Jerry Pacht facts for kids
Mendel Jerome Pacht (January 24, 1922 – April 1, 1997) was an American judge who served on the California Superior Court.
Pacht was born in Los Angeles and earned a bachelor's degree at UCLA, worked briefly at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, then joined the Army as a lieutenant during World War II. He had a desire to become a singer, but instead earned a law degree at USC after the war. He became a litigation lawyer, specializing in publishing and entertainment.
He twice ran unsuccessfully for Congress as a Democrat and was chairman of the Los Angeles County Democratic Central Committee. He headed the legal committee of the county branch of the American Civil Liberties Union and was also in charge of the local legal defense fund of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Pacht was named by Governor Edmund G. (Pat) Brown to the Los Angeles Municipal Court in 1965 and elevated to the Superior Court bench the next year. His rulings, which amounted to 135 in number, included:
- Striking down a University of California policy against the hiring of Communists when he forbade the UC Board of Regents from firing philosophy instructor Angela Davis from her job at UCLA. The ruling prompted a recall effort, which failed.
- Invalidation of a 90-year-old "claim and delivery" law, which had permitted law-enforcement officers to seize personal property when installment debtors fell behind in their payments. He said the debtor had a right to contest in court any seizure of property.
Personal life
Pacht was the son of judge Isaac Pacht and Rose (née Rudolph). He was married to Judith Pacht. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage on April 1, 1997, in Santa Monica, California.
