James W. Kehoe
Encyclopedia
James W. Kehoe was an American lawyer
and judge
.
, in 1925. His family moved to Florida when Kehoe was an infant.
Kehoe graduated from Miami Senior High School. He served in the United States Army Air Corps
from 1943 to 1946, attaining the rank
of sergeant
. Kehoe graduated from the University of Florida
in 1947 with an Associate of Arts degree
in 1947 on a football
scholarship
and from the University of Florida College of Law with an LL.B.
in 1950.
Kehoe was admitted to the bar in 1950, and was in private practice in Miami, Florida
from 1950 to 1955, mostly doing criminal defense work. He was assistant county solicitor
for Dade County
from 1955 to 1957, before returning to private practice in Miami from 1957 to 1961.
to the state Civil Court of Record from 1961 to 196.
Kehoe served as a judge of the 11th Judicial Circuit
from 1963 and 1977, and was reelected several times. He served as administrative judge of the 11th Circuit and was elected chief judge in 1977.
Kehoe was appointed by Governor Reubin Askew to the Florida Third District Court of Appeal
from 1977 to 1979; he wrote over 200 majority opinions during his two years on the court.
Kehoe was recommended by Senator Lawton Chiles
for the federal judiciary
to President
Jimmy Carter
. Carter nominated Kehoe to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
on July 18, 1979, to the new seat created by 92 Stat. 1629. Confirmed
by the Senate
on October 4, 1979, he received commission
on October 5, 1979. While on the court Kehoe presided over the trial of former Hialeah
mayor
Raul L. Martinez
on charges of conspiracy
, extortion
and racketeering
, in July 1991. (Martinez was convicted and sentenced
to 10 years in prison, but the conviction was overturned in 1996 following a third trial; the second trial, in 1996, resulted in a hung jury
).
Kehoe assumed senior status on October 16, 1992. He died in 1998 in Miami. He was survived by his wife of 46 years, Shirley, and their two children.
Law of the United States
The law of the United States consists of many levels of codified and uncodified forms of law, of which the most important is the United States Constitution, the foundation of the federal government of the United States...
and 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...
.
Background
Kehoe was born in Portsmouth, VirginiaPortsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...
, in 1925. His family moved to Florida when Kehoe was an infant.
Kehoe graduated from Miami Senior High School. He served in the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
from 1943 to 1946, attaining the rank
Military rank
Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...
of sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
. Kehoe graduated from the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in 1947 with an Associate of Arts degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
in 1947 on a football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
scholarship
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
and from the University of Florida College of Law with an LL.B.
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
in 1950.
Kehoe was admitted to the bar in 1950, and was in private practice in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
from 1950 to 1955, mostly doing criminal defense work. He was assistant county solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
for Dade County
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
from 1955 to 1957, before returning to private practice in Miami from 1957 to 1961.
Judicial Service
Kehoe was appointed by Governor C. Farris BryantC. Farris Bryant
Cecil Farris Bryant was the 34th Governor of Florida. He also served on the United States National Security Council and in the Office of Emergency Planning during the administration of President Lyndon B...
to the state Civil Court of Record from 1961 to 196.
Kehoe served as a judge of the 11th Judicial Circuit
Florida Circuit Courts
The Florida Circuit Courts are state courts. They are trial courts of original jurisdiction for most controversies. In Florida, the circuit courts are one of four types of courts created by the Florida Constitution .The Circuit Courts primarily handle civil cases where...
from 1963 and 1977, and was reelected several times. He served as administrative judge of the 11th Circuit and was elected chief judge in 1977.
Kehoe was appointed by Governor Reubin Askew to the Florida Third District Court of Appeal
Florida Third District Court of Appeal
The Florida Third District Court of Appeal is headquartered in Miami, Florida. Its ten judges have jurisdiction over cases arising from Miami-Dade Monroe Counties.-History:...
from 1977 to 1979; he wrote over 200 majority opinions during his two years on the court.
Kehoe was recommended by Senator Lawton Chiles
Lawton Chiles
Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of...
for the federal judiciary
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....
to President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
. Carter nominated Kehoe to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida is the federal United States district court with jurisdiction over the southern part of the state of Florida....
on July 18, 1979, to the new seat created by 92 Stat. 1629. Confirmed
Advice and consent
Advice and consent is an English phrase frequently used in enacting formulae of bills and in other legal or constitutional contexts, describing a situation in which the executive branch of a government enacts something previously approved of by the legislative branch.-General:The expression is...
by the 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 October 4, 1979, he received commission
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
on October 5, 1979. While on the court Kehoe presided over the trial of former Hialeah
Hialeah, Florida
Hialeah is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 226,419. As of 2009, the population estimate by the U. S...
mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Raul L. Martinez
Raul L. Martinez
Raul L. Martinez is a former mayor of Hialeah, Florida, United States. He is a Democrat and was mayor for 24 years, first elected in 1981 and was the Democratic congressional candidate for Florida's 21st congressional district in 2008.-Family:Former Hialeah Mayor Raul L...
on charges of conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
, extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
and racketeering
Racket (crime)
A racket is an illegal business, usually run as part of organized crime. Engaging in a racket is called racketeering.Several forms of racket exist. The best-known is the protection racket, in which criminals demand money from businesses in exchange for the service of "protection" against crimes...
, in July 1991. (Martinez was convicted and sentenced
Sentence (law)
In law, a sentence forms the final explicit act of a judge-ruled process, and also the symbolic principal act connected to his function. The sentence can generally involve a decree of imprisonment, a fine and/or other punishments against a defendant convicted of a crime...
to 10 years in prison, but the conviction was overturned in 1996 following a third trial; the second trial, in 1996, resulted in a hung jury
Hung jury
A hung jury or deadlocked jury is a jury that cannot, by the required voting threshold, agree upon a verdict after an extended period of deliberation and is unable to change its votes due to severe differences of opinion.- England and Wales :...
).
Kehoe assumed senior status on October 16, 1992. He died in 1998 in Miami. He was survived by his wife of 46 years, Shirley, and their two children.
External links
- Profile from the Florida Third District Court of AppealFlorida Third District Court of AppealThe Florida Third District Court of Appeal is headquartered in Miami, Florida. Its ten judges have jurisdiction over cases arising from Miami-Dade Monroe Counties.-History:...