William Wayne Justice: A Judicial Biography

About this book

Recent congressional battles over judicial appointments underscore an undeniable fact: judges no less than legislators can be public policymakers. William Wayne Justice has readily accepted this role liberally interpreting the Constitution to meet the changing needs of society. As U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas he has issued landmark reform decisions significantly affecting public institutions in Texas and across the nation. In this judicial biography Frank Kemerer explores the factors that led to those decisions and made Justice one of the most controversial judges on the federal bench. Kemerer begins his study with Justices formative years in the East Texas town of Athens. He follows Justices entry into the legal profession his brief involvement in politics and his appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas in 1961. More than half of the book is devoted to the cases decided by Judge Justice since his appointment to the federal bench in 1968. In addition numerous influential decisions involving the First Amendment voter discrimination bilingual education employment and rights of the accused are included. Professor Kemerer presents the background of each case followed by Justices decision reactions to it and an assessment of the decisions impact. Interviewed over four years Judge Justice speaks candidly about his life his decisions and his years on the bench. Kemerer enriches the discussion with insights gleaned from more than one hundred interviews with Justices law clerks court officials plaintiffs defendants and others.