Ronnie L. White
Encyclopedia
Ronnie L. White is a former Missouri Supreme Court
judge
and is currently a practicing attorney
. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri
.
White graduated from St. Louis Community College
in 1977 and St. Louis University in 1979. He earned a law degree from the University of Missouri–Kansas City
in 1983. He worked as a public defender
in St. Louis and an attorney in various other government offices and was a Missouri Representative
for six years. In 1993, he was appointed as a City Counselor for St. Louis City. In May 1994, Governor Mel Carnahan
appointed him a judge for the Eastern District of the Missouri Court of Appeals
.
Carnahan appointed White to the Supreme Court of Missouri
in October 1995. He was the court's first African-American Chief Justice, from 2003 to 2005. White retired from the court on July 6, 2007 and was succeeded by Judge Patricia Breckenridge
.
In 1997, President Bill Clinton
nominated White for a United States district court
seat. White's nomination passed the Senate Judiciary Committee, but ran into resistance from then-Senator John Ashcroft
in 1999. Ashcroft claimed White was "pro-criminal" due to White's opinions in death penalty cases before the Supreme Court and cited opposition from Missouri police associations that were later discovered to be all-white. Carnahan and other Democrats criticized Republican opposition to the nomination, and it quickly became embroiled with racial overtones and an issue in the U.S. Senate election in Missouri the following year. The nomination failed in a party-line vote
in the full Senate. Ashcroft's opposition to White hurt him both in the 2000 Senate election (which he narrowly lost for a variety of reasons) and during his confirmation hearings when he was appointed United States Attorney General
.
White is currently practicing law as a partner in the law firm Holloran, White & Schwarz.
Supreme Court of Missouri
The Supreme Court of Missouri is the highest court in the state of Missouri. It was established in 1820, and is located in Jefferson City, Missouri. Missouri voters have approved changes in the state's constitution to give the Supreme Court exclusive jurisdiction- the sole legal power to hear -...
judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
and is currently a practicing attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
.
White graduated from St. Louis Community College
St. Louis Community College
St. Louis Community College is the Missouri two-year college supported by the Junior College District of St. Louis City – St. Louis County. The three original campuses were built simultaneously in 1964: Florissant Valley , Forest Park , and Meramec . A fourth campus, Wildwood opened in August 2007...
in 1977 and St. Louis University in 1979. He earned a law degree from the University of Missouri–Kansas City
University of Missouri–Kansas City
The University of Missouri–Kansas City is a public university located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. It is a branch of the University of Missouri System. Its main campus is in Kansas City's Rockhill neighborhood east of the Country Club Plaza...
in 1983. He worked as a public defender
Public defender
The term public defender is primarily used to refer to a criminal defense lawyer appointed to represent people charged with a crime but who cannot afford to hire an attorney in the United States and Brazil. The term is also applied to some ombudsman offices, for example in Jamaica, and is one way...
in St. Louis and an attorney in various other government offices and was a Missouri Representative
Missouri House of Representatives
The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 31,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections held in even-numbered years.In 1992 Missouri...
for six years. In 1993, he was appointed as a City Counselor for St. Louis City. In May 1994, Governor Mel Carnahan
Mel Carnahan
Melvin Eugene "Mel" Carnahan was an American politician. A Democrat, he served as the 51st Governor of Missouri from 1993 to 2000. He died in a plane crash on the Pevely and Hillsboro, Missouri border during a campaign for the U.S...
appointed him a judge for the Eastern District of the Missouri Court of Appeals
Missouri Court of Appeals
The Missouri Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court for the state of Missouri. The court handles most of the appeals from the Missouri Circuit Courts. The court is divided into three districts: Eastern The Missouri Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court for the state...
.
Carnahan appointed White to the Supreme Court of Missouri
Supreme Court of Missouri
The Supreme Court of Missouri is the highest court in the state of Missouri. It was established in 1820, and is located in Jefferson City, Missouri. Missouri voters have approved changes in the state's constitution to give the Supreme Court exclusive jurisdiction- the sole legal power to hear -...
in October 1995. He was the court's first African-American Chief Justice, from 2003 to 2005. White retired from the court on July 6, 2007 and was succeeded by Judge Patricia Breckenridge
Patricia Breckenridge
Patricia Breckenridge is a Judge on the Supreme Court of Missouri. She was born in Nevada, Missouri, and received her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Missouri. Governor Kit Bond appointed her as a judge in Vernon County, Missouri in 1982. She was subsequently elected to the...
.
In 1997, President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
nominated White for a United States district court
United States district court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
seat. White's nomination passed the Senate Judiciary Committee, but ran into resistance from then-Senator John Ashcroft
John Ashcroft
John David Ashcroft is a United States politician who served as the 79th United States Attorney General, from 2001 until 2005, appointed by President George W. Bush. Ashcroft previously served as the 50th Governor of Missouri and a U.S...
in 1999. Ashcroft claimed White was "pro-criminal" due to White's opinions in death penalty cases before the Supreme Court and cited opposition from Missouri police associations that were later discovered to be all-white. Carnahan and other Democrats criticized Republican opposition to the nomination, and it quickly became embroiled with racial overtones and an issue in the U.S. Senate election in Missouri the following year. The nomination failed in a party-line vote
Party-line vote
A party-line vote in a deliberative assembly is a vote in which every member of a political party votes the same way...
in the full Senate. Ashcroft's opposition to White hurt him both in the 2000 Senate election (which he narrowly lost for a variety of reasons) and during his confirmation hearings when he was appointed United States Attorney General
United States Attorney General
The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
.
White is currently practicing law as a partner in the law firm Holloran, White & Schwarz.
External links
- Judge Ronnie White on the Holloran, White & Schwarz website