David Kent Winder (June 8, 1932 – May 19, 2009) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Utah.

David Kent Winder
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Utah
In office
June 8, 1997 – May 19, 2009
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Utah
In office
1993–1997
Preceded byBruce Sterling Jenkins
Succeeded byDavid Sam
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Utah
In office
December 6, 1979 – June 8, 1997
Appointed byJimmy Carter
Preceded bySeat established by 92 Stat. 1629
Succeeded byDale A. Kimball
Utah Third District Judge
In office
1977–1979
Appointed byScott M. Matheson
Personal details
Born
David Kent Winder

(1932-06-08)June 8, 1932
Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
DiedMay 18, 2009(2009-05-18) (aged 76)
Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Utah (BA)
Stanford University (LLB)

Education and career

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Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to a locally prominent family, whose main business was a large dairy farm (Winder Farms), Winder attended Granite High School, where played tricks such as parading a cow through the school's halls when campaigning for student-body president.[1] Winder received a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Utah in 1955. He received a Bachelor of Laws from Stanford Law School in 1958. He was a United States Air Force Airman First Class from 1951 to 1952. He was in private practice of law in Salt Lake City from 1958 to 1977. He was a law clerk for Allan Crockett, Chief Justice of the Utah Supreme Court from 1958 to 1959. He was a deputy county attorney of Salt Lake County, Utah from 1959 to 1963. He was an Assistant United States Attorney of the District of Utah from 1963 to 1965. He was the chief deputy district attorney of Utah from 1965 to 1966. He served at the law firm of Strong & Hanni from 1966 to 1977. Governor Scott M. Matheson appointed Winder to Utah's Third District Court, where he served from 1977 to 1979.[2][3]

Federal judicial service

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Winder was nominated by President Jimmy Carter on November 1, 1979, to the United States District Court for the District of Utah, to a new seat created by 92 Stat. 1629. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 4, 1979, and received his commission on December 6, 1979. He served as Chief Judge from 1993 to 1997. He assumed senior status on June 8, 1997, serving in that status until his death.[3]

Illness and death

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Winder battled Parkinson's disease in his final years, and in 2007 he ceased hearing cases, due to the disease's debilitating effects and the onset of dementia. He died on May 19, 2009, in Salt Lake City at the age of 76. He was preceded in death by his wife, and was survived by his three children (son Jim was the Salt Lake County Sheriff at the time of his father's death). He was buried on the family plot at Winder Dairy on 26 May.[4]

Honors and awards

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Within a year of being appointed to the bench, Winder was named Judge of the Year by the Utah State Bar. In a 1996 poll of Utah lawyers conducted by the Salt Lake Tribune newspaper, Winder was the state's highest-rated judge.[5] Lawyers considered Winder to be an outstanding jurist. A University of Utah law professor described him as "the consummate federal judge".[5]

References

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  1. ^ Stewart, Kirsten (June 5, 2009). "Graduation is Granite High's final goodbye". Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on October 14, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  2. ^ District Judge Winder Dies, Salt Lake Tribune, 19 May 2009
  3. ^ a b David Keith Winder at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  4. ^ Courthouse Holds Viewing for late David Winder, Salt Lake Tribune, 26 May 2009
  5. ^ a b "SL Tribune", 20 May 2009

Sources

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Legal offices
Preceded by
Seat established by 92 Stat. 1629
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Utah
1979–1997
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Utah
1993–1997
Succeeded by