William J. Wilkins
Encyclopedia
William J. Wilkins was an American lawyer and judge
from the state
of Washington. He was the last surviving judge of the post-World War II
Nuremberg Trials
of Nazi war crimes.
Wilkins was born in Michigan
, the fifth of nine children of a miner from Cornwall
, England
. He went to work in the copper mines at 14 to help support his family when his father became ill.
He served in the United States Army
in World War I
as a sergeant
, receiving a battlefield commission to second lieutenant
. He was awarded a Silver Star
in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive
in the fall of 1918.
He completed high school after the war and worked his way through the University of Michigan
. He obtained his law degree
from George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C.
He was invited to Seattle by a classmate and settled there, passing the Washington State bar and marrying the daughter of a Yakima rancher.
Wilkins was King County
deputy prosecutor from 1929 to 1934, and then went into private practice until 1940, when he was appointed a King County Superior Court
judge. At the outbreak of World War II
, Wilkins re-enlisted in the Army and served in the Judge Advocate General's Corps.
In 1951, Wilkins presided over the infamous libel trial against author Betty MacDonald, brought by nine people who claimed to be the Kettle family MacDonald wrote about in her best-selling book, The Egg and I
. Much to Judge Wilkins' surprise, the jury sided with MacDonald, something Wilkins discussed in his autobiography, The Sword and the Gavel
.
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...
from the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Washington. He was the last surviving judge of the post-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...
Nuremberg Trials
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals, held by the victorious Allied forces of World War II, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Germany....
of Nazi war crimes.
Wilkins was born in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, the fifth of nine children of a miner from Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He went to work in the copper mines at 14 to help support his family when his father became ill.
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...
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
as a 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....
, receiving a battlefield commission to second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
. He was awarded a Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive
Meuse-Argonne Offensive
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, or Maas-Argonne Offensive, also called the Battle of the Argonne Forest, was a part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire western front.-Overview:...
in the fall of 1918.
He completed high school after the war and worked his way through the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. He obtained his law degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
from George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
He was invited to Seattle by a classmate and settled there, passing the Washington State bar and marrying the daughter of a Yakima rancher.
Wilkins was King County
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
deputy prosecutor from 1929 to 1934, and then went into private practice until 1940, when he was appointed a King County Superior Court
King County Superior Court
King County Superior Court, the largest trial court in Washington state, is based at the King County Courthouse, 516 Third Avenue, in downtown Seattle, Washington. It also operates a juvenile facility and a Regional Justice Center in Kent, southeast of Seattle....
judge. At the outbreak of 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...
, Wilkins re-enlisted in the Army and served in the Judge Advocate General's Corps.
In 1951, Wilkins presided over the infamous libel trial against author Betty MacDonald, brought by nine people who claimed to be the Kettle family MacDonald wrote about in her best-selling book, The Egg and I
The Egg and I
The Egg and I, first published in 1945, is a humorous memoir by American author Betty MacDonald about her adventures and travels as a young wife on a chicken farm on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state...
. Much to Judge Wilkins' surprise, the jury sided with MacDonald, something Wilkins discussed in his autobiography, The Sword and the Gavel
The Sword and the Gavel
The Sword and the Gavel is the autobiography of Judge William J. Wilkins, the last of the Nuremberg Trials judges, published in 1981. Wilkins also presided over the Betty MacDonald libel trial brought by ten plaintiffs who claimed they were the "Ma and Pa Kettle" family in MacDonald's best-seller,...
.