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Retired LASC Judge Eric E. Younger, 79, Dies
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Retired Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Eric E. Younger has died at age 79.
The jurist succumbed late Friday to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
His father, Evelle Younger, was a California attorney general, a district attorney of Los Angeles County, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge, and a judge on television’s Traffic Court. His mother, Mildred Younger, was a television personality and civic leader.
Elizabeth Zeigler, a judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court, was his aunt. And among his ancestors were a less reputable bunch: the Younger brothers, of stage coach-and bank-robbing fame in the Old West.
Eric Younger was appointed to the Los Angeles Municipal Court in 1974 by Gov. Ronald Reagan and ran successfully for the Los Angeles Superior Court in 1980. He retired in 1995.
Prior to his appointment, Younger served as an assistant California attorney general and earlier, was an associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.
Before his admission to the State Bar on Jan. 9, 1969, he was a police officer in Hermosa Beach, then a Los Angeles County deputy sheriff. His law degree is from Harvard.
Former Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley (whose wife, Jana Cooley, is a distant cousin of Younger) commented yesterday:
“Eric Younger was an accomplished jurist from his appointment as a municipal court judge in 1974 and his two decades as a private judge. His book ‘Younger on California Motions’ is a major contribution to those in the legal profession.”
★★★★
Eric Younger: Devoted to Law and Justice
By Elizabeth R. Feffer
(The writer is a retired judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court.)
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RIC YOUNGER was a very close and long-time family friend of my late father-in-law, Irving Feffer. Our many weekend group breakfasts with Eric at the (pre-Grove) Farmer’s Market were always interesting and memorable. Eric’s love of the law, and the opportunity to do justice, was contagious. Eric was one of my mentors who greatly influenced both of my decisions, to go to law school, and to aspire to become a judge.
When Irving was appointed to the bench by Gov. George Deukmejian in 1989, my husband and his brother enlisted Eric in a surprise swearing-in at the house. Later, Eric and his beloved wife Debi were at my wedding and at my own judicial swearing-in.
Those who never had the pleasure of meeting Eric may know him from his brilliant On California Motions book. Eric’s analysis of pretty much every type of motion that can be made in California was thorough and also readable, and Eric provided the valuable perspective of how many judges review different motions. I wish I’d had that book when I was a new lawyer.
Eric’s final edition of his book was published and printed in early 2020, when the Stanley Mosk Courthouse was still largely closed to the public due to the pandemic. Eric told me that he had always greatly enjoyed going to the downtown Los Angeles courthouse to personally distribute the new edition of his books to judges. The access restrictions to the courthouse, however, precluded Eric from making the trip himself. As I was still on the Superior Court, Eric allowed me to take a box of his books to the courthouse, to distribute to some of my colleagues. Doing that errand was the least I could do for someone who had been so generous with his time to me over the decades.
It was always a treat going to dinner with Eric and Debi. We knew we would share interesting and lively conversations over Eric’s wine selection (he had a 100% batting average in that regard). After 40 years of marriage, Eric and Debi never lost the newlywed mindset, and clearly loved being together.
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