Honorees

Hon. Hoard J. Bechefsky

1940-1980

Howard was born in Brooklyn, New York on July 29, 1940.  He graduated from Columbia University in 1962 and Columbia Law School in 1965.  He was admitted to the California Bar on January 5, 1966.  He served as a Deputy Attorney General for the State of California in Los Angeles from 1966 to 1967. He entered private practice in San Diego and was with Sheela, Lightner, Hughes and Castro from 1968 to 1978.  He was a certified criminal law specialist.  He participated in many bar activities, chaired the Jail Sub-Committee (1971), the Criminal Law Section (1971), and the Criminal Justice Committee (1972-1973). He was President of Defenders, Inc., Federal Defenders and Appellate Defenders (1972). He was a member of the Board of Directors for the San Diego County Bar Association (1971-1974) and President of the San Diego County Bar in 1972. 

He was appointed to the El Cajon Municipal Court by Governor Jerry Brown on January 12, 1978.  He was then appointed to the San Diego Superior Court on February 22, 1979.  He was a tireless and dedicated lawyer and judge, constantly working to make the justice system achieve its ideals.  He had a sharp mind, a quick wit and a delicate touch.  He died on April 19, 1980 after a tragic fall in Strawberry Creek, Idyllwild, California.   

“He was all of the nice things one could want in a person.  A compassionate, thoughtful, and enthusiastic man.  The type of person from who each of us benefitted by knowing.”  (Dicta, Sept. 1980, William G. Bailey)  “He could be so charming that you had to hold onto your gold fillings for fear that you would give them to him.” (Dicta June 1980, Dennis Adams). 

One year prior to his appointment, the El Cajon Municipal Court had been created as an “experiment” with jurisdiction over some types of Superior Court litigation and only handled cases with the consent of the parties, including sixty percent of the felony cases.  Judge Bechefsky felt “[t]he experiment was very exciting and important.  It is being carefully watched statewide.  I hope to contribute to its success.”  (Dicta, Feb. 1978).  He admitted that in his transition from a criminal defense attorney to a judge that he would “miss the ‘highs’ that come from winning, but not the ‘lows’ that come from losing.  I will particularly miss the close, trusting relationship I had with many of my clients.  In addition to helping clients with their cases, I tried to help them with their lives.”  Bechefsky identified two reasons for seeking the judicial appointment:  “My work as President of the Bar Association increased my interest in public service.  The second factor was the close working relationship I developed with Judge [Frank] Orfield.  I was very impressed with his enthusiasm and dedication to his work.” (Id.)  He stated that his greatest challenge as a judge would be that of “bringing understanding and compassion to people whose background and culture is very different from mine.” (Id.)

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