San Diego Criminal Justice Memorial
Honorees
A memorial directory honoring deceased judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys who advanced criminal justice in San Diego County.
Betty Marshall Graydon
1891-1974
Clarice H. Marshall, known affectionately as “Betty”, was a trailblazing woman who laid the foundation for the Department of Justice’s early presence in San Diego. She was born on October 24, 1891, in Eureka, California.
During the lead-up to America’s involvement in World War I, Betty took the first civil service examination offered to women in 1913. In 1920, she married George Windsor Graydon and changed her name to Betty Marshall Graydon.
Thereafter, she started attending law school. While pursuing her law degree, Betty worked as a secretary to a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge, then as a statistician for the Los Angeles juvenile court, and later as an appraiser for the probate court.
In 1930, Betty graduated cum laude from the University of Los Angeles, Loyola University. The Los Angeles Times announced her graduation with an article titled: “Girl to Get Law Degree Tomorrow” and noted her work at the court by explaining that for several years she had been “a familiar and attractive figure as attaché of the Superior Court.”
After graduation, Betty began her legal career in private practice and served as a leader for multiple organizations of women lawyers. Sadly, in 1936, she was widowed.
In 1938, Betty joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California (which, at that time, was a Los Angeles-based office in charge of all Los Angeles and San Diego cases). There, she worked on civil and criminal cases. Subsequently, Betty became the supervisor of selective service cases.
Prior to 1943, Assistant U.S. Attorneys would travel to San Diego to cover matters in the Courthouse located at Union and F Street in downtown San Diego. Beginning in 1943, there was an Assistant U.S. Attorney with a permanent post in San Diego. After two males took the position and later resigned, in 1944, Betty was selected to serve as the sole Assistant U.S. Attorney in San Diego. The local newspaper heralded her arrival to San Diego by reporting that a “feminine prosecutor” had been assigned to the federal court.
Betty prosecuted a wide range of cases, including an infamous 1947 case where she charged an affluent couple with transporting an African-American woman from Berkeley to Coronado for the “purpose of keeping her in slavery.” The victim had been forced to work for the couple without pay for 30 years while being subjected to physical abuse and threats of imprisonment. During the trial, Betty asked the victim to show her hands to the jury, asking them to decide whether “they are the hands of a person who was a member of the family . . . or whether they are the hands of a slave.” She was able to secure convictions, as well as victim restitution for back-pay.
After serving as San Diego’s only Assistant U.S. Attorney for eight years, in 1952, Betty was appointed as U.S. Commissioner for the federal court (a position that preceded the Magistrate Judge appointments of today). Soon after her appointment, it was reported in the local newspaper that: “It took two men to replace Betty Marshall Graydon when she left the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
Betty was also well-respected for her volunteer efforts. She donated a lot of time to charities that benefitted Mexican and Native–American families, homeless children, and the underprivileged. In fact, she founded a year-round collection to benefit the underprivileged in San Diego, Tijuana, and Ensenada. Although she spent most of her time on the bench and working to help the less fortunate, Betty also found time to fall in love again and, on June 18, 1954, Betty married Thomas Reardon.
In 1955, Betty was named as “Woman of the Year.” The Honorable Madge Bradley, who was the first woman to serve as a judge in San Diego, spoke at the ceremony presenting Betty with the prestigious award. She cited Betty’s courage as the “prime characteristic” qualifying her for the honor and explained: “It takes courage to undertake the challenge of being outstanding. Each woman must face criticism or praise for everything she does. She must have the courage to be content in her own heart and mind as to the validity of that criticism or praise and live up to what she believes.”
Betty served as a U.S. Commissioner for 12 years. Unfortunately, in 1964, at the age of 72, Betty’s appointment was not renewed due to a federal policy in place prohibiting re-appointment of commissioners over the age of 70. The legal community mourned the end of her service and the San Diego Union newspaper announced: “The brilliant, dramatic 34-year long career of U.S. Commissioner Betty Marshall Graydon, grand dame of San Diego’s courts, has ended.”
Betty died on February 3, 1974, at the age of 82.
On January 6, 2021, U.S. Attorney Robert S. Brewer, Jr., honored Betty’s legendary career by dedicating a conference room in the U.S. Attorney’s Office to her memory, with an inscription that reads, in part: “Graydon Conference Room, Dedicated to Honor Betty Marshall Graydon . . . the first woman to serve as an Assistant United States Attorney in San Diego . . . She was a tenacious advocate who was revered by the legal community and beloved by law enforcement. . . “
Former Assistant United States Attorney and current Superior Court Judge Rebecca G. Church noted: “Betty Marshall Graydon’s bold life laid a groundwork for others to follow. She is remembered for her courage, charity, and competence. Her contributions to the San Diego community continue to benefit and inspire the federal bar.”