- Damon Keith
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Damon Jerome Keith 
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit In office
1977–1995Appointed by Jimmy Carter Preceded by Wade Hampton McCree, Jr. Succeeded by Richard Allen Griffin Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan In office
1967–1977Nominated by Philip Hart Appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson Personal details Born July 4, 1922
Detroit, MichiganSpouse(s) Rachel Boone Alma mater West Virginia State University, Howard University, Wayne State University Damon Jerome Keith (born July 4, 1922) is a Senior Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Contents
Biography
Keith grew up in Detroit, where he graduated from Northwestern High School in 1939; Keith then moved on to West Virginia State College (B.A. 1943), Howard University School of Law (J.D. 1949), and Wayne State University Law School (L.L.M. 1956).
Keith married Rachel Boone in 1953 and they had three daughters.[1] Rachel died on January 4, 2007.
In 1964, Keith was elected co-chair of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission with John Feikens, and was a key player in the tumultuous times following the Detroit race riots.
In 1967, Senator Philip Hart suggested Keith to President Lyndon Johnson, who nominated Keith to his seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Keith eventually rose to Chief Judge of the District Court. And in 1977 he was nominated to the Sixth Circuit by President Jimmy Carter where he has remained.[2]
Keith is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.[3]
In 2008, Keith received an honorary doctorate in law from Harvard University.[4]
Notable Cases
In United States v. Sinclair (1971), Keith famously ruled that Nixon's Attorney General John Mitchell had to disclose the transcripts of illegal wiretaps that Mitchell had authorized without first obtaining a search warrant. Keith's decision was upheld by the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.[1] The Supreme Court's landmark decision in United States v. U.S. District Court (1972) (also known as "the Keith case") contributed in 1978 to president Jimmy Carter signing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). That decision is commemorated as a "Michigan Legal Milestone" called "the Uninvited Ear" and erected by the State Bar of Michigan.[5]
Prominent Past Clerks
He has been called a father-figure to Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm, he administered the oath of office to her in both 2002 and 2006.[6] Former law clerks also include Lani Guinier, first African-American woman to gain tenure at Harvard Law School;[7][8] Judge Eric L. Clay, who now serves with Judge Keith on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit;[2] Ronald Machen, the current United States Attorney for the District of Columbia;[9] Constance L. Rice, prominent civil rights activist and co-founder of the Advancement Project;[10] Rashad Hussain, Deputy Associate Council to President Barack Obama, and the U.S. representative to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference;[11] and Jocelyn F. Benson, an Assistant Professor of Law at Wayne State University Law School and the 2010 Democratic candidate for Michigan Secretary of State.[12]
Notes
- ^ a b "Damon J. Keith Collection" (PDF). Wayne State University. http://www.reuther.wayne.edu/files/UP001582.pdf. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
- ^ a b "Fighters for Justice: Damon J. Keith". http://keithcollection.wayne.edu/fighters/keith.htm. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
- ^ "Alpha Phi Alpha Politicians". The Political Graveyard. http://politicalgraveyard.com/group/alpha-phi-alpha.html. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
- ^ "Summary Biography The Honorable Damon J. Keith". http://keithcollection.wayne.edu/about/bio.html. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
- ^ "The Uninvited Ear". State Bar of Michigan. http://www.michbar.org/programs/milestone/milestones_TheUninvitedEar.cfm. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
- ^ "Judge Damon J. Keith swears in Michigan's first woman governor". Jet (Johnson). 2003-01-20. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_4_103/ai_96738528/. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
- ^ "Damon J. Keith Bibliography". http://www.ca6.uscourts.gov/lib_hist/Courts/circuit/judges/keith/djk-bib.html. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
- ^ Bronner, Ethan (1998-01-24). "Lani Guinier Joins Faculty Of Law School At Harvard". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/24/us/lani-guinier-joins-faculty-of-law-school-at-harvard.html. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
- ^ "Biography of U.S. Attorney, United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia". http://www.justice.gov/usao/dc/US_Attorney/index.html. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
- ^ "National Civil Rights Activist, Attorney and NPR Commentator to Speak in Detroit, Oct. 23". http://www.law.wayne.edu/alumni/news_archive.php?id=2378/. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
- ^ "President Obama Announces Key Additions to the Office of the White House Counsel". http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/ObamaAnnouncesKeyAdditionstotheOfficeoftheWhiteHouseCounsel/. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
- ^ Wayne State University Law School Bio for Jocelyn F. Benson
External links
- Damon Keith at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- Detroit Free Press v. Ashcroft
- Keith biography
- 2003 Rep. Conyers speech praising Keith
- Judge Damon J. Keith to Inaugurate University of Richmond Law School's Judges in Residency Program
Categories:- 1922 births
- Living people
- Howard University School of Law alumni
- Wayne State University Law School alumni
- West Virginia State University alumni
- Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
- United States district court judges appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson
- Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- United States court of appeals judges appointed by Jimmy Carter
- African American judges
- Spingarn Medal winners
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