Harold Medina
Encyclopedia
Harold Raymond Medina, Sr. (February 16, 1888 – March 14, 1990) was an American lawyer, teacher and judge who is most noted for hearing landmark cases of conspiracy and treason.
Medina died in 1990 at the age of 102.
, Mexico
, and his mother from New York
of Dutch ancestry
. Medina graduated from Holbrook Military Academy
in Ossining, New York
in 1905. After high school, he attended Princeton University
and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with an A.B.
degree in 1909. He received a L.L.B. degree from Columbia Law School
, where he graduated as co-head of his class in 1912. He married Ethel Forde Hillyer in 1911.
by virtue of his teaching, scholarship and private practice. He was also the founder of a popular bar examination course.
nominated Medina to serve as a federal judge in the Southern District of New York. In 1949, he presided over the trials of 11 leaders of the U.S. Communist Party charged with advocating the violent overthrow of the government. These were known as Smith Act Trials because they were the latest in a series of trials, the first in 1941, alleging defendants had violated the Smith Act. In this case, the jury found all the defendants guilty, and Medina sentenced most of them to five years in prison. He also gave prison sentences to five of the defense attorneys on charges of contempt of court
; among them was George William Crockett Jr., who later became a Member of Congress.
Medina presided over the year-long Investment Bankers Case in 1951-1952, an antitrust
case against 17 of the most prominent Wall Street
investment banking
firms, known as the Wall Street Seventeen. He ruled in favor of the investment banks.
Medina succeeded Learned Hand
on the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1953 and served on it until 1980, when (at age 92) he was the oldest judge still serving on the federal bench. He achieved senior status
in 1958.
In 1957, Medina received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Elizabethtown College
located in Elizabethtown
, Lancaster County
, Pennsylvania
. (Source: 1957 Conestogan Yearbook, Elizabethtown College)
J. Woodford Howard, Jr., professor of political science emeritus at The Johns Hopkins University, is currently completing an authorized biography of Medina.
Medina died in 1990 at the age of 102.
Early life
Medina was born in Brooklyn, New York to Joaquin Adolfo Medina and Elizabeth Fash Medina. His father was a naturalized United States citizen from Mérida, YucatánMérida, Yucatán
Mérida is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Yucatán and the Yucatán Peninsula. It is located in the northwest part of the state, about from the Gulf of Mexico coast...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, and his mother from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
of Dutch ancestry
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
. Medina graduated from Holbrook Military Academy
Dr. Holbrook's Military School
Dr. Holbrook's Military School was a military academy and boarding school for boys located on Briar Cliff, which overlooked the Hudson River near Sing Sing , New York....
in Ossining, New York
Ossining (town), New York
Ossining is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 37,674 at the 2010 census. It contains two villages, the Village of Ossining and part of Briarcliff Manor, the rest of which is located in the Town of Mount Pleasant....
in 1905. After high school, he attended Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with 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...
degree in 1909. He received a L.L.B. degree from Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
, where he graduated as co-head of his class in 1912. He married Ethel Forde Hillyer in 1911.
Early career
Medina became a prominent Manhattan attorney between the two World WarsInterwar period
Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....
by virtue of his teaching, scholarship and private practice. He was also the founder of a popular bar examination course.
Judicial career
In 1947 President Harry S. TrumanHarry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
nominated Medina to serve as a federal judge in the Southern District of New York. In 1949, he presided over the trials of 11 leaders of the U.S. Communist Party charged with advocating the violent overthrow of the government. These were known as Smith Act Trials because they were the latest in a series of trials, the first in 1941, alleging defendants had violated the Smith Act. In this case, the jury found all the defendants guilty, and Medina sentenced most of them to five years in prison. He also gave prison sentences to five of the defense attorneys on charges of contempt of court
Contempt of court
Contempt of court is a court order which, in the context of a court trial or hearing, declares a person or organization to have disobeyed or been disrespectful of the court's authority...
; among them was George William Crockett Jr., who later became a Member of Congress.
Medina presided over the year-long Investment Bankers Case in 1951-1952, an antitrust
Antitrust
The United States antitrust law is a body of laws that prohibits anti-competitive behavior and unfair business practices. Antitrust laws are intended to encourage competition in the marketplace. These competition laws make illegal certain practices deemed to hurt businesses or consumers or both,...
case against 17 of the most prominent Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
investment banking
Investment banking
An investment bank is a financial institution that assists individuals, corporations and governments in raising capital by underwriting and/or acting as the client's agent in the issuance of securities...
firms, known as the Wall Street Seventeen. He ruled in favor of the investment banks.
Medina succeeded Learned Hand
Learned Hand
Billings Learned Hand was a United States judge and judicial philosopher. He served on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and later the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit...
on the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in 1953 and served on it until 1980, when (at age 92) he was the oldest judge still serving on the federal bench. He achieved 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...
in 1958.
Other honors
Medina was featured on the cover of the October 24, 1949, edition of Time Magazine. http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19491024,00.htmlIn 1957, Medina received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Elizabethtown College
Elizabethtown College
Elizabethtown College is a small comprehensive college located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania in Lancaster County. The school was founded in 1899 by members of the Church of the Brethren...
located in Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania
Elizabethtown is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Harrisburg. Small factories existed at the turn of the century when the population in 1900 was 1,861. There was a slight increase in the next decade, with 1,970 people living in Elizabethtown in 1910. As of the 2000 census,...
, Lancaster County
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. (Source: 1957 Conestogan Yearbook, Elizabethtown College)
J. Woodford Howard, Jr., professor of political science emeritus at The Johns Hopkins University, is currently completing an authorized biography of Medina.