Joseph Tyree Sneed III
Encyclopedia
Joseph Tyree Sneed, III (July 21, 1920 – February 9, 2008) was a former Republican
United States Deputy Attorney General
and a member of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
for nearly 35 years until his death.
(near Bryan-College Station). He spent his youth working summers as a cowboy
on his uncle's ranch
in the Texas Panhandle
.
in 1958. He earned his undergrad degree from Southwestern University
in 1941 and served as a Staff Sergeant
in the Army Air Corps
during World War II
.
, where he received his LL.B., Order of the Coif
in 1947. The school offered him an assistant professor position upon graduation. He became an associate professor in 1951 and was made a full professor in 1954. The law school subsequently established an endowed scholarship in his name. Sneed spent 10 years on the faculty of his law school alma mater.
Sneed moved on to teach at Cornell Law School
from 1957 to 1962, Stanford Law School
from 1962 to 1971 (two of Sneed's colleagues on the Ninth Circuit bench, Judges Pamela A. Rymer
and Raymond C. Fisher
, both studied tax law
under him at Stanford), and Duke University School of Law
from 1971 to 1973, where he was Dean. Sneed then briefly served in the United States Department of Justice
as Deputy Attorney General
in 1973 before his nomination to the federal bench.
Richard Nixon
to a seat vacated by Frederick G. Hamley on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
on July 25, 1973, was confirmed
by the Senate
on August 3, 1973, and received his judicial commission on August 24, 1973. He served as an active judge of the court until taking senior status
on July 21, 1987. He continued to hear cases and serve the court in other capacities for many more years. At the time of his death, he was the fourth most senior judge on the court.
Over his long career, Judge Sneed served on advisory committees to the Ninth Circuit, the Federal Judicial Center
, the American Judicature Society
and the American Bar Association
.
Sneed was part of a controversial three-judge panel that replaced Whitewater special prosecutor Robert B. Fiske with Kenneth Starr
in 1994. Fiske was replaced after he found there were insufficient grounds to bring charges against the Clinton Administration. The two other judges were David B. Sentelle and John D. Butzner. Sentelle was a Reagan appointee from North Carolina whose political patron was Jesse Helms
. Butzner was a holdover from the LBJ era. Political conservatives, such as Rush Limbaugh
, had called for Fiske's removal.
and abstract
artist
, who predeceased him. Together they had a son and two daughters, including former Hewlett Packard executive Carly Fiorina
. He died in San Francisco, California
, aged 87.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
United States Deputy Attorney General
Deputy Attorney General
Deputy Attorney General is the second-highest-ranking official in a department of justice or of law, in various governments of the world. In those governments, the Deputy Attorney General oversees the day-to-day operation of the department, and may act as Attorney General during the absence of...
and a member of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
for nearly 35 years until his death.
Early life
Sneed was born in Calvert, TexasCalvert, Texas
Calvert is a city in Robertson County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,192 at the 2010 census, a 16.4% decline from the 2000 census. It is part of the Bryan-College Station metropolitan area.-Geography:...
(near Bryan-College Station). He spent his youth working summers as a cowboy
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
on his uncle's ranch
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
in the Texas Panhandle
Texas Panhandle
The Texas Panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a rectangular area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east...
.
World War II service
In addition to his law degree, Sneed received a S.J.D. from Harvard Law SchoolHarvard 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 1958. He earned his undergrad degree from Southwestern University
Southwestern University
Southwestern University is a private, four-year, undergraduate, liberal arts college located in Georgetown, Texas, USA. Founded in 1840, Southwestern is the oldest university in Texas. The school is affiliated with the United Methodist Church although the curriculum is nonsectarian...
in 1941 and served as a Staff Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...
in the 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...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Career/education
He attended the University of Texas School of LawUniversity of Texas School of Law
The University of Texas School of Law, also known as UT Law, is an ABA-certified American law school located on the University of Texas at Austin campus. The law school has been in operation since the founding of the University in 1883. It was one of only two schools at the University when it was...
, where he received his LL.B., Order of the Coif
Order of the Coif
The Order of the Coif is an honor society for United States law school graduates. A student at an American law school who earns a Juris Doctor degree and graduates in the top 10 percent of his or her class is eligible for membership if the student's law school has a chapter of the...
in 1947. The school offered him an assistant professor position upon graduation. He became an associate professor in 1951 and was made a full professor in 1954. The law school subsequently established an endowed scholarship in his name. Sneed spent 10 years on the faculty of his law school alma mater.
