Hugh J. Rosellini Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honorable
Hugh J. Rosellini
Office:Justice of the Washington Supreme Court
Successor:Keith M. Callow
State House1:Washington
District1:27th
Term Start1:1939
Term End1:1944
Birth Date:16 June 1909
Birth Place:Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
Death Place:Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
Party:Democratic
Spouse:Yvonne Chrissy Lee
Residence:Olympia, Washington
Alma Mater:University of Puget Sound
University of Washington School of Law (LLB)
Occupation:Lawyer, judge

Hugh J. Rosellini (June 16, 1909 – November 26, 1984) was an American lawyer, politician and justice of the Washington Supreme Court from 1955 to 1984, who also served as chief justice from 1965 to 1967.

Early life and education

Rosellini was born and raised in Tacoma, the only child of immigrants from Chiesina, Italy. In 1927, he enrolled at the University of Puget Sound, and in 1929 switched to the University of Washington, following in the footsteps of his childhood friend and distant relative, Albert Rosellini, who later became governor. In 1933, he graduated with a LL.B. degree from the University of Washington School of Law.

Legal career

After graduation, Rosellini entered private practice in Tacoma from 1933 to 1945. In 1938, Rosellini was elected to the state House of Representatives as a Democrat from the 27th District in Tacoma.[1] In 1944, he ran unsuccessfully for Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney. In 1945, Governor Monrad Wallgren appointed Rosellini as judge on the Pierce County Superior Court. On the trial bench, he handled a range of civil and criminal cases, including the death penalty. In 1948, he sentenced to death convicted murderer, Jake Bird.[2] In 1954, Judge Rosellini excused with good humor a 103-year old man summoned to jury service due to his age.[3]

In 1950, he ran unsuccessfully for the state Supreme Court, losing to Frederick Hamley.[4] [5] [6] In 1954, Rosellini ran again and was elected as justice of the Supreme Court, winning over Richard Ott, who joined the court a year later.[7] [8] In the 1966 election, Rosellini was challenged by Vaughn Evans but won re-election.[9] [10] Rosellini served as chief justice of the Supreme Court from January 11, 1965, to January 8, 1967.[11]

Rosellini maintained wide intellectual interests, including Bar matters and international affairs. In September 1965, he delivered a speech at the regional meeting of the American Bar Association.[12] In 1967, Rosellini participated in the Thirty-first American Assembly on the United States and Eastern Europe.[13]

His notable cases include Spokane v. McDonough (1971), in which a student at a speech by Vice-President Spiro Agnew at Gonzaga University in 1968 was convicted of disorderly conduct for shouting out his opposition to the Vietnam War.[14] [15] The state Supreme Court reversed the conviction, and Rosellini wrote for the majority: "On such an occasion, where an open-air crowd is tacitly invited to demonstrate its approval of the speaker and his party through applause, cheers and friendly expletives, it is to be expected that those of opposing views in the audience are likely to convey vociferously their disapproval in an orderly but vocal way."[14]

Personal life

In 1938, he married Yvonne Chrissy Lee (May 8, 1914 – March 15, 1982), in Port Orchard, Washington. He died November 26, 1984, while still in office.

Selected publications

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sharon Boswell. Roy Moore: An Oral History: Profiles of Washington State Elected Officials. Washington Secretary of State. May 23, 2017. 229. 1999.
  2. News: Ax-Killer Makes Plea, Hears Doom. May 23, 2017. Arizona Republic. Associated Press. December 5, 1948. 3.
  3. News: Jury Man of the Week. May 22, 2017. Jet Magazine. March 11, 1954. 26. Johnson Publishing Company.
  4. Book: Smith. Payton. Rosellini. University of Washington Press. Seattle, WA. 0295802863. 75. May 22, 2017.
  5. Book: Dubois. Philip L.. From Ballot to Bench: Judicial Elections and the Quest for Accountability. 2014. University of Texas Press. Austin, TX. 978-0292768666. 91. May 23, 2017.
  6. Web site: Frederick Hamley Papers, 1933-1963. Archives West: Orbis Cascade Alliance. May 23, 2017.
  7. Book: Vertrees. Orman Lee. Mr. Justice Hugh J. Rosellini : a study of his reference groups and Washington Supreme Court voting record. 1986. Washington State University Ph.D. thesis. Pullman, WA.
  8. Web site: Justices from 1940-1975: Hugh J. Rosellini. Washington State Courts. May 23, 2017.
  9. News: Election Results. May 23, 2017. Port Angeles Evening News. Associated Press. September 21, 1966. Chief Justice Hugh J. Rosellini easily won renomination to the State Supreme Court in Tuesday's primary, defeating Seattle attorney Vaughn Evans in the only statewide contest on the ballot..
  10. Book: Sheldon. Charles H.. A Century of Judging. 1988. University of Washington Press. Seattle, WA. 0295803290. 147. registration. hugh rosellini.. May 22, 2017.
  11. Book: The History of the Conference of Chief Justices. 2009. Conference of Chief Justices/National Center for State Courts. Williamsburg, VA. 71. 2017-05-22. 2018-04-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20180430044338/http://ccj.ncsc.org/~/media/Microsites/Files/CCJ/Web%20Documents/CCJ%20History%2061709.ashx. dead.
  12. Plans and Activities are Announced for the Pacific Northwest Regional Meeting in September. ABA Journal. August 1965. 51. 8. 776–777. May 23, 2017.
  13. Book: The 31st American Assembly: The United States and Eastern Europe. 1967. 12. May 23, 2017. Assembly . American .
  14. https://casetext.com/case/spokane-v-mcdonough Spokane v. McDonough
  15. Book: Kershner. Jim. Carl Maxey: A Fighting Life. 2011. University of Washington Press. Seattle, WA. 978-0295800394. 148. May 23, 2017.