Douglas Lyman Edmonds
Edmonds in 1936
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California
In office
November 19, 1936 – December 31, 1955
Appointed byGovernor Frank Merriam
Preceded byNathaniel P. Conrey
Succeeded byMarshall F. McComb
Personal details
Born(1887-11-20)November 20, 1887
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedMay 10, 1962(1962-05-10) (aged 74)
San Juan Capistrano, California, U.S.
Spouses
Laura C. Leinbach
​
​
(m. 1910; died 1946)​
    Gertrude S. Forsyth
    ​
    (m. 1948)​
    EducationUniversity of Southern California Law School (LLB)

    Douglas Lyman Edmonds (November 20, 1887 – May 10, 1962) was an American jurist, serving on the Supreme Court of California and the United Nations' International Law Commission.

    Early life

    Edmonds was born in Chicago, and educated in the public schools of Chicago, Denver and San Diego. He later moved to Los Angeles and attended the University of Southern California School of Law. After graduation, he joined the California Bar in 1910.[1]

    After entering the bar, Edmonds practiced law in Southern California. In 1916, he ran for Assemblyman from the 63rd assembly district on the Republican ticket.[2]

    Judicial tenure

    In 1926, he became a Los Angeles Municipal Court judge.[3] He was later appointed to the Los Angeles County Superior Court bench, where in 1936 he was presiding judge.[4][5] In June 1936, Edmonds signed the order changing the name of Hollywood star Jean Harlow from Harlean Carpenter Rossen.[6]

    On August 6, 1936, associate justice Nathaniel P. Conrey announced that he would resign from the Supreme Court of California, and would not stand for election that November.[7] On September 14, Governor Frank Merriam selected Edmonds to stand in Conrey's place on the November ballot, and, two days later, he was seated as an associate justice pro tempore on the court.[8][9] Conrey, who concluded his active service on the court in August, intended to officially resign once Edmonds was elected, but he died on November 2, the day before the election.[10] On November 19, Merriam formally appointed Edmonds, who had won the election, to the supreme court to fill the remainder of Conrey's term.[11]

    Edmonds moved from Los Angeles to San Francisco as a result of his bench appointment. In November 1942, he was retained in the election, along with John W. Shenk.[12][13] After another reelection in November 1954,[14] Edmonds served on the Supreme Court until his retirement in December 1955.[15]

    While serving on the court, Edmonds chaired the American Bar Association Section on Judicial Administration.[16] In 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower appointed Edmonds to the United Nation's International Law Commission, where he served until 1961.[17]

    Later career

    After stepping down from the bench, he moved to Pasadena and practiced law at Guthrie, Darling & Shattuck.[3] In 1957, Edmonds represented the cities of San Bernardino, Colton, and Redlands in the Orange County Water Suit.[18][19][20][21] In 1961, he was the state chair of the unsuccessful election campaign of Tom Coakley for California Attorney General.[22]

    Personal life

    In 1910, he married Laura C. Leinbach and they had a daughter, Dorothy.[23] His wife died December 22, 1946, in San Francisco, and he remarried in February 1948 to Gertrude S. Forsyth.[24] On May 10, 1962, Edmonds was killed in an automobile accident near San Juan Capistrano, California. His wife, Gertrude, survived the car accident.[24] He was a member of the Christian Science church.[25][26][27]

    Organizations/Affiliations

    • Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity [28]
      • Member, Erskine M. Ross Chapter
      • Los Angeles Alumni Chapter, Justice 1935
      • District Justice, 1938–1957
      • Supreme Vice Justice, 1946–1948
      • Supreme Justice, 1948–1950 and 1950–1952

