Ronald Murray Gould (born October 17, 1946) is an American lawyer and jurist serving as a U.S. circuit judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit since 1999.
Ronald M. Gould | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Gould in 2013 | |
| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit | |
| Assumed office November 22, 1999 | |
| Appointed by | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Robert Beezer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ronald Murray Gould October 17, 1946 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BS) University of Michigan (JD) |
Education edit
Gould was born in 1946 in St. Louis, Missouri. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science. He attended the University of Michigan Law School, graduating in 1973 with a Juris Doctor.
Legal career edit
After graduating from law school, Gould clerked for Judge Wade H. McCree of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit from 1973 to 1974 and for Justice Potter Stewart of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1974 to 1975.[1] Gould was in private practice for Perkins Coie in Seattle, Washington from 1975 to 1999 and served as an adjunct professor at the University of Washington Law School from 1986 to 1989. He was a partner at Perkins Coie at the time of his appeals court nomination. He also was president of the Washington State Bar Association.[1]
Federal judicial service edit
Gould was nominated by President Bill Clinton for a seat vacated by Judge Robert Beezer of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on January 26, 1999. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on November 17, 1999, in a voice vote and received his commission on November 22, 1999.[1]
Notable cases edit
On July 13, 2013, Gould dissented from a denial of en banc rehearing when the Ninth Circuit upheld a ban on Greenpeace's protest against shell drilling. Gould, who was joined by Pregerson, Reinhardt, Wardlaw, Fletcher, and Milan Smith, saw this as a violation of First Amendment rights, writing "The panel majority's contrary conclusion will undermine the freedom of an organization to "stimulate [its] audience with spontaneous and emotional appeals for unity and action in a common cause."" [2]
On August 23, 2019, Gould was one of three judges to rule that a prisoner with gender dysphoria had a right to sex reassignment surgery under the Eighth Amendment.[3] Judge Margaret McKeown and district judge Robert Lasnik, sitting by designation, joined the opinion. The full Ninth Circuit refused to rehear the case en banc, although eight judges, all Republican appointees, dissented from the denial of rehearing.[4]
On September 6, 2022, Gould wrote the 9th Circuit decision upholding Washington's ban on conversion therapy for minors.[5] The Supreme Court denied certiorari on December 11, 2023.[6]
On October 30, 2023, Gould revived a lawsuit over an Arizona abortion law banning abortions of fetuses with "fetal abnormalities". Although Roe v. Wade has been overturned, the healthcare providers' lawsuit focused on both the vagueness of the law (forcing them to err on the side of not providing abortions) and economic loss from not being able to perform abortions. [7] [8]
On November 13, 2023, Gould was in a 7-4 majority that temporarily blocked Idaho's abortion ban due to its lack of exceptions for medical emergencies. [9] On January 5, 2024, the Supreme Court said it would take up the case and dissolved the 9th circuit's temporary injunction. [10]
Personal life edit
While still in private practice, Gould was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. During his time on the bench, he lost the use of his arms and legs; he now relies on a wheelchair for mobility, and with the aid of other technologies and of assistants and clerks is able to "get a good result in the work I'm doing."[11] Gould is Jewish.[12]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c "Gould, Ronald Murray – Federal Judicial Center". www.fjc.gov.
- ^ https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2013/07/10/12-35332.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2019/08/23/19-35017.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2020/02/10/19-35017.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ "BRIANTINGLEY, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. ROBERT W. FERGUSON" (PDF). ca9.uscourts.gov. September 6, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
- ^ "The Supreme Court hands down a small but unexpected victory for LGBTQ people". Vox. December 11, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
- ^ "Providers can sue over Arizona ban on abortion for genetic anomalies -court". Reuters. October 30, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
- ^ "Isaacson v. Mayes" (PDF). ca9.uscourts.gov. October 30, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
- ^ "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA vs. STATE OF IDAHO" (PDF). SCOTUSBlog. November 13, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
- ^ "Supreme Court Allows Idaho to Enforce Its Strict Abortion Ban, Even in Medical Emergencies". Time. January 6, 2024. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
- ^ United States Courts (November 26, 2013), Pathways to the Bench: U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Ronald M. Gould, archived from the original on December 22, 2021, retrieved May 15, 2017
- ^ Judicial Profile (PDF)
External links edit
- Ronald M. Gould at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.