Local News in Brief : 9th Circuit’s Former Chief Judge Honored

In an unprecedented tribute from Los Angeles federal trial judges, Chief Judge Emeritus James R. Browning of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals was praised Thursday as a court administrator combining the skills of Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev and symphony conductor Arturo Toscanini.

The reference to Gorbachev was made in a letter from former U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren E. Burger that was read during a special session of the U.S. Central District Court honoring Browning for his work during 12 years as chief judge of the nation’s largest appeals court.

Burger, who had advocated splitting the 9th Circuit into two smaller courts, paid tribute to Browning’s successful campaign opposing such a move by stating: “Like Gorbachev, you didn’t want to split up your empire. But you will ultimately have to.”

The ceremony honoring Browning, 70, who was appointed to the 9th Circuit in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy and who stepped down as chief circuit judge earlier this year, was held in the courtroom of Chief U.S. District Judge Manuel L. Real.

Senior 9th Circuit Judge Warren Ferguson compared Browning to Toscanini for his ability to work with both conservatives and liberals on the 9th Circuit, much as a symphony conductor blends rival string and horn sections.