David Newton Eagleson (October 4, 1924 – May 23, 2003) was an American lawyer who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of California from 1987 to 1991.
In December 1970, Governor Ronald Reagan appointed Eagleson to the Los Angeles County Superior Court, where from 1980 to 1981 he served as presiding judge.[4][5][6][7] From 1979 to 1980, he was president of the California Judges Association.[3][8] In November 1981, Governor George Deukmejian named Eagleson as an associate justice to the Court of Appeal, Second District, Division Five.[3]
In March 1987, Governor Deukmejian appointed Eagleson as an associate justice to the Supreme Court. A conservative Republican, Eagleson was elevated to the high court after voters removed liberal Chief Justice Rose Bird and two of her allies from the Court in the 1986 general election as a result of the trio's opposition to capital punishment.[9][10] Eagleson tended to uphold capital sentences.[11] During his four years on the court, Eagleson wrote 54 majority opinions. Among Eagleson's notable opinions is Thing v. La Chusa (1989),[12] which sharply limited the availability of the cause of action for negligent infliction of emotional distress in California.
After stepping down from the high court, Eagleson practiced as a mediator and arbitrator in Los Angeles.[3]
Personal life
On May 16, 1953, Eagleson married Virginia Mae Brown,[13] and they had two daughters, Elizabeth K. Eagleson, an attorney, and Victoria Eagleson, who both reside in Southern California.[14] Beth, in her eulogy for her father delivered before the court on which he once served, cited Thing as the opinion most representative of her father's voice and philosophy:
When I read Thing v. LaChusa, I recognized not only Dad’s life philosophy, but I heard his voice . . . . For those of you who never knew him, but want to know what kind of man he was, read Thing v. LaChusa. Dave Eagleson is there and will tell you everything you need to know.
^"Bowl Blackout Is OKd". Desert Sun. California Digital Newspaper Collection. UPI. 25 November 1972. p. B2. Retrieved September 18, 2017. Superior Court Judge David N. Eagleson
^"Ballot Measure Prop. 6 would cut jury size". Belvedere Citizen / Eastside Journal. No. 42. California Digital Newspaper Collection. 15 October 1980. p. 1. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
^"High Court to Honor Eagleson in Opening Local Session". Metropolitan News-Enterprise. September 16, 2003. Retrieved September 18, 2017. He served as assistant presiding judge of the court in 1979 and 1980, and as presiding judge for two years after that, and served simultaneously as president of the California Judges Association for one year while assistant presiding judge.
^"Utility Sues in Theft of Power". Los Angeles Times. January 1, 1989. Retrieved September 18, 2017. Beth Eagleson, San Diego Gas & Electric Co.'s corporate attorney
