David Eagleson

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title: "David Eagleson" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1924-births", "2003-deaths", "usc-gould-school-of-law-alumni", "lawyers-from-long-beach,-california", "lawyers-from-los-angeles", "superior-court-judges-in-the-united-states", "california-judges-appointed-by-ronald-reagan", "judges-of-the-california-courts-of-appeal", "justices-of-the-supreme-court-of-california", "american-military-personnel-of-world-war-ii", "california-republicans", "20th-century-california-state-court-judges"] description: "American judge" topic_path: "law" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Eagleson" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American judge ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox officeholder"]

Field	Value
name	David Newton Eagleson
image	USC CA Sup Ct.jpg
caption	From left to right: Justice Marcus Kaufman, Eagleson, Justice Joyce Kennard, and Chief Justice Malcolm Lucas
office	Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court
termstart	March 18, 1987
termend	January 6, 1991
appointer	Governor George Deukmejian
predecessor	Joseph Grodin
successor	Marvin R. Baxter
office1	Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Second District, Division Five
termstart1	November 11, 1984
termend1	March 18, 1987
appointer1	Governor George Deukmejian
birth_date
birth_place	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
death_date
death_place	Long Beach, California, U.S.
spouse
alma_mater	USC Gould School of Law (LL.B.)
::

| name = David Newton Eagleson | image = USC CA Sup Ct.jpg | caption = From left to right: Justice Marcus Kaufman, Eagleson, Justice Joyce Kennard, and Chief Justice Malcolm Lucas | office = Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court | termstart = March 18, 1987 | termend = January 6, 1991 | appointer = Governor George Deukmejian | predecessor = Joseph Grodin | successor = Marvin R. Baxter | office1 = Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal, Second District, Division Five | termstart1 = November 11, 1984 | termend1 = March 18, 1987 | appointer1 = Governor George Deukmejian | birth_date = | birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Long Beach, California, U.S. | religion = | spouse = |alma_mater= USC Gould School of Law (LL.B.) David Newton Eagleson (October 4, 1924 – May 23, 2003) was an American lawyer who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of California from 1987 to 1991.

Biography

Eagleson was born in Los Angeles, California, and educated in the public schools. After serving in World War II, Eagleson earned his law degree from the USC Law School in 1950. On June 6, 1951, he was admitted to the State Bar of California. Eagleson then practiced law in Long Beach, California for 20 years.

In December 1970, California Governor Ronald Reagan appointed Eagleson to the Los Angeles County Superior Court, where from 1980 to 1981 he served as presiding judge. From 1979 to 1980, he was president of the California Judges Association. In November 1981, Governor George Deukmejian named Eagleson as an associate justice to the Court of Appeal, Second District, Division Five.

In March 1987, Governor Deukmejian appointed Eagleson as an associate justice to the Supreme Court. A conservative Republican, Eagleson was elevated to the high court after voters removed liberal Chief Justice Rose Bird and two of her allies from the Court in the 1986 general election as a result of the trio's opposition to capital punishment. Eagleson tended to uphold capital sentences. During his four years on the court, Eagleson wrote 54 majority opinions. Among Eagleson's notable opinions is Thing v. La Chusa (1989), which sharply limited the availability of the cause of action for negligent infliction of emotional distress in California.

After stepping down from the high court, Eagleson practiced as a mediator and arbitrator in Los Angeles.

Personal life

On May 16, 1953, Eagleson married Virginia Mae Brown, and they had two daughters, Elizabeth K. Eagleson, an attorney, and Victoria Eagleson, who both reside in Southern California. Beth, in her eulogy for her father delivered before the court on which he once served, cited Thing as the opinion most representative of her father's voice and philosophy:

References

References

1. (May 1, 2000). "100 Years of USC Law: You Be the Judge". University of Southern California Law School News.
2. (August 7, 2000). "On the move: USC people, making news, making an impact". University of Southern California Law School.
3. (May 24, 2003). "David Eagleson—justice of state Supreme Court". [[San Francisco Chronicle]].
4. (25 November 1972). "Bowl Blackout Is OKd". California Digital Newspaper Collection.
5. (August 15, 1974). "Los Angeles Bathers Can Sun in Nude, Judge Rules". Johnson Publishing Company.
6. (22 April 1976). "Court Battle Opens Over Hughes Estate". California Digital Newspaper Collection.
7. (15 October 1980). "Ballot Measure Prop. 6 would cut jury size". California Digital Newspaper Collection.
8. (September 16, 2003). "High Court to Honor Eagleson in Opening Local Session". Metropolitan News-Enterprise.
9. (February 19, 1987). "Deukmejian Names 3 To State Supreme Court". New York Times.
10. (May 24, 2003). "David Eagleson, 78; Justice Brought Practical, Professional Approach to State High Court". Los Angeles Times.
11. (May 12, 1989). "Judge Erred but Justices Rule Death Verdict Valid". Los Angeles Times.
12. [http://online.ceb.com/CalCases/C3/48C3d644.htm ''Thing v. La Chusa''], 48 Cal. 3d 644, 667 (1989).
13. (May 24, 1953). "David Eaglesons on Honeymoon Trip". Newspapers.com.
14. (January 1, 1989). "Utility Sues in Theft of Power". Los Angeles Times.

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