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Funeral Service Set for Jurist Norman L. Epstein
By a MetNews Staff Writer
A funeral service for retired Court of Appeal Presiding Justice Norman L. Epstein, whose judicial career spanned nearly 45 years and who was widely hailed for his brilliance and scholarship, is scheduled for this afternoon.
It will take place at 2 p.m. at Hillside Memorial Park, 6001 W. Centinela Ave., in Culver City.
It was there that a service took place for Epstein’s first wife, Ann Epstein, on March 13, 2008, with the jurist succeeding in retaining his composure as he delivered eloquent words of tribute to her. They had met when both were students at UCLA.
Los Angeles Superior Court Presiding Judge Samantha Jessner said in an email on Monday to members of her court, of which Epstein had been a member from 1980-90:
“I write to inform you of the passing of Justice Norman L. Epstein, father of our colleague, Judge Mark H. Epstein. Justice Epstein passed away peacefully in his sleep on March 24, 2023, just shy of his 90th birthday on April 9, 1933.”
She remarked:
“Many of us enjoyed and benefited from the education he provided at the Judicial College and [California Judges Association] conferences on criminal law updates. It is not an understatement to say that he loved learning about the law, teaching the law, and was totally dedicated to the judiciary.”
In a tribute provided to the METNEWS late Friday, Court of Appeal Presiding Justice Arthur Gilbert of this district’s Div. Six said of Epstein:
“He was the scholar par excellence who made a difference. Pardon the outdated phrase, but he was what we truly mean when we refer to someone as a gentleman and a scholar, I mean a gentle person and a scholar.”
Retired Court of Appeal Presiding Justice Roger W. Boren commented on Saturday:
“I had the pleasure and honor of friendship with Justice Norman Epstein for more than four decades, most of my judicial life. He was a kind friend and a wonderful, cooperative colleague.
“Norm was much more than just another judge. He was the epitome of a gentleman and a scholar in every sense of the phrase. He will long be remembered for his legal and judicial acumen and his intellect. His friends will remember his keen sense of justice and fairness. It was always enlightening to be in his company.”
Copyright 2023, Metropolitan News Company