Dickinson R. Debevoise

Dickinson R. Debevoise
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
In office May 1, 1994 – August 14, 2015
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
In office November 2, 1979 – May 1, 1994
Nominated by	Jimmy Carter
Preceded by	Seat Established by 92 Stat. 1629
Succeeded by	Stephen Orlofsky
Personal details
Born	Dickinson Richards Debevoise April 23, 1924 Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	August 14, 2015 (aged 91)
Spouse(s)	Katrina Debevoise (her death); 4 children
Alma mater	Williams College Columbia Law School

Dickinson Richards Debevoise (April 23, 1924 – August 14, 2015) was a United States Senior District Judge on the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. He was born in Orange, New Jersey.^[1]

Biography

Debevoise was nominated by President Jimmy Carter on February 23, 1978, and confirmed by the United States Senate on October 31, 1979. He served on the committee that revised the general (i.e., local) rules of the district court in 1984. He was on senior status beginning May 1, 1994. His former chambers are located in the Martin Luther King, Jr., United States Courthouse and Federal Building in Newark, New Jersey. Prior to his appointment to the bench, he was in private practice in Newark, New Jersey, from 1953-79. He was formerly a partner in the firm now known as Riker, Danzig, Scherer, Hyland & Perretti LLP. A graduate of Williams College (class of 1946)^[2] and Columbia Law School (class of 1951), he began his legal career as a law clerk to United States District Judge Phillip Forman.

Debovoise presided over the arraignment of Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski in 1996.^[3] He served as a Sergeant in the United States Army during World War II, where he participated in D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge, and occupation of Berlin.^[2] He later went on to serve as a lieutenant during the Korean War. He and his wife Katrina had four daughters.^[4]

References

1. Mullin, E.J. (1987). Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey 202. Trenton, New Jersey: New Jersey Legislature. p. 1034.
2. Schapiro, Morton (September 6, 2008). "Dickinson R. Debevoise '46". Williams College. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
3. "Kaczynski arraigned by video in New Jersey bombing". CNN.com. December 10, 1996. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
4. http://obits.nj.com/obituaries/starledger/obituary.aspx?pid=174977858

External links

• Dickinson R. Debevoise at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
• An oral history interview of Debevoise was conducted by the Historical Society for the U.S. District of the District of New Jersey on April 22, 2010.