Allen Broussard
Encyclopedia
Allen Broussard was an African-American judge who rose to become a justice of the California Supreme Court.
He was born in Lake Charles
, Louisiana
on April 13, 1929, the son of Clemire and Eugenia Broussard. At the age of 16, he moved with his family to California
. His father was a longshoreman, and his mother worked as a seamstress.
As a young man, Broussard had various part-time jobs, including selling shoes and working in a canning plant. He financed his own education, first at San Francisco City College, then UC Berkeley, and finally Boalt Hall School of Law. While at Boalt, he was Vice-President of the Boalt Hall Law Students Association. After graduating in 1953, he served in the United States Army
for two years. After leaving the Army, he became the research attorney for Presiding Justice Raymond Peters
.
As chairman of a civic organization called Men of Tomorrow, he contacted Odessa Monroe, the program director of the radio station KSAN, seeking free air time. He went on to marry her in 1959, and they had two sons, Keith and Craig.
He was the first African-American to be elected President of the California Judges Association (1972). He also became Chairman of the Board of the Center for Judicial Education and Research.
He was also known for cooking Louisiana-style gumbo
.
He was part of a coterie
that used to meet at the pharmacy
of William Byron Rumford
, along with Lionel Wilson
.
After retiring from the judiciary
, Broussard served on the Oakland Port Commission
, which involved visiting ports around the world, especially Asia. In 1987, he led a group of 72 lawyers and city officials on a 3-week long trip to China
meeting the Mayor of Shanghai
, Jiang Zemin
. Shanghai is a "twin city
" of San Francisco.
, who appointed him to the California Supreme Court in 1981, where he served as Associate Justice.
On the Court, Broussard was a reliable liberal who ruled largely in lockstep with the Court's liberal faction, including the highly controversial Chief Justice Rose Bird
. He, in fact, wrote the majority of opinions for the court at that time http://content.cdlib.org/xtf/view?docId=hb0z09n78f&doc.view=frames&chunk.id=div00066&toc.depth=1&toc.id=div00066&brand=calisphere. By 1982, most of the justices on the court were Brown appointees, who were widely criticized as soft on crime and hamstringing prosecutors. In 1982, Broussard was up for reconfirmation. A campaign was waged against him and the other Brown appointees on the ballot that year (Cruz Reynoso
and Otto Kaus
), something that was unprecedented. Broussard was reconfirmed, as expected, with 56% of the vote, but that was well below what was normal. In 1986, three of his colleagues (Bird, Cruz Reynoso
, and Joseph Grodin
, were resoundingly voted off the court, and they were replaced by more conservative justices. Broussard was disturbed by this development and expressed fear that the judiciary would become politicized. Critics claimed that he and his allies had already politicized the state judiciary.
Broussard continued to serve on the Court until he retired in 1991.
He was born in Lake Charles
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
on April 13, 1929, the son of Clemire and Eugenia Broussard. At the age of 16, he moved with his family to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. His father was a longshoreman, and his mother worked as a seamstress.
As a young man, Broussard had various part-time jobs, including selling shoes and working in a canning plant. He financed his own education, first at San Francisco City College, then UC Berkeley, and finally Boalt Hall School of Law. While at Boalt, he was Vice-President of the Boalt Hall Law Students Association. After graduating in 1953, he served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
for two years. After leaving the Army, he became the research attorney for Presiding Justice Raymond Peters
Raymond Peters
Raymond Harry Peters was Professor of Polymer and Fibre Science, University of Manchester, 1955-1984, then Professor Emeritus....
.
As chairman of a civic organization called Men of Tomorrow, he contacted Odessa Monroe, the program director of the radio station KSAN, seeking free air time. He went on to marry her in 1959, and they had two sons, Keith and Craig.
He was the first African-American to be elected President of the California Judges Association (1972). He also became Chairman of the Board of the Center for Judicial Education and Research.
He was also known for cooking Louisiana-style gumbo
Gumbo
Gumbo is a stew or soup that originated in southern Louisiana during the 18th century. It consists primarily of a strongly-flavored stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and the vegetable holy trinity of celery, bell peppers, and onions...
.
