Stanley S. Harris Explained

Stanley S. Harris
Office:Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
Term Start:February 1, 1996
Term End:June 2, 2001
Office1:Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
Term Start1:November 14, 1983
Term End1:February 1, 1996
Appointer1:Ronald Reagan
Predecessor1:John Lewis Smith Jr.
Successor1:John D. Bates
Office2:United States Attorney for the District of Columbia
Term Start2:1982
Term End2:1983
Appointer2:Ronald Reagan
Predecessor2:Charles Ruff
Successor2:Joseph diGenova
Office3:Associate Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals
Term Start3:1972
Term End3:1982
Appointer3:Richard Nixon
Predecessor3:Seat established
Successor3:John A. Terry
Office4:Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
Term Start4:1970
Term End4:1972
Appointer4:Richard Nixon
Birth Date:19 October 1927
Birth Place:Washington, D.C., U.S.
Education:University of Virginia (BS, LLB)

Stanley Sutherland Harris[1] (October 19, 1927 – August 13, 2021) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

Early life and education

Born in Washington, D.C., Harris was the son of Hall of Fame manager Bucky Harris of the Washington Senators.[2] He was in the United States Army in the aftermath of World War II, from 1945 to 1947. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Virginia in 1951 and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1953, where he was an editor of the Virginia Law Review.[3] [4]

Career

He was in private practice in Washington, D.C. from 1953 to 1970, when he became a judge on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia from 1970 to 1972. He then served on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals from 1972 to 1982.[5] In 1980, Harris was one of several more conservative judges, led by Frank Q. Nebeker, who attempted unsuccessfully to prevent the reappointment as chief judge of Theodore R. Newman Jr.[6] He left the court to become the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia from February 5, 1982, to 1983, where he helped prosecute John Hinckley Jr.[7] [4]

Federal judicial service

On November 1, 1983, Harris was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia vacated by Judge John Lewis Smith Jr.[7] Harris was confirmed by the United States Senate on November 11, 1983, and received his commission on November 14, 1983. He assumed senior status on February 1, 1996, and served in that capacity until June 2, 2001, when he retired.[4]

Harris died on August 13, 2021, at his home.[8]

Sources

Notes and References

  1. News: Stanley Harris, U.S. attorney and federal judge, dies at 93. The Washington Post. August 25, 2021.
  2. News: Laura A. Kiernan . Benjamin Weiser . D.C. Judge Favored for Prosecutor . The Washington Post . October 1, 1981 . A1.
  3. Web site: Virginia Law Review, 1951–1952. University of Virginia Law School. June 16, 2017. December 7, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191207191829/http://archives.law.virginia.edu/records/rg/106-80/digital/1434. dead.
  4. Web site: Harris, Stanley S. – Federal Judicial Center. www.fjc.gov.
  5. Web site: Report of District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission.
  6. News: Weiser. Benjamin. Judge Newman Defends Himself Against Charges. The Washington Post. October 31, 1980. May 23, 2017.
  7. News: Neubauer. Chuck. DiGenova's role in Hinckley case doesn't hold up. June 16, 2017. Washington Times. March 31, 2011.
  8. Web site: STANLEY HARRIS Obituary (1927 - 2021) . 2021-08-22 . Legacy.com.