Censorship, Inc. v. State Bar of Texas, 888 F. Supp. 1328 (E.D. Tex. 1995)
  • Ruiz v. Johnson, 37 F. Supp. 2d 855 (S.D. Tex. 1999)
  • Frew v. Gilbert, 109 F. Supp. 2d 579 (E.D. Tex. 2000)
  • Frew v. Hawkins, 401 F. Supp. 2d 619 (E.D. Tex. 2005)

Publications in his honor

[edit]
  • Blais, Lynn E. "William Wayne Justice: The Life of the Law." Texas Law Review 77.1 (Nov. 1998): 1-7.
  • "Dedication and Tributes. Judge William Wayne Justice." Annual Survey of American Law 1986 (Apr. 1987): vii-xx.
  • Dubose, Louis. "A Texas 'Advocate for Justice.'" The Nation 13 November 2000: 20-22.
  • Elliot, Janet. "Justice Recognized for a Career built on Seminal Cases." Houston Chronicle 4 December 2006.
  • Gamino, Denise. "High-profile Justice Hitting Trail to Austin." The Austin-American Statesman 25 May 1998: A1.
  • Hall, Michael. "Justice Is Not Done." Texas Monthly, October 2006.
  • Hood, Lucy. "Educating Immigrant Students." Carnegie Reporter 4.2 (Spring 2007).
  • Ivins, Molly. "Texas-size Void Left with Exodus of Judge Justice." The Fresno Bee, 13 May 1998: B7.
  • Jackson, Bruce. "Texas Prisons Go On Trial." The Nation 28 October 1978: 437-9.
  • Kemerer, Frank R. William Wayne Justice: A Judicial Biography. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1991.
  • Klimko, Frank, and Evan Moore. "'Czar of Texas'/William Wayne Justice Takes Heavy Criticism with Grace." The Houston Chronicle 11 January 1987: 1.
  • Maraniss, David. "Justice, Texas Style." The Washington Post 28 February 1987: G1.
  • Martin, Steve J. Texas Prisons: The Walls Came Tumbling Down. Austin: Texas Monthly Press, 1987.
  • Mithoff, Richard. "William Wayne Justice: Blessed by the Gifts of This Judicial Giant." The Houston Chronicle 15 November 1998: 1.
  • Mithoff, Richard Warren. "A Tribute to Justice." Texas Law Review 77.9 (November 1998): 9-12.
  • Politz, Henry A. "Judge Justice." Texas Law Review 77.13 (November 1998): 13-15.
  • Vara-Orta, Francisco. "'Activist' Judge Still Battling Injustice." Austin American-Statesman 12 August 2006: 1.
  • Walt, Kathy. "Judge Justice Left Footprints on Host of Social Reforms." The Houston Chronicle 8 February 1998: 1.
  • Ward, Mike. "Judge Says Reforms Worked For Awhile [sic]." Austin American-Statesman 6 May 2007: A7.
  • Ward, Mike. "Prisons Lawsuit Drawing to Close." Austin American-Statesman 8 June 2002:1

Scholarly publications

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  • "Address: The Origins of Ruiz v. Estelle." Stanford Law Review 43 (November 1990): 1-12.
  • "Burrs Under the Saddle." Texas Bar Journal 68 (July 2005): 609-610.
  • "Law Day Address at the University of Texas at Austin: The Enlightened Jurisprudence of Justice Thurgood Marshall." Texas Law Review 71 (May 1993): 1099-1114.
  • "The New Awakening: Judicial Activism in a Conservative Age." Southwestern Law Journal 43 (October 1989): 657-676.
  • "Recognizing the Ninth Amendment's Role in Constitutional Interpretation." Texas Law Review 74 (May 1996): 1241-1244.
  • "A Relativist Constitution." University of Colorado Law Review 52 (1980–1981): 19-32.
  • "The Two Faces of Judicial Activism." George Washington Law Review 61 (November 1992): 1-13.

References

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  1. ^ a b William Wayne Justice at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  2. ^ "United States District Court, E.D. Texas, Marshall Division. UNITED STATES of America v. STATE OF TEXAS, Texas Education Agency, Dr. J. W. Edgar, Commissioner of Education, Cason Independent School District, et al. — 321 F.Supp. 1043" (PDF). University of Texas School of Law — Tarlton Law Library. 1970.
  3. ^ United States v. Texas, 506 F. Supp. 405 (E.D. Tex. 1981),
  4. ^ "UNITED STATES V. TEXAS". Texas State Historical Association.
  5. ^ "Ruiz v. Estelle, 503 F.Supp. 1295 (1980)" (PDF). PDF. 1980. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
  6. ^ Lucko, Paul. "Handbook of Texas Online - Pope, Lawrence Chalmous". www.tshaonline.org. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
  7. ^ "30-year Texas prison battle ends". Dallas Morning News. June 8, 2002.
  8. ^ William Wayne Justice Center http://www.utexas.edu/law/academics/centers/publicinterest/about/judgejustice.html
  9. ^ "Civil Rights Legend Morris Dees to Discuss Litigating Against Hate Groups, March 1." University of Texas at Austin School of Law News & Events. Press release, February 12, 2007. "Civil Rights Legend Morris Dees to Discuss Litigating Against Hate Groups, March 1". Archived from the original on 2008-05-16. Retrieved 2009-01-13.
  10. ^ McCracken, Jennifer. "Judge Justice Honored with the First Morris Dees Award." University of Alabama. Press Release, September, 2006.
  11. ^ "U.S. District Judge William Wayne Justice dies; rulings led to sweeping prison reforms". Dallas Morning News. October 14, 2009.
  12. ^ "Texas Federal Judge, 89, Dies", Laredo Morning Times, October 15, 2009, p. 11A
[edit]
Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
1968–1998 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
1980–1990 		Succeeded by
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