Federal Judge Linda McLaughlin Dies at 57

Linda H. McLaughlin, a U.S. district judge who presided over some of the most high-profile cases in recent Orange County history, died Sunday of injuries suffered in a Jan. 8 car accident. She was 57.

McLaughlin had been at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana since the accident, when her car struck a pole and overturned as she was driving home from the Ronald Reagan Federal Building in Santa Ana. Just a week earlier, she had presided over the first hearing in the new building.

“She will be sorely missed,” Terry J. Hatter Jr., chief judge of the Central District, said of McLaughlin, who had served that court since 1992. “She was one of the hardest-working individuals you could find. She had a marvelous work ethic and a reputation of being very fair.”

A 1963 graduate of Stanford University, McLaughlin received her law degree from UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall in 1966. She began practicing law in Los Angeles in 1966.

In 1970, she moved to Orange County, where she practiced in Newport Beach for a decade before being appointed to the Municipal Court bench by then-Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. She was elevated to Superior Court in 1982 and 10 years later became a federal court judge.

Among McLaughlin’s well-known rulings was a 1990 decision that brought about major reforms in how youthful offenders were treated at Orange County Juvenile Hall. She also issued the rulings in 1993 and 1994 that cleared the path for the eventual construction of the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor.

In 1995 she handled most of the class-action lawsuits arising from the Orange County bankruptcy. More recently, McLaughlin oversaw the trials of Dr. Ivan Namihas, a former Tustin gynecologist who became the subject of the largest sexual-abuse medical investigation in California history; and Roman Palacios, a former Santa Ana City Council candidate accused of extortion and money laundering.

Through her 19 years on the bench, colleagues said, McLaughlin remained highly approachable.

“She was noted for regularly visiting the clerk’s office and participating in baby showers and potlucks,” said Janine Duffy, the deputy clerk in charge of the court’s Orange County division. “She was down to earth and very friendly. She had a great sense of humor but could be all business when it was necessary.”

Patricia Hurst, McLaughlin’s judicial secretary for the last seven years, said: “She was just a wonderful person to work for. She read everything that came across her desk and was very thorough. She was a judge for the people.”

Two years ago, McLaughlin was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder that eventually led to a six-month leave of absence for treatment. After returning, colleagues said, she impressed everyone with her determination to do her job despite all obstacles.

“She was a study in courage as she struggled to maintain this full case load after coming back from treatment,” said Dean Steward, head of the federal public defender’s office. “She didn’t seem well, yet she just kept powering through--she was an inspiration to everybody.”

McLaughlin was highly regarded by most of the lawyers who appeared before her, Steward said. “She was a real maverick. She had her own way of doing things.”

Through it all, Steward said, “she was always fair. We walked out feeling like we’d had our day in court.”

McLaughlin, who lived in Tustin, is survived by her husband, Hugh; and five children: Margaret, Robert, Mark, Michael and Bryant.

Funeral arrangements are pending.