Carter, Jesse W., 1888-1959

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Jesse Washington Carter was born in Carrville, California in 1888. In 1913, he graduated from Golden Gate Law College, and in 1913, Carter opened a law office in Redding, California. In 1918 he became the district attorney for Redding; he also served as city attorney for Mt. Shasta and Redding. In 1939 he became a California state senator and was appointed to the state supreme court. He served until his death in 1959.

From the description of Letters of Jesse Washington Carter, 1941-1942. (Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens). WorldCat record id: 122443992

Brief Biographical Sketch

Jesse Washington Carter was born in Carrville, California on December 19, 1888. He grew up on a ranch in Trinity County and in 1905 went to San Francisco. After graduating from the Golden Gate Law College, 1913, he was admitted to the state bar and practiced in the city. In 1914 he moved to Redding, opening a law office there on February 5. Although a relative newcomer, he ran for office of district attorney, losing the election by only twenty-three votes. He was successful in his second try in 1918, and he held the position until 1927. The major portion of his private practice was devoted to water litigation, in which he invariably represented the farmers' side. He served also as city attorney for Mt. Shasta, 1927 to 1939, and for Redding, 1937 to 1939. When he ceased law practice in 1939, he had seven lawyers associated with him, and had two offices, one in Redding and one in Yreka.

Although he described himself as an independent voter, Carter usually found himself aligned with the Democratic Party. In 1932 he was a California delegate to the national convention and in 1938 he was active in Culbert L. Olson's gubernatorial campaign. In 1939 he became state senator and in July of that same year Governor Olson appointed him to the state supreme court. His twenty years on the bench, until his death on March 15, 1959, were often marked by controversy, and he become known for the frequency and vigor of his dissenting opinions.

