Gary K. Nelson

Gary K. Nelson (July 12, 1935 – May 17, 2013) was an American lawyer, politician, and jurist who served as the Attorney General of Arizona from 1968 to 1974.[1] Appointed to the court of appeals, Nelson is the only appellate judge in Arizona history to not be retained by the voters.[2]

Gary K. Nelson
Nelson during Miranda v. Arizona oral arguments. Circa 1966
Judge of the Arizona Court of Appeals
In office
June 1974 – November 1978
Appointed byJack Williams
Preceded byNone (new seat)
Succeeded byJoe W. Contreras
17th Attorney General of Arizona
In office
July 1, 1968 – July 1, 1974
Preceded byDarrell F. Smith
Succeeded byN. Warner Lee
Personal details
Born(1935-07-12)July 12, 1935
La Crosse, Wisconsin
DiedMay 17, 2013(2013-05-17) (aged 77)
Mesa, Arizona
Political partyRepublican

Life and career

Nelson was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1935. He attended Arizona State University, receiving his B.S. in 1957. Graduating from ROTC, Nelson then served in the United States Army from 1957 to 1959 in the intelligence service with the rank of captain.[3] He earned his law degree from the University of Arizona in 1962. After graduating law school Nelson served as a law clerk to then-Chief Justice Fred C. Struckmeyer, Jr.. He briefing worked in private practice before becoming an assistant attorney general.[4] In 1966, Nelson argued, and lost, the landmark supreme court case Miranda v. Arizona.[5][6]

Nelson was elected attorney general in 1968. In 1974, he resigned to accept an appointment to the Arizona Court of Appeals.[7] He lost his retention election in 1978.[8] His retention was clouded by "allegations that he took bribes during his service as attorney general and failed to pay income taxes on the alleged payoff money. He was cleared of the accusations after federal and state investigations."[9]

He worked as the Chief Staff Attorney for the Arizona Supreme Court from 1979 until his retirement in 1997. In 1988, Nelson was a finalist for an appointment to the state supreme court, but governor Rose Mofford selected Robert J. Corcoran instead.[9]

Nelson died on May 17, 2013, in Mesa, Arizona at age 77.[10]

Election results
1978 Judicial Retention Election[8]
Choice Votes %
No 130,302 58.22
Yes 93,486 41.77
Total votes 223,788 100.00

References
  1. "Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona on July 20, 1968 · Page 27". Newspapers.com. 1968-07-20. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  2. Groups mount effort to remove Ariz. justice, By Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services, Oct 23, 2012
  3. Retain Judge Gary Nelson, Arizona Republic, 07 Nov 1978
  4. https://www.azcourts.gov/coa1/Former-Judges/GARY-K-NELSON
  5. Oral argument
  6. Gary K. Nelson on C-Span
  7. [Scottsdale Progress] July 13, 1974 Page 1
  8. 1978 General Election Canvass
  9. 3 finalists chosen for high court by Charles Kelly, The Arizona Republic, December 3, 1988
  10. "Gary Nelson Obituary - Phoenix, AZ | The Arizona Republic". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.