Edward Huggins Johnstone (April 26, 1922June 26, 2013) 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 Western District of Kentucky The United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky (in case citations, W.D. Ky.) is the United States district court, federal district court for the western part of the state of Kentucky. Appeals from the Western District of K ...

Education and career

Johnstone was born on April 26, 1922, in

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Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

, the son of William Johnstone, a horticulturalist. He grew up in

Paducah Paducah ( ) is a home rule-class city in the Upland South, and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. The most populous city in the Jackson Purchase region, it is located in the Southeastern United States at the confluence ...

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

and attended high school in Lexington. After graduation, he attended the

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical ...

until 1942, when he dropped out to join the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

. Johnstone was a

sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...

in the 9th Infantry Division during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, serving from 1942 to 1945. He fought in the

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, earning a

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious a ...

and

Silver Star Medal The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an ...

for his gallantry. Returning home, Johnstone resumed his studies, earning a

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

from the

University of Kentucky College of Law The University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law, also known as UK Rosenberg College of Law, is the law school of the University of Kentucky located in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded initially from a law program at Transylvania Univers ...

in 1949. He married Kay Johnstone and had four children. He was in private practice in

Princeton Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the Unit ...

, Kentucky from 1949 to 1976, and was the Princeton city attorney from 1952 to 1954. He was the city attorney of Kuttawa, Kentucky from 1954 to 1976, of Fredonia, Kentucky from 1954 to 1976 and also the city judge on the Princeton, Kentucky Police Court from 1954 to 1969, holding these positions concurrently. He was a judge of the 56th Judicial Circuit Court of the State of Kentucky from 1976 to 1977.

Federal judicial service

On August 25, 1977, Johnstone was nominated by President

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...

to a seat on the

vacated by Judge

James Fleming Gordon James Fleming Gordon (May 18, 1918 – February 9, 1990) was a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Education and career Born in Madisonville, Kentuc ...

. Johnstone 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 7, 1977, and received his commission on October 11, 1977. He served as Chief Judge from 1985 to 1990, and assumed senior status on October 22, 1993, serving in that status until his death.

Death

Johnstone died on June 26, 2013, in

Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...

, Kentucky at the age of 91.

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnstone, Edward Huggins 1922 births 2013 deaths Kentucky state court judges Judges of the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky United States district court judges appointed by Jimmy Carter University of Kentucky alumni University of Kentucky College of Law alumni United States Army soldiers United States Army personnel of World War II American expatriates in Brazil