Aside from abortion, gays and social issues, it's disappearing every day. It was a reminder of how close some of us are, in these days of Qualcomm millionaires, to losing our way. For those who do not remember, Bird was removed by voter recall in 1986, along with two other jurists, because of her opposition to the death penalty. As the Los Angeles Times' Henry Weinstein reports, the Bird court overturned 61 of 64 death sentences that came before it. Congressman Howard Berman, who had worked with Bird on farmer worker protection legislation while she served as a state cabinet secretary, went further.
Love is justice, too.
There was a Yom Kippur feel to the crowd, which overflowed the Skirball's Magnin Hall, as attorneys reflected upon Bird's downfall. Barry Tarlow in those days was head of the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, a liberal defense group. Tarlow said he asked Bird. Arlene Colman-Schwimmer, one of Los Angeles' feistiest lawyers, was president of the Women Lawyers of Los Angeles when the unknown Bird's name came up for nomination. A day before Bird died, Leichter said she told Bird her own father had died.