    References

    1. ↑ "Forty-two Admitted to the California Bar". Los Angeles Herald. Vol. 37, no. 328. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 25 August 1910. p. 8. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
    2. ↑ "Attorney Edmonds Out for Assembly". Los Angeles Herald. No. 221. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 15 July 1916. p. 4. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
    3. 1 2 "Ex-State Justice Killed in Crash". Los Angeles Times. May 11, 1962.
    4. ↑ "Presiding Judge for L.A. Courts Named". San Bernardino Sun. No. 42. California Digital Newspaper Collection. Associated Press. 11 December 1935. p. 1. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
    5. ↑ Grace, Roger M. (April 17, 2008). "Reminiscing Column: Lawyer Defeats $500,000 Claim Against Lankershim Estate". Metropolitan News-Enterprise. p. 15. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
    6. ↑ "Jean Harlow Given Right to Use Name". San Bernardino Sun. No. 42. California Digital Newspaper Collection. Associated Press. 1 July 1936. p. 2. Retrieved September 6, 2017. She came to court attired in a blue and white silk street dress with chamois accessories, She also carried a double silver fox fur.
    7. ↑ "Justice Says He'll Retire". Oakland Tribune. August 6, 1936.
    8. ↑ "Edmonds Named To Fill State Court Bench". Daily New (Los Angeles, CA). September 15, 1936.
    9. ↑ "Judge Named to High Court". The San Francisco Examiner. September 17, 1936.
    10. ↑ "High Court Justice Dies". The Los Angeles Times. November 3, 1936.
    11. ↑ "Edmonds Name To Supreme Court". Santa Ana Register. November 19, 1936.
    12. ↑ "General Election Next Tuesday Major Interest Here Is Race For Congress Seat Held By Kramer". Highland Park Post-Dispatch. No. 7. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 29 October 1942. p. 2. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
    13. ↑ "Two Assembly Races Placed Before Voters". San Bernardino Sun. No. 49. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 1 November 1942. p. 23. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
    14. ↑ "State Judges To Be Picked On Ballot". Madera Tribune. No. 171. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 30 October 1954. p. 1. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
    15. ↑ "McComb Appointed to State Supreme Court by Knight". San Bernardino Sun. Vol. 62, no. 3. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 3 September 1955. p. 24. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
    16. ↑ "Activities of Sections: Judicial Administration: Report of Douglas L. Edmonds". ABA Journal. 40: 1003. November 1954. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
    17. ↑ See, International Law Commission Pages on United Nations Law Commission website and Past and Former Members. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
    18. ↑ Orange County Water District v. City of Riverside, Civ. No. 5717. California Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Aug. 20, 1959. Justia.com. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
    19. ↑ A History of the Orange County Water District. p 30-31. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
    20. ↑ "Judge Edmonds, Traffic Victim, Helped S.B. Fight Water Suit". The San Bernardino County. May 12, 1962.
    21. ↑ "Justice Douglas L. Edmonds". Redlands Daily Facts. May 12, 1962. p. 8.
    22. ↑ "Two Attorney's Head County Coakley Campaign". Madera Tribune. No. 232. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 10 April 1962. p. 2. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
    23. ↑ "Social and Personal". Coronado Eagle and Journal. No. 36. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 4 September 1928. p. 4. Retrieved September 6, 2017. Judge Douglas L. Edmonds of the Los Angeles county Superior Court and daughter Dorothy were week end guests of Mrs. John W. Mitchell
    24. 1 2 "Justice Weds Second Time," Los Angeles Times (via Associated Press), February 6, 1948.
    25. ↑ "Pasadena Christian Scientist Fight 'Flu' Closing Ban in Court". Los Angeles Herald. No. 33. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 10 December 1918. p. 22. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
    26. ↑ "Vaccination Law Opposed". Mill Valley Record. No. 36. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 8 November 1919. p. 1. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
    27. ↑ "Christian Science Church of the Air Program". Sausalito News. No. 41. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 12 October 1939. p. 1. Retrieved September 6, 2017.
    28. ↑ “The Reporter”, October, 1950. (Quarterly Publication of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, 1950.)

    See also

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