Apr. 5, 2014

Appellate justice wins Beacon of Justice prize

The LA Law Library presented its weighty Beacon of Justice Award to 2nd District Court of Appeal Justice H. Walter Croskey on Wednesday, drawing a crowd of attorneys and judges from around the region. Croskey's colleagues on division three of the 2nd District bench, justices Joan Dempsey Klein, Patti S. Kitching and Richard Dennis Aldrich, each praised Croskey's work ethic over the 20 years they have worked together. Croskey was awarded the prize "not only for the longevity of his service — 50 years — but for the quality, scholarship, and thoughtfulness of his opinions," Susan Steinhauser and Stephen Alexander, the library's immediate past president and chair, respectively, said in a statement. Croskey, who was appointed to the Los Angeles County Superior Court in 1985 and to the court of appeal two years later, has chaired the California Judicial Counsel's Advisory Committee on Trial Court Funding, the 2nd District's security committee and the Judicial Counsel's Advisory Committee on Civil Jury Instructions. Croskey, the event brochure said, "is known for opinions that are uniformly considered bright lights of fairness and sound policy. His rulings on civil rights cases are legendary, in particular, his opinions recognizing the primacy of children's fundamental rights respecting their family relationships over the interests of any other parties." — Chase Scheinbaum