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Damon Keith

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Damon Keith
Keith in 2018
Senior Judgeof theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
In office
May 1, 1995 – April 28, 2019
Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
In office
October 21, 1977 – May 1, 1995
Appointed byJimmy Carter
Preceded byWade H. McCree
Succeeded byRichard Allen Griffin
Chief Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
In office
December 13, 1975 – November 22, 1977
Preceded byFrederick William Kaess
Succeeded byCornelia Groefsema Kennedy
Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
In office
October 12, 1967 – November 22, 1977
Appointed byLyndon B. Johnson
Preceded byThomas Patrick Thornton
Succeeded byPatricia Boyle
Personal details
Born
Damon Jerome Keith

(1922-07-04)July 4, 1922
Detroit,Michigan,U.S.
DiedApril 28, 2019(2019-04-28)(aged 96)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
EducationWest Virginia State University(BA)
Howard University(LLB)
Wayne State University(LLM)

Damon Jerome Keith(July 4, 1922 – April 28, 2019) was aUnited States circuit judgeof theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuitand a former United States District Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.Keith died in office at age 96.

Education and career[edit]

Keith was born and grew up inDetroit,Michigan,where he graduated fromNorthwestern High Schoolin 1939. Keith then moved on toWest Virginia State Collegewhere he received aBachelor of Artsdegree in 1943. He served in theUnited States Armyfrom 1943 to 1946. He then attendedHoward University School of Lawwhere he received aBachelor of Lawsin 1949, andWayne State University Law Schoolwhere he received aMaster of Lawsin 1956. He was in the private practice of law in Detroit from 1950 to 1967. He was an attorney in the Office of the Friend of the Court in Detroit from 1951 to 1955.[1]In 1964 Keith was elected co-chair of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission withJohn Feikensand was a key player in the tumultuous times following theDetroit race riots.

Personal[edit]

Keith marriedRachel Boonein 1953 and they had three daughters.[2]Rachel died on January 4, 2007. Keith died on April 28, 2019, at his home in Detroit, at the age of 96.[3]The cause was complications fromleukemiaandcardiovascular disease.[4]

Federal judicial service[edit]

At the suggestion ofUnited States SenatorPhilip Hart,Keith was nominated by PresidentLyndon B. Johnsonon September 25, 1967, to a seat on theUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of Michiganvacated by JudgeThomas Patrick Thornton.He was confirmed by theUnited States Senateon October 12, 1967, and received his commission the same day. He served as Chief Judge from 1975 to 1977. His service was terminated on November 22, 1977, due to his elevation to the Sixth Circuit.[1]

Keith was nominated by PresidentJimmy Carteron September 28, 1977, to a seat on theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuitvacated by JudgeWade H. McCree.He was confirmed by the Senate on October 20, 1977, and received his commission on October 21, 1977. He was a member of theJudicial Conference of the United Statesfrom 1975 to 1978. He assumedsenior statuson May 1, 1995.[5][1]

Memberships and honors[edit]

In 1974, Keith was awarded theSpingarn Medalfrom theNAACP.[6]Keith is a member ofAlpha Phi Alphafraternity.[7]In 2008, Keith received an honorary doctorate in law (Legum Doctor) fromHarvard University.[8]

Notable cases[edit]

InUnited States v. Sinclair(1971), Keith famously ruled thatNixon'sAttorney GeneralJohn N. Mitchellhad to disclose the transcripts of illegalwiretapsthat Mitchell had authorized without first obtaining asearch warrant.Keith's decision was upheld by the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and theU.S. Supreme Court.[2]The Supreme Court's landmark decision inUnited States v. U.S. District Court(1972) (also known as "the Keith case" ) contributed in 1978 topresidentJimmy Cartersigning theForeign Intelligence Surveillance Act(FISA). That decision is commemorated as a "Michigan Legal Milestone" called "the Uninvited Ear" and erected by theState Bar of Michigan.[9]

InDetroit Free Press v. Ashcroft(2002), Keith, writing for a unanimous panel of theSixth Circuit Court of Appeals,found that absolute closure ofdeportation hearingsin "special interest" cases was unconstitutional. Under the authorization of Attorney GeneralJohn Ashcroft,Chief Immigration Judge Michael Creppy told allimmigration judgesto close to the public and media all hearings associated with immigration that were thought to be related to September 11 investigation.[10]These cases were advised to be handled in seclusion, "closed off from the public", and were held in special interest of national security. Officials terminatedpublic recordsof the case and removed them from the court'sdocket.This rule of closed deportation hearings became known as the "Creppy directive".[11] Members of the press and public filed two of the cases challenging the Government's closure of removal proceedings. The plaintiffs in those cases are (1) the Detroit Free Press, Inc. and Herald Co., Inc. (d/b/a theAnn Arbor News) (the "free press plaintiffs" ) and (2) the Detroit News, Inc., Congressman John Conyers, Jr., and Metro Times, Inc. (the "Detroit Newsplaintiffs "); the two are collectively the" newspaper plaintiffs ". The third case, filed by the ACLU of Michigan representing Rabih Haddad (" Haddad "), one of the men against whom the government had instituted removal proceedings stated that Haddad, a native ofLebanon,resided inAnn Arbor, Michigan,off and on since 1988. Haddadd came to the United States in 1998 on six-monthtourist visas.On December 14, 2001, the United StatesImmigration and Naturalization Service( "INS" ) took Haddad into custody for overstaying his visa and initiated removal proceedings in Detroit before Immigration Judge Elizabeth Hacker.[12]

