Malcolm Lucas

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American jurist and attorney (1927-2016)

title: "Malcolm Lucas" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1927-births", "2016-deaths", "chief-justices-of-california", "justices-of-the-supreme-court-of-california", "superior-court-judges-in-the-united-states", "judges-of-the-united-states-district-court-for-the-central-district-of-california", "united-states-district-court-judges-appointed-by-richard-nixon", "rossmoor,-california", "usc-gould-school-of-law-alumni", "university-of-southern-california-alumni", "lawyers-from-berkeley,-california", "lawyers-from-los-angeles", "california-republicans"] description: "American jurist and attorney (1927-2016)" topic_path: "law" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Lucas" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American jurist and attorney (1927-2016) ::

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

FieldValue
nameMalcolm M. Lucas
imageMalcolm Lucas.jpg
office26th Chief Justice of California
term_startJanuary 5, 1987
term_endMay 1, 1996
appointerGeorge Deukmejian
predecessorRose Bird
successorRonald M. George
office1Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court
term_start1April 6, 1984
term_end1January 5, 1987
appointer1George Deukmejian
predecessor1Frank K. Richardson
successor1John Arguelles
office2Judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California
term_start2July 29, 1971
term_end2April 6, 1984
appointer2Richard Nixon
predecessor2Seat established by 84 Stat. 294
successor2William J. Rea
birth_nameMalcolm Millar Lucas
birth_date
birth_placeBerkeley, California, U.S.
death_date
death_placeLos Angeles, California, U.S.
educationUniversity of Southern California (BA, LLB)
website
::

| honorific-prefix = | name = Malcolm M. Lucas | honorific-suffix = | image = Malcolm Lucas.jpg | alt = | caption = | office = 26th Chief Justice of California | term_start = January 5, 1987 | term_end = May 1, 1996 | nominator = | appointer = George Deukmejian | predecessor = Rose Bird | successor = Ronald M. George | office1 = Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court | term_start1 = April 6, 1984 | term_end1 = January 5, 1987 | nominator1 = | appointer1 = George Deukmejian | predecessor1 = Frank K. Richardson | successor1 = John Arguelles | office2 = Judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California | term_start2 = July 29, 1971 | term_end2 = April 6, 1984 | nominator2 = | appointer2 = Richard Nixon | predecessor2 = Seat established by 84 Stat. 294 | successor2 = William J. Rea | pronunciation = | birth_name = Malcolm Millar Lucas | birth_date = | birth_place = Berkeley, California, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | death_cause = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | citizenship = | nationality = | party = | otherparty = | height = | spouse = | partner = | relations = | children = | parents = | mother = | father = | relatives = | residence = | education = University of Southern California (BA, LLB) | alma_mater = | occupation = | profession = | known_for = | salary = | net_worth = | cabinet = | committees = | portfolio = | religion = | awards = | signature = | signature_alt = | website = | footnotes = Malcolm Millar Lucas (April 19, 1927 – September 28, 2016) was an American jurist and attorney who served as the 26th Chief Justice of California. He previously served as a trial judge on the Los Angeles County Superior Court and United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

Education and career

Born in Berkeley, California, Lucas earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Southern California in 1950 and a Bachelor of Laws from the USC Gould School of Law in 1953.

From 1954 to 1967, he was in private practice in Long Beach, California. He practiced law with future Governor of California George Deukmejian.

From 1967 to 1971, he was a judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court. In February 1970, Lucas was the trial judge in the prosecution of Charles Manson for the murder of actress Sharon Tate, which continued through January 1971. In June 1970, Lucas had Manson removed from the courtroom due to his disruptive behavior.

United States District Court

On July 8, 1971, President Richard Nixon nominated Lucas to a new seat on the United States District Court for the Central District of California (based in Los Angeles) created by 84 Stat. 294. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on July 29, 1971, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on April 6, 1984, due to his resignation.

In April 1975, Lucas sat as trial judge in the complex Equity Funding civil litigation, brought after a $3 billion fraud by executives at a life insurance company.

California Supreme Court

California Governor George Deukmejian appointed Lucas to be an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of California in 1984. He replaced Frank K. Richardson, former Governor Ronald Reagan's only remaining appointee on the Court.

