Fred C. Galda
Encyclopedia
Fred C. Galda was an American
attorney and Democratic Party
politician from New Jersey
who served as a prosecutor in the Thomas Trantino
murder case, as a judge on the New Jersey Superior Court
who issued the state's first ruling acquitting a woman of murder based on a battered woman defense and served as mayor of Paramus, New Jersey
.
Raised in Cliffside Park, New Jersey
, where his hair earned him the nickname "Red", Galda was a star player on his high school football team and was the placekicker
for the Michigan State Spartans football
team, while he was in college.
that restricted the opening of stores on Sundays, as part of an effort to deal with massive traffic congestion on Route 4
and Route 17
, Galda was re-elected six times and served as mayor until 1964, overseeing the building boom and shopping center developments that transformed Paramus from a quiet farming community to a center of commerce.
prosecutor in the trial of Thomas Trantino
, charged with the execution-style murder
of two police officers at a bar on U.S. Route 46
in Lodi, New Jersey
in 1963. Trantino was convicted and sentenced to death, but his death sentence was commuted to a single life term after the death penalty was abolished in the state in 1972. Trantino would face a battle to be released on parole, and was not paroled until 2002.
in 1967 by Governor of New Jersey
Richard J. Hughes
, and served in that post until 1983, when he stepped down from the bench, having been the presiding judge of the criminal court division. The Record
had challenged his nomination, citing in an editorial its belief that he lacked the temperament for the post, as "An impatient and emotional man does not become cool and calm by sitting behind a judge's desk".
In a 1981 case, Dorothy Rapp's husband had pulled her out of bed, ripping out clumps of hair, before beating and threatening to kill her. She took a loaded rifle and killed her husband. At trial, he allowed Rapp's attorney to claim that the action had been taken in self-defense, making him the first judge in New Jersey to accept a battered woman defense in a spousal killing.
A resident of Saddle River, New Jersey
at the time of his death, Galda died at age 79 on August 14, 1997, at The Valley Hospital
in Ridgewood, New Jersey
, because of a long illness. He was survived by his wife, the former Ellen Molloy, as well as by five sons, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attorney and Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politician from New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
who served as a prosecutor in the Thomas Trantino
Thomas Trantino
Thomas Trantino is an American convicted murderer who was sentenced to life in prison for the execution style shooting deaths in 1963 of two police officers in Lodi, New Jersey. He was sentenced to death by electrocution, which was commuted to life in prison after the death penalty was abolished...
murder case, as a judge on the New Jersey Superior Court
New Jersey Superior Court
The Superior Court is the state court in the U.S. state of New Jersey, with state-wide trial and appellate jurisdiction. The Superior Court has three divisions: the Appellate Division is essentially an intermediate appellate court while the Law and Chancery Divisions function as trial courts...
who issued the state's first ruling acquitting a woman of murder based on a battered woman defense and served as mayor of Paramus, New Jersey
Paramus, New Jersey
Paramus is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 26,342. A suburb of New York City, Paramus is located between 15–20 miles northwest of Midtown Manhattan and approximately west of Upper Manhattan.Paramus is one of...
.
Raised in Cliffside Park, New Jersey
Cliffside Park, New Jersey
Cliffside Park is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 23,594....
, where his hair earned him the nickname "Red", Galda was a star player on his high school football team and was the placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
for the Michigan State Spartans football
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
team, while he was in college.
Mayor of Paramus
Galda was elected as a Democrat as mayor of Paramus in 1952, after nearly two decades of Republican control. He took an active role as mayor, and was known to ride garbage trucks after borough residents complained about trash pickup and to ride on snowplows during bad storms. Galda was mayor in September 1958 when the borough fully imposed its own blue lawsBlue Laws
The Blue Laws of the Colony of Connecticut, as distinct from the generic term "blue law" that refers to any laws regulating activities on Sunday, were the initial statutes set up by the Gov. Theophilus Eaton with the assistance of the Rev. John Cotton in 1655 for the Colony of New Haven, now part...
that restricted the opening of stores on Sundays, as part of an effort to deal with massive traffic congestion on Route 4
Route 4 (New Jersey)
Route 4 is a state highway in Bergen County and Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, that is also known as the Mackay Highway. The highway stretches from Route 20 in Paterson east to an interchange with Interstate 95, U.S. Route 1/9, U.S. Route 46, and U.S. Route 9W at the George Washington...
and Route 17
Route 17 (New Jersey)
Route 17 is a state highway in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, that provides a major route from the George Washington Bridge, Lincoln Tunnel and other northeast New Jersey points to the New York State Thruway at Suffern, New York...
