Longtime 9th Circuit Judge Robert Beezer Dies; Court Sees Six Deaths in About One Year
Senior Judge Robert Beezer of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has died at the age of 83.
The cause of death was lung cancer, report the Los Angeles Times and Courthouse News Service. Beezer is the sixth 9th Circuit judge to die in about a year’s time, “dealing yet another blow to the overwhelmed bench,” the Los Angeles Times says.
Beezer became a federal judge in 1984. At the time of his death, he ranked 14th among his colleagues in years of service on the court, according to a press release (PDF). According to the Times, he is known for his opinions:
• Restricting the authority of bankruptcy judges in the case of Anna Nicole Smith, an opinion upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court last year.
• Holding that Napster could be liable for contributing to copyright infringement.
• Upholding execution by hanging.
Prior coverage:
ABAJournal.com: Help Wanted: Case Delays Likely to Grow with Deaths of Five 9th Circuit Judges This Year
