Edward Rafeedie

Edward Rafeedie (January 6, 1929 – March 25, 2008) was a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

Early life and career

Rafeedie was born to Palestinian immigrants in Orange, New Jersey. His family moved to Santa Monica, California when he was seven years old. He lived for a while in the Middle East before moving back to California. After graduating from Venice High School, Rafeedie traveled the carnival circuit with a portable electric horse-race game called Derby. He then served in the United States Army during the Korean War. After leaving the Army, Rafeedie enrolled at the University of Southern California. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1957, and two years later graduated from the USC Gould School of Law with a Juris Doctor. He then worked in private practice in Santa Monica from 1959 to 1969.^[1]

State judicial service

Rafeedie was appointed as a Municipal Court Judge in 1969 by California Governor Ronald Reagan. In 1971, Governor Reagan elevated him to the Superior Court, where he served a total of 11 years.^[1] During his tenure on the Superior Court, Rafeedie presided over several high-profile civil cases, including the contested conservatorship of Groucho Marx, the Britt Ekland and Rod Stewart palimony trial and part of the Bob Dylan divorce case. He also sentenced the daredevil Evel Knievel to jail for attacking a television executive with a baseball bat. Rafeedie was also known for his calendar management of cases and his concern of efficient management of trials.^[2] His nickname was, "Speedie Rafeedie," because of his penchant for denying trial continuances.

Federal judicial service

Rafeedie was nominated by President Ronald Reagan on August 24, 1982, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Central District of California vacated by Judge David W. Williams. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 22, 1982, and received commission on September 24, 1982. He assumed senior status on January 6, 1996. His service was terminated on March 25, 2008, due to death.^[1]

Notable case

Rafeedie's most controversial case was in 1990, when he ruled that the kidnapping of Dr. Humberto Alvarez Machain was illegal and ordered his repatriation to Mexico. Alvarez Machain was accused of aiding drug traffickers in the 1985 torturing and killing of Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, who was a Drug Enforcement Administration agent. Because the DEA had paid a group of Mexican citizens to kidnap him in Mexico and fly him to the United States to stand trial, Rafeedie ruled that the kidnapping was a violation of the United States-Mexico extradition treaty. His commented after the ruling that "``There has to be stronger evidence than you have offered to find that a man is guilty of kidnapping, murder and torture,`` Rafeedie told prosecutors. ``This does not rise to the level required to get this case to the jury.``"^[3] The ruling stunned the Justice Department and angered government agents. However, the United States Supreme Court later overruled his decision, holding that the extradition treaty did not prohibit kidnapping. This was due to a ruling that stated the United States Government had the right to kidnap and prosecute an alleged criminal regardless of treaty. Immediately thereafter, a large number of countries holding treaties with the United States demanded that their treaties be amended, adding anti-kidnapping language.^[3]

Death

Rafeedie died from cancer in Malibu, California on March 25, 2008 at the age of 79.^[2]

References

Sources

• Edward Rafeedie at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.