William W. Bedsworth
Encyclopedia
William W. Bedsworth is an incumbent
Associate Justice
of the California Court of Appeal
.
. He lives in Laguna Beach
and is married to Kelly. He also has a 16-year-old daughter, Caitlin.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Art's Degree (cum laude) from Loyola Marymount University
in 1968 and earned his Juris Doctorate at the University of California, Berkeley
(Boalt Hall School of Law) in 1971. He was admitted to the State Bar of California
in January 1972.
District Attorney's Office (line deputy, felony trial deputy, appellate attorney, and managing attorney) as an Orange County deputy district attorney from 1972–1987. He handled cases in the California and United States Supreme Courts. He twice was elected President of the Association of Orange County Deputy District Attorneys and twice was elected to serve as a Director of the Board of the Orange County Bar Association.
In 1986, he won election to an Orange County Superior Court seat; he was re-elected in 1992 and February 1997 (he was Orange County Superior Court judge, 1987–1997). He was assigned by California Supreme Court as temporary appellate justice from April to December 1994.
On February 25, 1997, Governor Pete Wilson
appointed him an Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal for the Fourth District, Division 3 in Santa Ana
, and he was confirmed to serve in that position from 1998 through 2010.
The Court of Appeal is the state intermediate appellate court
in the State of California
. It is divided into 6 appellate districts. Its published decisions are binding on the superior court
s, and the Court of Appeal, in turn, is bound by decisions of the Supreme Court of California
. Justice Bedsworth serves as a Justice in the Fourth District, Division Three, Court of Appeal in Santa Ana. The Division Three courthouse is located at 925 No. Spurgeon Street in Santa Ana
and handles appeals from all of Orange County
. Currently, eight (8) Justices make up the Division Three court. Its presiding Justice is David G. Sills.
, Chapman University School of Law
, the California Judicial College in Berkeley, and the Board of Advisors of Whittier Law School
.
He has published law review articles and in lay magazines. He has long written a clever column entitled, "A Criminal Waste of Space," and recently published his second book, "A Criminal Waste of Time" (American Lawyer Media Publications). He writes regularly for the Orange County Lawyer magazine. The California Newspaper Publishers' Association named Bedsworth's "A Criminal Waste of Space" best work in the field of 'Columns, Commentary, and Criticism' in a paper of under 10,000 circulation for 2004.
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Associate Justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
of the California Court of Appeal
California Court of Appeal
The California Courts of Appeal are the state intermediate appellate courts in the U.S. state of California. The state is geographically divided into six appellate districts...
.
Background
Justice Bedsworth grew up in Gardena, CaliforniaGardena, California
Gardena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 58,829 at the 2010 census, up from 57,746 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Gardena is located at ....
. He lives in Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach, California
Laguna Beach is a seaside resort city and artist community located in southern Orange County, California, United States, approximately southwest of the county seat of Santa Ana...
and is married to Kelly. He also has a 16-year-old daughter, Caitlin.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Art's Degree (cum laude) from Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
in 1968 and earned his Juris Doctorate at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
(Boalt Hall School of Law) in 1971. He was admitted to the State Bar of California
State Bar of California
The State Bar of California is California's official bar association. It is responsible for managing the admission of lawyers to the practice of law, investigating complaints of professional misconduct, and prescribing appropriate discipline...
in January 1972.
Legal career
Bedsworth worked as a prosecutor in the Orange CountyOrange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
District Attorney's Office (line deputy, felony trial deputy, appellate attorney, and managing attorney) as an Orange County deputy district attorney from 1972–1987. He handled cases in the California and United States Supreme Courts. He twice was elected President of the Association of Orange County Deputy District Attorneys and twice was elected to serve as a Director of the Board of the Orange County Bar Association.
In 1986, he won election to an Orange County Superior Court seat; he was re-elected in 1992 and February 1997 (he was Orange County Superior Court judge, 1987–1997). He was assigned by California Supreme Court as temporary appellate justice from April to December 1994.
On February 25, 1997, Governor Pete Wilson
Pete Wilson
Peter Barton "Pete" Wilson is an American politician from California. Wilson, a Republican, served as the 36th Governor of California , the culmination of more than three decades in the public arena that included eight years as a United States Senator , eleven years as Mayor of San Diego and...
appointed him an Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal for the Fourth District, Division 3 in Santa Ana
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
, and he was confirmed to serve in that position from 1998 through 2010.
The Court of Appeal is the state intermediate appellate court
Appellate court
An appellate court, commonly called an appeals court or court of appeals or appeal court , is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal...
in the State of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is divided into 6 appellate districts. Its published decisions are binding on the superior court
Superior court
In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general competence which typically has unlimited jurisdiction with regard to civil and criminal legal cases...
s, and the Court of Appeal, in turn, is bound by decisions of the Supreme Court of California
Supreme Court of California
The Supreme Court of California is the highest state court in California. It is headquartered in San Francisco and regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sacramento. Its decisions are binding on all other California state courts.-Composition:...
. Justice Bedsworth serves as a Justice in the Fourth District, Division Three, Court of Appeal in Santa Ana. The Division Three courthouse is located at 925 No. Spurgeon Street in Santa Ana
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
and handles appeals from all of Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
. Currently, eight (8) Justices make up the Division Three court. Its presiding Justice is David G. Sills.
Notable opinions
- In re Transcripts of Phase Three Grand Jury Proceedings, 64 Cal.App.4th 1203; People v. Simpson, 65 Cal.App.4th 854.
- THE CITY OF GARDEN GROVE v. THE SUPERIOR COURT OF ORANGE COUNTY, G036250(Super. Ct. No. GG98995)
Academic activities and publications
Bedsworth was a member of the adjunct faculty of Western State University College of LawWestern State University College of Law
Western State University, College of Law is a private, for-profit American law school in Fullerton, California. It was the first law school established in Orange County and has over 11,000 alumni....
, Chapman University School of Law
Chapman University School of Law
Chapman University School of Law, commonly referred to as Chapman Law or Chapman Law School, is a private, non-profit law school located in Orange, California. The school offers the Juris Doctor degree , combined programs offering a JD/MBA and JD/MFA in Film & Television Producing, and LL.M...
, the California Judicial College in Berkeley, and the Board of Advisors of Whittier Law School
Whittier Law School
Whittier Law School is a law school in Costa Mesa, California. Founded in 1966, it is a fully accredited ABA law school in Orange County, California. A private university, it is part of Whittier College.-History:...
.
He has published law review articles and in lay magazines. He has long written a clever column entitled, "A Criminal Waste of Space," and recently published his second book, "A Criminal Waste of Time" (American Lawyer Media Publications). He writes regularly for the Orange County Lawyer magazine. The California Newspaper Publishers' Association named Bedsworth's "A Criminal Waste of Space" best work in the field of 'Columns, Commentary, and Criticism' in a paper of under 10,000 circulation for 2004.
Other activities
- He became a Director on the Board of National Conference of Christians and Jews and Fair Share 502 and was voted by the Hispanic Bar Association as Judge of the Year in 1997.
- He spent several years as an goal judge for the National Hockey LeagueNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
at all Anaheim DucksAnaheim DucksThe Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
home games and some road playoffPlayoffThe playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S...
games, and he became the subject of a story in "ESPN The MagazineESPN The MagazineESPN The Magazine is a bi-weekly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut in the United States. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998....
" entitled "Justice of the Crease." He was the first-ever winner of the highly coveted title of Law Star / Stellar American Lawyer.