Friday, June 19, 2009
Page 3
Services Today for Retired Superior Court Judge Teran
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Services are scheduled in Claremont today for retired Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carlos M. Teran.
Teran died Monday at age 93, as was reported in the Inland Empire Daily Bulletin.
A native of El Paso, Texas, Teran grew up in East Los Angeles and graduated from Garfield High School in 1933. He went to work for a customs house broker before starting night classes at Southwestern Law School and also attended UCLA for a semester before serving in the Army in Europe during World War II.
He was discharged in 1946, after winning decorations that included the Bronze Star, and became an Air Force Reserve officer in 1952, retiring with the rank of colonel.
He returned to legal studies after the war, this time at USC, and earned his degree in 1949. He practiced customs law with the Los Angeles firm of Lawrence, Tuttle and Harper before going out on his own in 1951.
A bachelor’s degree was not a requirement to practice law in those days, but he earned one at USC in 1953. He practiced until 1957, when then-Gov. Goodwin Knight, a Republican, appointed him to the East Los Angeles Municipal Court.
Teran was elevated to the Superior Court two years later by Knight’s successor, Pat Brown, and retired in 1979 after sitting in Pomona from 1961 to 1964 and from 1968 until his retirement. His assignments included civil, juvenile, mental health, and law and motion.
He later heard employee disability retirement cases for Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, and was active in children’s and animal charities. He served on the boards of The Crippled Children’s Society and Pitzer College, and founded the Boys and Girls Club in Pomona.
Survivors include long-time companion Louise Elliot; children Christina, Michael and Suzanne Terran, six grandchildren, and a sister, Juliette Teran.
Today’s memorial will be held from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church, 435 Berkley Ave. in Claremont.
Copyright 2009, Metropolitan News Company