| Office | Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit |
|---|---|
| Term start | June 2, 1999 |
| Term end | November 23, 2024 |
| Office 1 | Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit |
| Term start 1 | April 4, 1985 |
| Term end 1 | June 2, 1999 |
| Appointer 1 | Ronald Reagan |
| Predecessor 1 | Seat established by 98 Stat. 333 |
| Successor 1 | Thomas L. Ambro |
| Office 2 | Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware |
| Term start 2 | December 23, 1983 |
| Term end 2 | May 8, 1985 |
| Predecessor 2 | James Levin Latchum |
| Successor 2 | Murray Merle Schwartz |
| Office 3 | Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware |
| Term start 3 | October 14, 1970 |
| Term end 3 | May 8, 1985 |
| Appointer 3 | Richard Nixon |
| Predecessor 3 | Edwin DeHaven Steel Jr. |
| Successor 3 | Jane Richards Roth |
| Birth date | June 2, 1934 |
| Birth place | Cuthbert, Georgia, U.S. |
| Death date | November 23, 2024 (aged 90) |
| Death place | Penn, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Education | Princeton University (AB) Harvard University (LLB) University of Virginia (LLM) |
Walter King Stapleton (June 2, 1934 – November 23, 2024) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware.
Life and career
Early life and education
Stapleton was born in Cuthbert, Georgia on June 2, 1934. He received an Artium Baccalaureus degree from Princeton University in 1956. He received a Bachelor of Laws from Harvard Law School in 1959. He received a Master of Laws from University of Virginia School of Law in 1984. He was in private practice of law in Wilmington, Delaware from 1959 to 1970. He was a deputy attorney general of Delaware from 1963 to 1964.[1]
Federal judicial service
Stapleton was nominated by President Richard Nixon on September 22, 1970, to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Delaware vacated by Judge Edwin DeHaven Steel Jr. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 8, 1970, and received commission six days later. He served as Chief Judge from 1983 to 1985. His service was terminated on May 8, 1985, due to elevation to the Third Circuit.[1]
Stapleton was nominated by President Ronald Reagan on March 27, 1985, to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, to a new seat created by 98 Stat. 333.[2] He was confirmed by the Senate on April 3, 1985, and received commission the following day. He assumed senior status on June 2, 1999.[1] His service was terminated upon his death in 2024.[3]
Death
Stapleton died in Penn, Pennsylvania on November 23, 2024, at the age of 90.[3]
See also
References
- ^
- ^ "Metropolitan News in Brief". The Philadelphia Inquirer. March 28, 1985. p. B02.
- ^ "Statement re Judge Stapleton". United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. November 25, 2024.