Stephen Reinhardt, Judiciary's Liberal Lion, Dies At 87

LOS ANGELES, CA — U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Stephen Reinhardt, long regarded as one of the nation's most liberal appellate court jurists, died in Los Angeles Thursday of a heart attack at age 87.

According to a spokesman for the 9th Circuit, Reinhardt died during a visit to a dermatologist.

"All of us here at the 9th Circuit are shocked and deeply saddened by Judge Reinhardt's death," said 9th Circuit Chief Judge Sidney R. Thomas. "We have lost a wonderful colleague and friend. As a judge, he was deeply principled, fiercely passionate about the law and fearless in his decisions.

"He will be remembered as one of the giants of the federal bench. He had a great life that ended much too soon."

Reinhardt was appointed to the bench in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter and confirmed by the U.S. Senate the following year. A New York native, Reinhardt was a graduate of Pomona College and earned his law degree at Yale Law School.

Reinhardt's opinions and rulings included joining another judge in ruling that the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance were unconstitutional. The decision that was later overturned.

Reinhardt also wrote rulings that said laws prohibiting physician- assisted suicide were unconstitutional and overturned California's previous ban on same-sex marriage.

"Judge Stephen Reinhardt's decisions reflected the way he lived his life -- with empathy, compassion and integrity," former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa tweeted.

Reinhardt swore-in Villaraigosa to the first of his two terms as mayor in 2005.

After serving two years in the U.S. Air Force, Reinhardt served as a clerk for a federal judge in the District of Columbia, then entered private practice in Los Angeles, specializing in labor and election law.

Reinhardt was an informal adviser to Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, after being part of the group which first encouraged him to run for mayor in 1969. After Bradley was elected in 1973, he appointed Reinhardt to the Recreation and Parks and Police commissions.

Reinhardt was also among the city's representatives on the Coliseum Commission, which also includes members representing Los Angeles County and state governments.

Reinhardt was a member of the Police Commission from 1975 through 1980 and was its president from 1978 until his appointment to the 9th Circuit.

Reinhardt was a member of the Democratic National Committee in the 1970s.

Reinhardt was married to Ramona Ripston, former executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California.

"He was brilliant -- a great legal mind and writer -- but he was equally hard working," said Hector Villagra, executive director of the ACLU Foundation of Southern California who clerked for Reinhardt from 1995-96. "He worked seven days a week, completely committed to doing justice.

"I remember once being in his chambers at 11 o'clock on a Saturday night when he was writing a dissent because the full 9th Circuit had decided not to rehear a death penalty appeal. He knew it was totally pointless. It wasn't going to affect the outcome. But it was the right thing to do, and that's what mattered. He wanted his voice and his objections heard."

City News Service; Photo: Youtube Screengrab