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James von der Heydt

Judge James Arnold von der Heydt is an American lawyer and judge. In Nome in the 1940's and 1950's he was a federal marshal, a US commissioner, a private practice lawyer and a US Attorney. He was one of the eight Superior Court judges appointed when Alaska became a state in 1959 from 1959 to 1966. He served as chief judge, for the United States District Court for the District of Alaska from 1973 to 1984 and assumed senior status on July 15, 1984. For more about Judge von der Heydt, see his obituary in the Anchorage Daily News newspaper.

Date of Birth:

Jul 15, 1919

Date of Death:

Dec 1, 2013

James von der Heydt appears in the following new Jukebox projects:

Alaska Mental Health Trust History

Interview Title	Abstract	Archive #: Oral History	Project	Date of Interview
Judge James von der Heydt, Part 1	Judge James von der Heydt was interviewed by Judge Niesje Steinkruger and Karen Brewster on December 9, 2010 at his condominium overlooking Cook Inlet in downtown Anchorage, Alaska. His wife, Verna, joined in on part of the interview. Judge von der Heydt talks about his experience as a Deputy Federal Marshal based out of Nome in the late 1940s where he was charged with retrieving people for sanity cases and if found "insane and at large" transporting them to Morningside Hospital in Portland, Oregon. He also talks about the court process in Nome for determining mental illness, especially the roles of US Commissioner, attorney, doctor, and the use of a jury trial.	2006-15-32_PT.1	Alaska Mental Health Trust History	Dec 9, 2010
Judge James von der Heydt, Part 2	This is a continuation of the interview with Judge James von der Heydt by Judge Niesje Steinkruger and Karen Brewster on December 9, 2010 at his condominium overlooking Cook Inlet in downtown Anchorage, Alaska.	2006-15-32_PT.2	Alaska Mental Health Trust History	Dec 9, 2010