Prominent clerks[edit]

Keith has been called a father-figure to formerMichigan governorJennifer Granholm,who previously clerked for him. He administered the oath of office to her in both 2003 and 2007.[13] Former law clerks also include:

Legacy[edit]

Keith donated his personal papers to theWalter P. Reuther Libraryin 1994. The materials come from milestones in his career, including his precedent-setting judicial decisions, his commitment to equality for all in the American justice system, and the many forms of recognition he received for his dedication to civil rights andDetroit.[2]

His estate made a $100,000 bequest to a scholarship fund in his name atWest Virginia State University.[23]

"Walk with Me: The Trials of Damon J. Keith," directed by Jesse Nesser, tells the story of Keith's life. It made its world premiere at Michael Moore's Traverse City Film Festival in 2016.[24]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcDamon Jerome Keithat theBiographical Directory of Federal Judges,a publication of theFederal Judicial Center.
  2. ^abc"Damon J. Keith Collection"(PDF).Wayne State University. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on August 18, 2010.RetrievedMay 16,2010.
  3. ^"Judge Damon J. Keith dies at age 96".WXYZ. April 28, 2019.RetrievedApril 28,2019.
  4. ^"Damon J. Keith, Trailblazing Black Jurist Who Upheld Civil Rights, Dies at 96".The Washington Post.April 30, 2019.
  5. ^ab"Fighters for Justice: Damon J. Keith".Archived fromthe originalon July 8, 2010.RetrievedMay 17,2010.
  6. ^NAACP Spingarn MedalArchived2014-08-02 at theWayback Machine
  7. ^"Alpha Phi Alpha Politicians".The Political Graveyard.RetrievedMay 16,2010.
  8. ^"Summary Biography The Honorable Damon J. Keith".Archived fromthe originalon July 15, 2009.RetrievedMay 17,2010.
  9. ^"The Uninvited Ear".State Bar of Michigan. Archived fromthe originalon August 22, 2010.RetrievedMay 16,2010.
  10. ^CASE NOTE:Detroit Free Press v. AshcroftandNorth Jersey Media Group v. Ashcroft:Enduring Freedom: Can Post-September Eleventh Closure of "Special Interest" Deportation Hearings Withstand First Amendment Scrutiny?Arkansas Law Review
  11. ^"FindLaw's United States Sixth Circuit case and opinions".Findlaw.
  12. ^"Detroit Free Press v. Ashcroft(PDF) "(PDF).
  13. ^"Judge Damon J. Keith swears in Michigan's first woman governor".Jet.Johnson. January 20, 2003.RetrievedMay 16,2010.
  14. ^"Damon J. Keith Bibliography".Archived fromthe originalon August 14, 2009.RetrievedMay 16,2010.
  15. ^Bronner, Ethan (January 24, 1998)."Lani Guinier Joins Faculty of Law School at Harvard".The New York Times.RetrievedMay 16,2010.
  16. ^"Biography of U.S. Attorney, United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia".Archived fromthe originalon January 2, 2011.RetrievedFebruary 16,2011.
  17. ^"David C. Simmons Faculty Profile".RetrievedMarch 20,2015.
  18. ^"National Civil Rights Activist, Attorney and NPR Commentator to Speak in Detroit, Oct. 23".Archived fromthe originalon July 20, 2011.RetrievedAugust 16,2010.
  19. ^"President Obama Announces Key Additions to the Office of the White House Counsel".whitehouse.gov.January 28, 2009.RetrievedAugust 16,2010– viaNational Archives.
  20. ^University, Wayne State."Wayne Law - Wayne State University".law.wayne.edu.Archived fromthe originalon July 2, 2010.RetrievedNovember 18,2010.
  21. ^"Daniel Abebe | University of Chicago Law School".law.uchicago.edu.RetrievedJanuary 26,2018.
  22. ^"Judge Jonathan J.C. Grey".RetrievedApril 2,2023.
  23. ^"Estate of prominent federal judge leaves $100,000 to school".Star Tribune.December 18, 2019. Archived fromthe originalon January 2, 2020.RetrievedJanuary 2,2020.
  24. ^"Women directors fill key U.S. categories at Traverse City film fest".

External links[edit]

Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
1967–1977 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
1975–1977 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
1977–1995 		Succeeded by
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