San Francisco County
Biographies
WALTER
H. LEVY
WALTER H. LEVY, Judge
of the Superior court, San Francisco, is a native of Georgia, born in
1854. He received his preparatory education in his native State and
entered the University of South Carolina, graduating in the class of
1870. At the early age of sixteen years he studied law and was admitted to
the bar when only eighteen years of age, and engaged in the practice of that
profession, at that time the youngest attorney in the State. In 1875 he
came to the Pacific coast and located in San Francisco, was admitted to the bar
here, opened an office and resumed his profession. After a short time he
was elected Prosecuting Attorney. He resigned that office in 1880, accepted
the appointment of Assistant District Attorney, and held that office three
years, performing the duties of this arduous position with credit to himself
and satisfaction of the city and county. He then resumed his profession
privately, immediately securing a large and lucrative practice. He was
retained in a number of celebrated cases, among them the noted Sharon
litigation. In 1885, he was appointed Judge of the Superior Court by
Governor Stoneman, and in November, 1887, was elected
to the same position to fill the unexpired term, and the following year, 1888,
was re-elected for the full term of six years. In January thereafter he
received the compliment and honor of being selected by the twelve judges to be
Presiding Judge of the Superior Court. During his judicial term he had
rendered a number of important decisions. He decided the railroad tax case
and held that the State law was unconstitutional. This decision was
confirmed by the Supreme Courts of the State, also by the court of the highest
appeal, the United States Supreme Court. He also decided the noted case of
Burling against Newland, asking for the accounting from the Sharon Estate by
the Ralston estate. As evidence of the correctness of his decisions,
during his judicial career he has had only one of his decisions reversed, — a
remarkable fact in judicial experience.
Judge Levy married a
California lady of rare accomplishments, Miss Greenberg, and they have two
children.
Transcribed
by 9-15-06 Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: "The Bay of San
Francisco," Vol. 2, Pages 337-338,
Lewis Publishing Co, 1892.
©
2006 Marilyn R. Pankey.