, Galda was re-elected six times and served as mayor until 1964, overseeing the building boom and shopping center developments that transformed Paramus from a quiet farming community to a center of commerce.
Prosecutor
He served as a Bergen County, New JerseyBergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
prosecutor in the trial of Thomas Trantino
Thomas Trantino
Thomas Trantino is an American convicted murderer who was sentenced to life in prison for the execution style shooting deaths in 1963 of two police officers in Lodi, New Jersey. He was sentenced to death by electrocution, which was commuted to life in prison after the death penalty was abolished...
, charged with the execution-style murder
Execution-style murder
Execution-style murder, also known as Chicago-style murder, and execution-style killing are news media buzzwords applied to various acts of criminal murder where the perpetrator kills at close range a conscious victim who is under the complete physical control of the assailant and who has been left...
of two police officers at a bar on U.S. Route 46
U.S. Route 46
U.S. Route 46 is an east–west U.S. Highway, running for , completely within the state of New Jersey. The west end is at an interchange with Interstate 80 and Route 94 in Columbia, Warren County on the Delaware River...
in Lodi, New Jersey
Lodi, New Jersey
Lodi is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 24,136. The borough of Lodi is governed under the 1923 Municipal Manager Law.Lodi owes its name to the Italian city of Lodi...
in 1963. Trantino was convicted and sentenced to death, but his death sentence was commuted to a single life term after the death penalty was abolished in the state in 1972. Trantino would face a battle to be released on parole, and was not paroled until 2002.
Judge
He was appointed as a judge on the New Jersey Superior CourtNew Jersey Superior Court
The Superior Court is the state court in the U.S. state of New Jersey, with state-wide trial and appellate jurisdiction. The Superior Court has three divisions: the Appellate Division is essentially an intermediate appellate court while the Law and Chancery Divisions function as trial courts...
in 1967 by Governor of New Jersey
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
Richard J. Hughes
Richard J. Hughes
Richard Joseph Hughes was an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 45th Governor of New Jersey from 1962 to 1970, and as Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1973–1979...
, and served in that post until 1983, when he stepped down from the bench, having been the presiding judge of the criminal court division. The Record
The Record (Bergen County)
The Record is a newspaper in northern New Jersey. It has the second largest circulation of New Jersey's daily newspapers, behind The Star-Ledger. Owned by the Borg family since 1930, it is the flagship publication of the North Jersey Media Group. Stephen Borg is the publisher of The Record...
had challenged his nomination, citing in an editorial its belief that he lacked the temperament for the post, as "An impatient and emotional man does not become cool and calm by sitting behind a judge's desk".
In a 1981 case, Dorothy Rapp's husband had pulled her out of bed, ripping out clumps of hair, before beating and threatening to kill her. She took a loaded rifle and killed her husband. At trial, he allowed Rapp's attorney to claim that the action had been taken in self-defense, making him the first judge in New Jersey to accept a battered woman defense in a spousal killing.
Personal
After stepping down from the bench and until 1995, he had been a lawyer with the firm of George A. Vaccaro.A resident of Saddle River, New Jersey
Saddle River, New Jersey
Saddle River is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 3,152. Saddle River has the second-highest per-capita income in the state...
at the time of his death, Galda died at age 79 on August 14, 1997, at The Valley Hospital
The Valley Hospital
The Valley Hospital is a fully accredited, acute care, not-for-profit hospital serving approximately 440,000 people in 32 towns in Bergen County and adjoining communities. Its current bed capacity is 451. In 2010, 51,497 individuals were admitted to Valley, 72,188 people were treated in the...
in Ridgewood, New Jersey
Ridgewood, New Jersey
Ridgewood is a village in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the village population was 24,958. Ridgewood is an affluent suburban bedroom community of New York City, located approximately northwest of Midtown Manhattan.The Village of Ridgewood was...
, because of a long illness. He was survived by his wife, the former Ellen Molloy, as well as by five sons, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.