Warren J. Ferguson
Encyclopedia
Warren John Ferguson was an American
jurist
who served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
.
and earned a B.A.
at the University of Nevada at Reno. He served in the United States Army
during World War II
. Upon return, he earned his J.D.
from University of Southern California
.
In 1959 he was appointed judge of the Anaheim-Fullerton Municipal Court. President Lyndon B. Johnson
appointed him to the Federal District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles, formed in 1966. He was appointed to the Ninth Circuit in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter
.
Notable cases include a 1971 decision after Spencer Haywood
was denied a transfer from the American Basketball Association
's Denver Rockets to National Basketball Association
's Seattle SuperSonics
. The NBA at the time prohibited college graduates to play for four years after graduation; the ABA did not. The antitrust
suit went to the Supreme Court (Haywood v. National Basketball Association
), which affirmed the decision.
His ruling in Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc.
in 1979 ushered in the era of home video recording by allowing Sony to market the Betamax
.
Ferguson assumed senior status on the Ninth Circuit in 1986. He died at his home in Fullerton, California
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jurist
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
who served on 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...
.
Career
Ferguson was born in Eureka, NevadaEureka, Nevada
Eureka is an unincorporated township in and the county seat of Eureka County, Nevada, United States. Eureka is by far the largest community in Eureka County...
and earned a B.A.
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...
at the University of Nevada at Reno. He served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
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...
. Upon return, he earned his 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 University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
.
In 1959 he was appointed judge of the Anaheim-Fullerton Municipal Court. President Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
appointed him to the Federal District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles, formed in 1966. He was appointed to the Ninth Circuit in 1979 by President 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...
.
Notable cases include a 1971 decision after Spencer Haywood
Spencer Haywood
Spencer Haywood is a retired American professional basketball player.- High school :In 1964, Haywood moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he attended Pershing High School...
was denied a transfer from the American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
's Denver Rockets to National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
. The NBA at the time prohibited college graduates to play for four years after graduation; the ABA did not. The 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,...
suit went to the Supreme Court (Haywood v. National Basketball Association
Haywood v. National Basketball Association
Haywood v. National Basketball Association, 401 U.S. 1204 , was a U.S. Supreme Court decision that ruled, 7–2, against the National Basketball Association’s old requirement that a player may not be drafted by a NBA team unless he waited four years following his graduation from high...
), which affirmed the decision.
His ruling in Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc.
Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc.
Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc., 464 U.S. 417 , also known as the "Betamax case", is a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States which ruled that the making of individual copies of complete television shows for purposes of time-shifting does not constitute copyright...
in 1979 ushered in the era of home video recording by allowing Sony to market the Betamax
Betamax
Betamax was a consumer-level analog videocassette magnetic tape recording format developed by Sony, released on May 10, 1975. The cassettes contain -wide videotape in a design similar to the earlier, professional wide, U-matic format...
.
Ferguson assumed senior status on the Ninth Circuit in 1986. He died at his home in Fullerton, California
Fullerton, California
Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway...
.