In November 1986, Lucas was retained by the voters by a wide margin. However, Chief Justice Bird and two other liberal justices were not.

After Bird lost her retention election, Deukmejian announced on November 26, 1986, that he would elevate then-Associate Justice Lucas to the position of chief justice. Deukmejian then announced the appointment of three new conservative Associate Justices, David Eagleson, John Arguelles, and Marcus Kaufman, thereby creating the first conservative majority on the Court in several decades.

Tenure

The decisions of the Lucas Court were mostly pro-business, affirmed death penalty sentences imposed by the trial courts, and tended to adhere to the textualist approach. In matters of criminal law, the Lucas Court's interpretation of the law favored the government more than that of the Bird court.

The Lucas court also reversed several pro-plaintiff landmark decisions in the context of tort law and insurance law.

In 1988, Lucas implemented a practice that the justices produce opinions within 90 days of oral arguments.

In September 1989, Chief Justice Lucas delivered the "State of the Judiciary" address to the State Bar of California annual meeting in San Diego, California.

Personal life

On June 23, 1956, Lucas married Donna J. Fisher in Los Angeles.

Retirement and death

On October 1, 1995, he announced he would retire in May 1996 to spend more time with his family. After retiring from the Court, Lucas went back into private practice and became an arbitrator for JAMS in Los Angeles.

Lucas died on September 28, 2016, in Los Angeles, California. He was 89.

References

Photos and video

  • Photo of Judges Malcolm M. Lucas and Thomas Reavley, and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, presiding at Pepperdine University's 11th annual moot court competition, 1985. UCLA Libraries.

References

  1. (September 29, 2016). "Malcolm Lucas, former California chief justice, dies at 89". San Francisco Gate.
  2. (6 February 1970). "Manson Will Present Oral Arguments Today". California Digital Newspaper Collection.
  3. (7 February 1970). "Judge Denies Manson Motio". California Digital Newspaper Collection.
  4. (5 January 1971). "Defense Says Manson Used as a Scapegoat". California Digital Newspaper Collection.
  5. (10 June 1970). "Manson Removed From Courtroom". California Digital Newspaper Collection.
  6. {{FJC Bio. 1433
  7. (1975-04-22). "Equity Funding Class Suit Opens". The Los Angeles Times.
  8. (22 April 1975). "Equity Hearing Opens". California Digital Newspaper Collection.
  9. (18 May 1985). "Justice angered by 'partisan' politics in election of judges". California Digital Newspaper Collection.
  10. (2013). "Justice Stanley Mosk: A Life at the Center of California Politics and Justice". McFarland & Co..
  11. (October 1, 1995). "State Chief Justice Lucas to Retire: Courts: He will step down in May. He cites recent marriage as a chief reason for decision. Observers credit him with restoring order in wake of Bird court". Los Angeles Times.
  12. (January 1991). "California Supreme Court: Toward a Radical Middle". ABA Journal.
  13. (2002). "The Unpredictable Constitution". NYU Press.
  14. (March 9, 2017). "Editorial: Brown will replace his stamp on the high court, partisanship aside". Sacramento Bee.
  15. (14 September 1989). "State Bar". California Digital Newspaper Collection.
  16. (July 6, 1956). "Marriage Licenses, Los Angeles County". Newspapers.com.
  17. (September 30, 2016). "In Memoriam: JAMS Remembers Chief Justice Malcolm M. Lucas (Ret.)". JAMS ADR Los Angeles.
  18. (September 28, 2016). "Former California Chief Justice Malcolm Lucas dies at 89".
  19. Dolan, Maura. (September 29, 2016). "Former Chief Justice Malcolm Lucas, who steered state's top court to the right, dies at 89".

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1927-births2016-deathschief-justices-of-californiajustices-of-the-supreme-court-of-californiasuperior-court-judges-in-the-united-statesjudges-of-the-united-states-district-court-for-the-central-district-of-californiaunited-states-district-court-judges-appointed-by-richard-nixonrossmoor,-californiausc-gould-school-of-law-alumniuniversity-of-southern-california-alumnilawyers-from-berkeley,-californialawyers-from-los-angelescalifornia-republicans