Donald S. Voorhees
Encyclopedia
Donald S. Voorhees was a United States federal judge
.
Voorhees was born in Leavenworth, Kansas
. He received an A.B.
from the University of Kansas
in 1938. He received a J.D.
from Harvard Law School
in 1946. He was a U.S. Naval Reserve Lieutenant from 1942 to 1946. He was in private practice in Tulsa, Oklahoma
from 1946 to 1947. He was in private practice in Seattle, Washington
from 1947 to 1974.
Voorhees was a federal judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
. Voorhees was nominated by President Richard M. Nixon on May 28, 1974, to a seat vacated by William T. Beeks. He was confirmed by the United States Senate
on June 13, 1974, and received his commission on June 20, 1974. He assumed senior status
on November 30, 1986.
Judge Voorhees served three years on the board of the Federal Judicial Center in Washington, D.C. He wrote a manual for judges, Recurring Problems in the Trial of Criminal Actions. In 1985, he received the Seattle-King County Bar Association Award for Distinguished Service. In 1988, he was honored at the annual banquet of the Federal Bar Association.
Of his rulings during his twelve years on the Federal bench, none was considered more noteworthy than the 1986 decision in which he found that the Government improperly concealed evidence from the courts at a 1944 hearing on whether there was a military necessity to relocate Japanese-Americans from their homes in the Western states to internment camps.
The ruling overturned the conviction of Gordon K. Hirabayashi, who had fought relocation, and was viewed by Japanese-Americans as a landmark vindication of their long-held belief that their civil rights were violated during the war. It was followed by Congress's decision to give $20,000 and an apology to each Japanese-American who had been forced into the camps.
Judge Voorhees also issued a major ruling in a school desegregation case in 1979 when he overturned an anti-busing initiative approved by Washington State voters. That ruling, upheld by the Supreme Court, allowed the Seattle school district to carry out its desegregation plan. His ruling in another case barred county jails from conducting random strip searches of prisoners, without warrant or reason, after several suits filed by women who were strip and cavity searched following traffic violations and noise complaints. In 1978, Voorhees ruled that the Washington State Liquor Control Board return the 645 cases of liquor which had been confiscated from the Tulalip tribe before the shipment could reach the reservation.
He died at the Hospice Northwest in Seattle, at age 72. He was interred at Evergreen Washelli Memorial Park
in Seattle.
The Judge Voorhees Room at the Discovery Park Facility in Seattle, WA, is named in his honor.
United States federal judge
In the United States, the title of federal judge usually means a judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article II of the United States Constitution....
.
Voorhees was born in Leavenworth, Kansas
Leavenworth, Kansas
Leavenworth is the largest city and county seat of Leavenworth County, in the U.S. state of Kansas and within the Kansas City, Missouri Metropolitan Area. Located in the northeast portion of the state, it is on the west bank of the Missouri River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
. He received an A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
in 1938. He received a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
in 1946. He was a U.S. Naval Reserve Lieutenant from 1942 to 1946. He was in private practice in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
from 1946 to 1947. He was in private practice in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
from 1947 to 1974.
Voorhees was a federal judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
The United States District Court for the Western District of Washington is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the following counties of the state of Washington: Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, San Juan,...
. Voorhees was nominated by President Richard M. Nixon on May 28, 1974, to a seat vacated by William T. Beeks. He was confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on June 13, 1974, and received his commission on June 20, 1974. He assumed senior status
Senior status
Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges, and judges in some state court systems. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status...
on November 30, 1986.
Judge Voorhees served three years on the board of the Federal Judicial Center in Washington, D.C. He wrote a manual for judges, Recurring Problems in the Trial of Criminal Actions. In 1985, he received the Seattle-King County Bar Association Award for Distinguished Service. In 1988, he was honored at the annual banquet of the Federal Bar Association.
Of his rulings during his twelve years on the Federal bench, none was considered more noteworthy than the 1986 decision in which he found that the Government improperly concealed evidence from the courts at a 1944 hearing on whether there was a military necessity to relocate Japanese-Americans from their homes in the Western states to internment camps.
The ruling overturned the conviction of Gordon K. Hirabayashi, who had fought relocation, and was viewed by Japanese-Americans as a landmark vindication of their long-held belief that their civil rights were violated during the war. It was followed by Congress's decision to give $20,000 and an apology to each Japanese-American who had been forced into the camps.
Judge Voorhees also issued a major ruling in a school desegregation case in 1979 when he overturned an anti-busing initiative approved by Washington State voters. That ruling, upheld by the Supreme Court, allowed the Seattle school district to carry out its desegregation plan. His ruling in another case barred county jails from conducting random strip searches of prisoners, without warrant or reason, after several suits filed by women who were strip and cavity searched following traffic violations and noise complaints. In 1978, Voorhees ruled that the Washington State Liquor Control Board return the 645 cases of liquor which had been confiscated from the Tulalip tribe before the shipment could reach the reservation.
He died at the Hospice Northwest in Seattle, at age 72. He was interred at Evergreen Washelli Memorial Park
Evergreen Washelli Memorial Park
Evergreen Washelli Memorial Park originated in 1885. It is located on both sides of Aurora Avenue in Seattle, Washington, and occupies roughly . It is the largest cemetery in Seattle.-History:...
in Seattle.
The Judge Voorhees Room at the Discovery Park Facility in Seattle, WA, is named in his honor.