Warnick, J Q Jr 1998-07-27

Please note: this recording is currently missing from the Southwest Collection and may not be available for researchers.

Judge J. Q. Warnick discusses his life and career as a County Court at Law and United States Magistrate Judge.

General Interview Information

Interviewee Name: J.Q. Warnick Jr.

Additional Parties Recorded: None

Date: July 27, 1998

Location: Lubbock, Texas

Interviewer: Fred Allison

Length: 1 hour 10 minutes

Abstract

Tape 1, Side 1: Background, Parents, Born in Tahoka, Texas, Education, Graduated from Lubbock High School (1948), Texas Technological College, Korean Conflict, Joined the Air Force, St. Mary’s Hospital, Worked as a lab technician, Air Force (again), Released in 1955, Methodist Hospital, Testing blood, Franklin Cooper Warnick, Grandfather: physician in Lamesa, Texas, Dr. J. T. Krueger, Grandparents, Family history, Pioneers in West Texas, Interest in law, Murder case in Lubbock, Air Force, Friends with lawyers, Murder case in Wichita Falls, Texas, University of Texas School of Law, Requirements for law school, 40% of Warnick’s freshman class graduated, 15 to 20 women in law school, 7-10 women in Warnick’s freshman class, Minorities in Warnick’s freshman class, Painter case, Separate law school found illegal, Lombard, (?), Preston Smith, Warnick worked for after law school, waiting to take, State Bar Exam, State Senator, Opinions, Presented the first Open Records Act of Texas to legislator, Owned theaters in Lubbock, William Gillespie (1959), County Attorney, Lubbock County, Alton Griffin (1960), County Attorney, J. Q. Warnick Jr., First attorney to be hired by Alton Griffin, Tried bootlegging cases, 40 trial weeks a year, Four or five cases a week, 80% of cases were bootlegging, Pinky Roden.

Tape 1, Side 2: Pinky Roden (continued), Lugs, Bootlegging (again), Crimes, Change in law, Worked for county attorney two years, Law Practice, Law partners, Judge County Court at Law—Lubbock County (1976-1984), United States Magistrate (1984-1998), Federal judge, Eight-year term (re-elected), Judge County Court at Law (again), Primarily tried DWI and family law cases, United States Magistrate (again), Job duties, Prisoner civil rights cases, Northern District of Texas leads the nation in these types of cases, 26% of federal court docket are these cases, Types of cases, Social issues, Activist judges, Insanity plea, Cases, Laws, John Hinkley, Jr., Court reform, Opinion-Texas Court System is lawyer run, Federal Court System is judge run, This is more efficient, Change in federal administration, Lubbock Bar Association, Opinion-the best Bar in Texas, Memorial service.

Tape 2, Side 1: Memorial service (continued), Gordon Treadaway, Legal secretaries, Boss’ Night, J. Q. Warnick Jr., Wrote a humorous column, Law, Cases, Immigration and naturalization, [Side ends after 10 minutes].

Tape 2, Side 2: Blank

Range Dates: 1900s-1998

Bulk Dates: 1959-1998

Access Information

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