He was part of a coterie
Coterie
Coterie may refer to*Clique*The Coterie, a British society* Dōjinshi* A family group of black-tailed and Mexican prairie dogs...
that used to meet at the pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
of William Byron Rumford
William Byron Rumford
William Byron Rumford was an American pharmacist and politician. He was the first African American elected to any public office in Northern California.-Family background:...
, along with Lionel Wilson
Lionel Wilson
Lionel J. Wilson was an African American political figure and a member of the Democratic Party. He was the first African American mayor of Oakland, California, serving three-terms as mayor of Oakland from 1977 until 1991....
.
After retiring from the judiciary
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
, Broussard served on the Oakland Port Commission
Port of Oakland
The Port of Oakland was the first major port on the Pacific Coast of the United States to build terminals for container ships. It is now the fifth busiest container port in the United States, behind Long Beach, Los Angeles, Newark, and Savannah...
, which involved visiting ports around the world, especially Asia. In 1987, he led a group of 72 lawyers and city officials on a 3-week long trip to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
meeting the Mayor of Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, Jiang Zemin
Jiang Zemin
Jiang Zemin is a former Chinese politician, who served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China from 1989 to 2002, as President of the People's Republic of China from 1993 to 2003, and as Chairman of the Central Military Commission from 1989 to 2005...
. Shanghai is a "twin city
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
" of San Francisco.
Career
Broussard was one of the first African-Americans to become a judge in California. He was a judge of the Municipal Court for the Oakland-Piedmont (later Oakland-Piedmont-Emeryville) Judicial District from 1964 to 1975. In 1975, he became judge of the Superior Court of Alameda County . His liberal record caught the attention of Democratic Governor Jerry BrownJerry Brown
Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
, who appointed him to the California Supreme Court in 1981, where he served as Associate Justice.
On the Court, Broussard was a reliable liberal who ruled largely in lockstep with the Court's liberal faction, including the highly controversial Chief Justice Rose Bird
Rose Bird
Rose Elizabeth Bird served for 10 years as the 25th Chief Justice of California. She was the first female Justice, and first female Chief Justice, on that court, appointed by then Governor Jerry Brown...
. He, in fact, wrote the majority of opinions for the court at that time http://content.cdlib.org/xtf/view?docId=hb0z09n78f&doc.view=frames&chunk.id=div00066&toc.depth=1&toc.id=div00066&brand=calisphere. By 1982, most of the justices on the court were Brown appointees, who were widely criticized as soft on crime and hamstringing prosecutors. In 1982, Broussard was up for reconfirmation. A campaign was waged against him and the other Brown appointees on the ballot that year (Cruz Reynoso
Cruz Reynoso
Cruz Reynoso is a civil rights lawyer, professor emeritus of law, and the first Chicano Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court . He also served on the California Third District Court of Appeal...
and Otto Kaus
Otto Kaus
Otto M. Kaus was a former judge from the State of California. He was born in Vienna, Austria. He was already attending school in Great Britain when the rest of his family fled the Nazis in the 1930s. Immigrating to the United States, his family settled in Los Angeles, California...
), something that was unprecedented. Broussard was reconfirmed, as expected, with 56% of the vote, but that was well below what was normal. In 1986, three of his colleagues (Bird, Cruz Reynoso
Cruz Reynoso
Cruz Reynoso is a civil rights lawyer, professor emeritus of law, and the first Chicano Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court . He also served on the California Third District Court of Appeal...
, and Joseph Grodin
Joseph Grodin
Joseph R. Grodin is a lawyer and former appellate and Supreme Court judge in the state of California.-Biography:Grodin is a graduate from the University of California in Berkeley and from Yale University...
, were resoundingly voted off the court, and they were replaced by more conservative justices. Broussard was disturbed by this development and expressed fear that the judiciary would become politicized. Critics claimed that he and his allies had already politicized the state judiciary.
Broussard continued to serve on the Court until he retired in 1991.
External links
- A California Supreme Court justice looks at law and society, 1964-1996: Allen E. Broussard [oral history transcript]. (1997). Interview by Gabrielle Morris. Bancroft Library, Regional Oral History Office, via Calisphere.
- In Memoriam: Honorable Allen E. Broussard (1929 – 1996)