Harold Louderback
Encyclopedia
Harold Louderback was a United States District Court
judge from California
. He was the eleventh federal official to be served with Articles of Impeachment
and was ultimately acquitted of these charges.
Louderback was born in San Francisco, California and studied law at University of Nevada
, graduating in 1905 and then attended Harvard Law School
, graduating in 1908. Louderback then went into private practice from 1908 until 1917; In 1917, Louderback joined the United States Army
and held the rank of Captain. In 1919, he left military service and returned to private practice until 1921 when he was appointed as a Superior Court Judge for the City and County of San Francisco.
Louderback held this post until 1928 when he was appointed by President Calvin Coolidge
as a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
On February 24, 1933 Louderback was served with five Articles of Impeachment by the U.S. House of Representatives, including 4 articles alleging corruption in bankruptcy cases (appointing incompetent receivers and allowing them excessive fees) and a general charge of bringing his Court into disrepute. The U.S. Senate tried the Impeachment and on May 24 acquitted him of all the charges by the following margins:
Even though the fifth article gained a majority in the Senate, it was not sufficient to meet the Constitutionally required majority of two-thirds. Louderback remained on the bench until his death in 1941.
United States district court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
judge from 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...
. He was the eleventh federal official to be served with Articles of Impeachment
Impeachment in the United States
Impeachment in the United States is an expressed power of the legislature that allows for formal charges against a civil officer of government for crimes committed in office...
and was ultimately acquitted of these charges.
Louderback was born in San Francisco, California and studied law at University of Nevada
University of Nevada, Reno
The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA...
, graduating in 1905 and then attended Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
, graduating in 1908. Louderback then went into private practice from 1908 until 1917; In 1917, Louderback joined 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...
and held the rank of Captain. In 1919, he left military service and returned to private practice until 1921 when he was appointed as a Superior Court Judge for the City and County of San Francisco.
Louderback held this post until 1928 when he was appointed by President Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
as a Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
On February 24, 1933 Louderback was served with five Articles of Impeachment by the U.S. House of Representatives, including 4 articles alleging corruption in bankruptcy cases (appointing incompetent receivers and allowing them excessive fees) and a general charge of bringing his Court into disrepute. The U.S. Senate tried the Impeachment and on May 24 acquitted him of all the charges by the following margins:
| Yeas | Nays | |
| Article I | 34 | 42 |
| Article II | 23 | 47 |
| Article III | 11 | 63 |
| Article IV | 30 | 47 |
| Article V | 45 | 34 |
Even though the fifth article gained a majority in the Senate, it was not sufficient to meet the Constitutionally required majority of two-thirds. Louderback remained on the bench until his death in 1941.