Devitt, Edward J. (Edward James), 1911-1992

Edward James Devitt, the son of a railroad round-house foreman, was born May 5, 1911 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Devitt gained notarity as the youngest judge in the USA. Named an assistant attorney general in Minnesota in 1939, he also taught at the UND Law School. During his tenure on the US District Court, Devitt became the most respected and influential district court judge in the nation. His decisions were seldom reversed on appeal. His booklet "Ten Commandments for the New Judge", written in 1961, has become standard reading. During the years 1967-1971, Judge Devitt chaired the American Bar Association Legal Advisory Committee on Fair Trial - Free Press, which developed guidelines for news media and the bench in sensational cases so as to avoid prejudicial publicity that would prevent a fair trial. An active Catholic, Judge Devitt urged his fellow jurists to pray for divine guidance since "judges need that help more than anyone else." Among Judge Devitt's most notable cases were the 1961 racketeering trial of Minneapolis gangster Isadore (Kid Cann) Blumenfeld, the 1963 fraud trial of former Minneapolis mayor Marvin Kline, the trial of the "Minnesota Eight" resisters of the Vietnam era draft, and the Reserve Mining environmental pollution trial of the mid 1970s. Judge Devitt died March 2, 1992.

From the description of Papers, 1927-1992. (University of North Dakota). WorldCat record id: 49059751

Edward James Devitt, the son of a railroad round-house foreman, was born May 5, 1911 in St. Paul, Minnesota. He earned a Bachelor of Law degree at the University of North Dakota in 1935, and a Bachelor of Science in Commerce in 1938. Elected a municipal judge in East Grand Forks, MN in 1935, he became the youngest judge in the USA. Named an assistant attorney general in Minnesota in 1939, he also taught at the UND Law School. During the Second World War, Devitt became a US Navy intelligence officer. Lt. Cdr. Devitt was the sole survivor of a kamikaze hit upon the destroyer Caldwell. On the US District Court he was the most respected and influential member in the nation. He wrote books, and developed guidelines for judges. An active Catholic, Judge Devitt urged his fellow jurists to pray for divine guidance since "judges need that help more than anyone else." Judge Devitt died March 2, 1992.

From the description of Papers, 1927-1992. Series I. (University of North Dakota). WorldCat record id: 49059764