Benjamin Franklin Bledsoe (February 8, 1874 – October 30, 1938) was a

United States district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district. Each district covers one U.S. state or a portion of a state. There is at least one feder ...

of the

United States District Court for the Southern District of California The United States District Court for the Southern District of California (in case citations, S.D. Cal.) is a federal court in the Ninth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are ap ...

Education and career

Born in

San Bernardino San Bernardino ( ) is a city in and the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 census, making it the List of ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, Bledsoe received an Artium Baccalaureus degree from

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

in 1896, and

read law Reading law was the primary method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship un ...

to enter the bar. He was in private practice in San Bernardino from 1896 to 1910. He was a Judge of the

California Superior Court Superior courts in California are the State court (United States), state trial courts with general jurisdiction to hear and decide any civil or criminal action which is not specially designated to be heard in some other court or before a governm ...

from 1900 to 1914.

Federal judicial service

On September 30, 1914, Bledsoe was nominated by President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...

to a new seat on the

created by 38 Stat. 580. He was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

on October 16, 1914, and received his commission the same day. He resigned on March 24, 1925.

Notable case

Bledsoe heard the case of Robert Goldstein who produced '' The Spirit of '76'', a patriotic film about the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

. Released just as

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

was starting federal censors required depictions of British atrocities to be cut. Goldstein was tried after an uncut version was shown. Bledsoe sentenced him to 10 years in prison and the media and public opinion turned harshly against him despite initially favorable reviews. Goldstein's sentence was commuted after three years but he was never able to clear his name.

Later career and death

Bledsoe resigned from the federal bench to run for Mayor of

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, California, but was unsuccessful in that bid. He returned to private practice in Los Angeles from 1925 until his death on October 30, 1938, in Crestline, California. Bledsoe was a life member of the Society of Colonial Wars, admitted to membership December 6, 1919. Membership No. 6010, California Society No. 194. General Society of Colonial Wars Index of Ancestors and Members (2011), Register of the California Society of Colonial Wars (2008) pg. 99.

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bledsoe, Benjamin Franklin 1874 births 1938 deaths Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California United States district court judges appointed by Woodrow Wilson Stanford University alumni People from San Bernardino, California United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law California of the South Vol. II, by John Steven McGroarty, Pages 493-495, Clarke Publ., Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis. 1933.