Honorees

Hon. Richard J. Hanscom

1932-2016

Born in Chicago in February 1932, Richard Hanscom spent his childhood in the Midwest. Upon graduating from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1953, Hanscom joined the U.S. Marine Corps. He served as a Lieutenant in Japan and Korea until 1955. He then earned his law degree at UCLA.

He immediately joined San Diego’s Office of the District Attorney. He started in May 1959 and rose to Chief Deputy District Attorney when James Don Keller was District Attorney. He tried over one hundred jury trials, involving major fraud and narcotics as well as 14 murder cases. Judge Charles Patrick, a classmate at UCLA Law School and a fellow D.A., said Hanscom was “an extremely honorable man, and very quick to recognize the efforts of others.” (Times of San Diego 2/25/16)

Hanscom was appointed to the San Diego Municipal Court in 1972. In 1978, his colleagues elected him to the position of Presiding Judge. The vote was unanimous. During his long tenure on the bench, he handled a wide-range of civil and criminal cases, worked as a settlement judge, and served on assignment to the Court of Appeal. He presided over the preliminary hearing of Michael R. Roberts, who was charged with murdering a two-year girl when the chemicals he used to make methamphetamine exploded. (LA Times Nov. 27, 1990). He also conducted preliminary hearings for defendants charged with hundreds of instances of molesting children – Richard E. Howard, who allegedly would dress as Santa Claus to lure young girls, was charged with 268 counts; and Ezra J. Adams faced 38 counts. (LA Times Jan. 24, 1989 & July 13, 1991). In one noteworthy case, Judge Hanscom sentenced three activists to probation and community service after they camped outside Mayor Dick Murphy’s house to protest the City’s failure to improve health care, housing, and education. At the sentencing the judge noted there was a time and place for demonstrations, but “[y]ou can’t go into a residential neighborhood and picket.” (Times of San Diego 2/25/16) In 2009, he presided over the trial of an elderly pastor, Jessica Banks, who sexually and physically abused five foster children that she kept drugged in the garage. Though Hanscom had presided over many rape cases, this was the worst abuse case he had seen. “It just defies belief, but it happened.” (Id.)

In 1999, he retired from the Superior Court, yet he continued to volunteer for assignments until his death. His stepson Eric stated, “He truly loved his work, as evidenced by the fact that he continued to work, and work, and work, and work well after a normal judge would have retired. But my father was never an average judge, an average person, or an average father.” (Id.) Judge Hanscom’s second wife, attorney Rita Hanscom, concurred. “[H]e enjoyed the work. And he was very good at it.” He was also “kind and patient” with courthouse staff. (Id.)

Judge Lillian Lim (retired) remembers Hanscom as “a good friend, inspiring distance runner and athlete” as well as a “genuinely good man and judge.” (Id.) She continued, “He was an advocate for the litigant, always working to improve the system of justice and access to it. He was a witty man who knew what was important in life: family, community, and enjoying every day.” (Id.)

Superior Court Judge Melinda Lasater echoed the praise. She described Hanscom’s role as a mentor to young lawyers. He was “a dedicated jurist who welcomed new lawyers to the profession, sharing his wisdom and experience” and “a member of the legal community who was an active liaison with the bar for the betterment of the profession.” (Id.)

Judge Hanscom won many awards for his civic and legal work. These include honors from the San Diego Boys and Girls club for outstanding service and the YMCA for chairing two 10K races. Hanscom also volunteered on the  boards of the National Council on Alcoholism, the American Cancer Society, and the San Diego Natural History Museum. In 1979 and 1980, the San Diego County Bar Association gave him a special award for his work as Presiding Judge. The Bar also acknowledged Hanscom’s contribution to the production of the Day-In-Court program. In 1983, California Western School of Law’s Trial Practice Program honored Judge Hanscom’s outstanding performance to teach trial advocacy skills.

In the 1980s, Judge Hanscom served on a special media committee to evaluate the impact of cameras in criminal trials. (LA Times, Feb. 4, 1981) Stating that openness “will do everybody a lot of good,” Judge Hanscom advocated for a rule that allowed individual judges to decide whether or not to allow coverage. (Id.)  The San Diego Press Club gave Judge Hanscom the President’s Award to honor his support for granting “almost unimpeded access to court hearings to news cameras” in San Diego. (See LA Times, Oct. 25, 1981)

In his free time, Hanscom enjoyed long distance running, fitness, and hiking. His son, Eric recalls many backpacking trips. Eric “always wondered if  he would have been happy as a forest ranger, but I doubt it would have fulfilled  his sense of obligation to the world to do as much good as you can during the time you have.” (Times of San Diego 2/25/16)

He was a devoted father to four children and a loving grandfather to three.
His daughter, Lisa Hanscom, an attorney in Los Angeles, described him as “gentle, easygoing and incredibly smart.” (Id.) “I will remember my dad for, among other wonderful things, conveniently always losing at Candyland, leading tide-pool adventures, snorkeling in Maui, making the world’s best French toast and being an awesome criminal procedure tutor.” (Id.)

Judge Hanscom died in his sleep on February 24, 2016.

<– Back to Honorees