Sneed moved on to teach at Cornell Law School
Cornell Law School
Cornell Law School, located in Ithaca, New York, is a graduate school of Cornell University and one of the five Ivy League law schools. The school confers three law degrees...
from 1957 to 1962, Stanford Law School
Stanford Law School
Stanford Law School is a graduate school at Stanford University located in the area known as the Silicon Valley, near Palo Alto, California in the United States. The Law School was established in 1893 when former President Benjamin Harrison joined the faculty as the first professor of law...
from 1962 to 1971 (two of Sneed's colleagues on the Ninth Circuit bench, Judges Pamela A. Rymer
Pamela Ann Rymer
Pamela Ann Rymer was a United States federal judge.Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Rymer earned an A.B. from Vassar College in 1961 and an LL.B. from Stanford Law School in 1964. She was Director of Political Research and Analysis for the Goldwater for President Committee in 1964...
and Raymond C. Fisher
Raymond C. Fisher
Raymond C. Fisher is a federal appeals judge who has served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit since 1999.-Education and legal training:Fisher attended University High School, earned his B.A...
, both studied tax law
Tax law
Tax law is the codified system of laws that describes government levies on economic transactions, commonly called taxes.-Major issues:Primary taxation issues facing the governments world over include;* taxes on income and wealth...
under him at Stanford), and Duke University School of Law
Duke University School of Law
The Duke University School of Law is the law school and a constituent academic unit of Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States. One of Duke's 10 schools and colleges, the School of Law began as the Trinity College School of Law in 1868. In 1924, following the renaming of Trinity...
from 1971 to 1973, where he was Dean. Sneed then briefly served in the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
as Deputy Attorney General
United States Deputy Attorney General
United States Deputy Attorney General is the second-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Justice. In the United States federal government, the Deputy Attorney General oversees the day-to-day operation of the Department of Justice, and may act as Attorney General during the...
in 1973 before his nomination to the federal bench.
Judicial service
Sneed was nominated by PresidentPresident 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....
Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
to a seat vacated by Frederick G. Hamley on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
on July 25, 1973, was 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 August 3, 1973, and received his judicial commission on August 24, 1973. He served as an active judge of the court until taking 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 July 21, 1987. He continued to hear cases and serve the court in other capacities for many more years. At the time of his death, he was the fourth most senior judge on the court.
Over his long career, Judge Sneed served on advisory committees to the Ninth Circuit, the Federal Judicial Center
Federal Judicial Center
The Federal Judicial Center is the education and research agency of the United States federal courts. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1967, at the recommendation of the Judicial Conference of the United States....
, the American Judicature Society
American Judicature Society
The American Judicature Society is an independent, nonpartisan, national organization of judges, lawyers, and interested members of the public whose mission is to improve the American justice system - to "secure and promote an independent and qualified judiciary and fair system of justice." ...
and the American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
.
Sneed was part of a controversial three-judge panel that replaced Whitewater special prosecutor Robert B. Fiske with Kenneth Starr
Kenneth Starr
Kenneth Winston "Ken" Starr is an American lawyer and educational administrator who has also been a federal judge. He is best known for his investigation of figures during the Clinton administration....
in 1994. Fiske was replaced after he found there were insufficient grounds to bring charges against the Clinton Administration. The two other judges were David B. Sentelle and John D. Butzner. Sentelle was a Reagan appointee from North Carolina whose political patron was Jesse Helms
Jesse Helms
Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr. was a five-term Republican United States Senator from North Carolina who served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1995 to 2001...
. Butzner was a holdover from the LBJ era. Political conservatives, such as Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
, had called for Fiske's removal.
Personal life
Sneed was married to Madelon Juergens Sneed, a portraitPortrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
and abstract
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, who predeceased him. Together they had a son and two daughters, including former Hewlett Packard executive Carly Fiorina
Carly Fiorina
Carly Fiorina is an American business executive and a former Republican candidate for the United States Senate representing California. Fiorina served as chief executive officer of Hewlett-Packard from 1999 to 2005 and previously was an executive at AT&T and its equipment and technology spinoff,...
. He died in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, aged 87.