Samuel Conti

Samuel Conti (July 16, 1922 – August 29, 2018) was an American jurist who was a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

Samuel Conti
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
In office November 1, 1987 – August 29, 2018
Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
In office October 16, 1970 – November 1, 1987
Appointed by	Richard Nixon
Preceded by	Seat established by 84 Stat. 294
Succeeded by	Fern M. Smith
Personal details
Born	July 16, 1922 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	August 29, 2018 (aged 96)
Education	University of Santa Clara (B.S.) Stanford Law School (LL.B.)

Education and career

Born on July 16, 1922, in Los Angeles, California, Conti received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Santa Clara in 1945 after serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. He received a Bachelor of Laws from Stanford Law School in 1948. He was in private practice in San Francisco, California from 1948 to 1967. He was Chairman of the Civil Service Board of Appeals in Pittsburg, California from 1956 to 1958. He was city attorney of Concord, California from 1960 to 1969. He was a judge of the Contra Costa County Superior Court from 1968 to 1970.[1]

Federal judicial service

Conti was nominated by President Richard Nixon on October 7, 1970, to the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, to a new seat created by 84 Stat. 294. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 13, 1970, and received his commission on October 16, 1970. On January 15, 1976, he gave Sara Jane Moore a life sentence due to her attempted assassination of President Gerald Ford[2] He assumed senior status on November 1, 1987.[1] Conti assumed inactive status on October 30, 2015, meaning that while he remained a federal judge, he no longer heard cases or participated in the business of the court.[3][4][5][6] Conti died on August 29, 2018.[7]

Death penalty views

Conti was known as "Hanging Sam" due to his penchant for sentencing convicts to death, at times complaining when the ruling was not legally available to him.[8]

References

1. Samuel Conti at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
2. Mintz, Howard (2015-10-01). "Bay Area"s longest serving federal judge stepping down". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
3. Mintz, Howard (October 1, 2015). "Bay Area's longest serving federal judge stepping down". Contra Costa Times. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
4. Iovino, Nicholas (October 23, 2015). "SF Federal Judge Samuel Conti, 93, Set to Retire". Courthouse News Service. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
5. "Northern District of California's Longest Serving Judge Retires". Ninth Circuit Public Information Office. United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. November 12, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
6. "Senior Judge Samuel Conti, the Northern District's Longest-Serving Judge, Retires". United States District Court for the Northern District of California. November 12, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
7. Ross, Todd (August 29, 2018). "Retired Judge Samuel Conti, Longest Serving in Northern District History, Dies at 96". The Recorder. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
8. Grimes, William (2017-05-12). "Nicholas Sand, Chemist Who Sought to Bring LSD to the World, Dies at 75". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-05-14.

Sources

• Samuel Conti at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.