From the guide to the Jesse Washington Carter papers, circa 1912-1948, (The Bancroft Library.)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Address delivered by Jesse W. Carter, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California, before the Bar Association of Riverside County, Riverside, California, on September 29th, 1954, entitled "Will these decisions stand?" typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Address delivered by Justice Jesse W. Carter of the Supreme Court of California before the Student Bar Association of the University of Santa Clara, College of Law, at Bergin Hall at the University of Santa Clara on October 25th, 1956, entitled "The American system for the administration of justice" typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
referencedIn Catalogue I of the Regional Oral History Office, 1954-1979 Bancroft Library
creatorOf Woollett & Lamb, Architects and Engineers. Architectural drawings and specifications for a grammar school for the Redding Grammar School District, Redding, Calif. / Woollett & Lamb, Architects & Engineers, Sacramento, California, 1922. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Shenk, John W., 1875-1959. John W. Shenk papers, 1900-1935. Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
creatorOf Carter, Jesse W. (Jesse Washington), 1888-1959. Letters of Jesse Washington Carter, 1941-1942. Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Address delivered by Justice Jesse W. Carter of the Supreme Court of California before the West Los Angeles University synagogue forum at the university high school in Los Angeles on February the 16th, 1954, on the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Address delivered in Supreme Court of California in July 1936 welcoming new members of the Bar typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Address on induction as Associate Justice of Supreme Court of California on September 12, 1939 typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
referencedIn Kenny, Robert W. (Robert Walker), 1901-1976. The Rebel Voice: Jesse W. Carter and the Supreme Court of California : n.p. : typescript, 1965. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn California Judges [graphic - portrait]: Photographs from the Papers of J. Edward Johnson, 19-- Bancroft Library
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Address delivered by Jesse W. Carter, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California, before the Bar Association of Alameda County at the Athens Club in Oakland, California on the 11th of February, 1958 entitled "The chessman case" typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Address delivered by Justice Jesse W. Carter of the Supreme Court of California on Friday evening, July 25th, 1958, at Town & Gown on the University of Southern California campus, Los Angeles, California, entitled "A great Supreme Court" typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Justice Jesse W. Carter Supreme Court of California San Francisco City Attorneys' luncheon "The claims statutes" (53rd Annual Conference of League of California Cities) Tuesday, October 16, 1951 12:15 P.M. typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
creatorOf Jesse Washington Carter papers, circa 1912-1948 Bancroft Library
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Statement of Justice Jesse W. Carter made over the telephone to a group assembled at a reception given by Dr. Leonard Pockman at the home of Dr. Levitin, 355 Castenada Avenue in San Francisco on April the 12th, 1953, relative to the loyalty oath statute. typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Address delivered by Justice Jesse W. Carter of the Supreme Court of California before the National Conference of Teamsters Lawyers at the Santa Barbara Biltmore hotel on August 20th, 1958, entitled, "The American Labor Movement" typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Address delivered by Justice Jesse W. Carter of the Supreme Court of California before a meeting of California Jury Commissioners Association at Rickey's El Rancho motel, Ignacio, California, on May 1st, 1958, entitled "The American jury system" typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Address delivered by Justice Jesse W. Carter of the Supreme Court of California for the Redding Rotary Club at Redding, California, on February the 24th, 1955 on the 50th anniversary of the Rotary International typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Address delivered by Justice Jesse W. Carter of the Supreme Court of California at the commencement exercises of Golden Gate College on June 6th, 1956, at the War Memorial Veterans building in San Francisco typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Address of Justice Jesse W. Carter of the Supreme Court of California, delivered before the American Friends Service Committee, at their conference on "Liberty and loyalty" on February 2, 1952, at the California Club, San Francisco. typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Address delivered by Justice Jesse W. Carter of the Supreme Court of California at the annual meeting of the National Lawyers Guild at the Hotel Park Sheraton, New York City, on February the 22nd, 1953. typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Address delivered by Justice Jesse W. Carter of the Supreme Court of California at the Westside Jewish Community Center, 5870 West Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, on May 24th, 1954, entitled "The right to dissent" typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
creatorOf Carter, Jesse W., 1888-1959. Jesse Washington Carter papers, circa 1912-1948. UC Berkeley Libraries
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Address delivered by Justice Jesse W. Carter of the Supreme Court of California before the Bar Association of Monterey County at a dinner meeting in the dining room of the Casa Munras hotel, Monterey, California, on March 19th, 1953, entitled "Challenges to freedom." typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Address delivered by Jesse W. Carter, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California, before the Barristers Club in the lounge of the Bar Association, 2200 Mills Tower, San Francisco, at a luncheon on Thursday, November 20th, 1958, entitled "What is wrong with the Supreme Court of the United States?" typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Address delivered by Justice Jesse W. Carter of the Supreme Court of California before the Exchange Club of San Francisco on Tuesday, February the 28th, 1956, at the St. Francis Hotel on the subject of searches and seizures typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Address delivered by Jesse W. Carter, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California, before the Jewish Professional Men's Club of Los Angeles, on October 16, 1957, entitled "The 170th Anniversary of the Constitution of the United States" typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
referencedIn The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire Digital Collection Bancroft Library
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Address delivered by Justice Jesse W. Carter of the Supreme Court of California at a seminar for Trade Union leaders presented by the Institute of Industrial Relations of the University of California at the Sonoma Mission Inn on September 7th, 1957, entitled, "The courts and the Constitution" typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Address delivered by Jesse W. Carter before the Lawyers' Club of San Francisco on February the 10th, 1954, in the Comstock Room of the Palace hotel, San Francisco, California, entitled "Recent trend in court decisions of California." typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Address delivered by Justice Jesse W. Carter of the Supreme Court of California at the testimonial dinner in honor of Judge Stanley Mosk at the Statler hotel in Los Angeles on August 19th, 1958, entitled "The Administration of Justice" typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Address of Justice Jesse W. Carter of the Supreme Court of California, delivered before the National Association Claimants' Compensation Attorneys at its annual banquet, on August 11, 1951, at the St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco. typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
creatorOf Carter, Jesse Washington, 1888-1959. Biography of Jesse Washingto Carter typescript. Golden Gate University, School of Law Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith American Civil Liberties Union. Northern California Branch. corporateBody
associatedWith Bancroft Library. Regional Oral History Office corporateBody
associatedWith Besig, Ernest. person
associatedWith California. Legislature. Senate. corporateBody
associatedWith California. Superior Court (Tehama County) corporateBody
associatedWith California. Supreme Court. corporateBody
associatedWith Carter, Oliver J. (Oliver Jesse), 1911-1976 person
associatedWith Democratic Party (Calif.) corporateBody
associatedWith Gans, Herbert South, 1873-1951. person
associatedWith Johnson, J. Edward, b. 1890 person
associatedWith Kenny, Robert W. (Robert Walker), 1901-1976. person
associatedWith Knights of Pythias. corporateBody
associatedWith Online Archive of California. corporateBody
associatedWith Shenk, John W., 1875-1959. person
associatedWith State Bar of California. corporateBody
associatedWith Woollett & Lamb, Architects and Engineers. corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
California
California
California
California
California
California
California
Corning (Calif.)
California
California
California
Shasta County (Calif.)
California
California
California
California
California
California
California
California
California
California
California
California
California
California
California
California
California
Subject
Actions and defenses
Crime
Jehovah's Witnesses
Judges
Judges
Lawyers
Prohibition
Water rights
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1888-12-19

Death 1959

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