Jeremiah S. Jeremiah

Jeremiah S. Jeremiah, Jr. (1935 – July 19, 2015) was an American jurist who served as the Chief Judge of the Rhode Island Family Court from March 1987 until June 2010.

Jeremiah S. Jeremiah, Jr.
Chief Judge of the Rhode Island Family Court
In office
March 1987 – June 30, 2010
Nominated byGov. Edward DiPrete
Succeeded byHaiganush R. Bedrosian
Executive Counsel to the Governor[1]
Nominated byGov. Edward DiPrete
Personal details
Born1935
Cranston, Rhode Island, U.S.
DiedJuly 19, 2015
Warren, Rhode Island, U.S.
Spouse(s)
    Jane Penelope
    ​
    (
    m. 1955; died 1998)
      Theresa Candon Jeremiah
      ​
      (
      m. 2003; his death 2015)
      Children3
      EducationBoston University (BA, JD)

      Early life and career

      Jeremiah was a lifelong resident of Cranston, Rhode Island. He grew up with future U.S. Senator Jack Reed.[2]

      Jeremiah attended Boston University, earning a bachelor's degree and then a law degree in 1961.[1]

      He served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1957 to 1967, as an artillery officer and battalion adjutant. For his service, he was awarded the Commander's Award for Public Service by the Department of the Army.[1]

      In 1963, Jeremiah was appointed as assistant city solicitor for the city of Cranston.[1][2] In 1978 Jeremiah was promoted to city solicitor, serving in that position until 1984.[2] When Cranston Mayor Edward DiPrete won the gubernatorial election in 1984, Jeremiah was appointed Executive Counsel to the Governor of the State of Rhode Island and served in that capacity from January 1985 until his appointment to the Family Court bench as an associate judge in March 1986.[2][1]

      Judicial career

      In March 1987, Governor DiPrete appointed Judge Jeremiah to be the chief judge of the Rhode Island Family Court.[1][3]

      As Chief Judge, Jeremiah oversaw the creation of the Juvenile Drug Court, the Family Treatment Court and the Mental Health Court Clinic.[3] He also served on the Board of Trustees of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and the Rhode Island Governor's Justice Commission.[4]

      Judge Jeremiah was named the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Judge of the Year in 2005.[2] He was also awarded the “Distinguished Service to Literacy Award” by the American Bar Association and the Scripps Howard Foundation.[2]

      Jeremiah retired from the bench in June 2010.[3] Associate Family Court Judge Haiganush R. Bedrosian succeeded him as Chief Judge.[5]

      Controversies

      In April 2012, community activist Anne Grant argued in an op-ed in The Providence Journal against a bill that would have bestowed a special "chief judge emeritus plate" upon Judge Jeremiah.[6] Among other things, Grant argued that Jeremiah's record and that of DiPrete, the Governor who appointed him to the bench and was later imprisoned for corruption, warranted a closer look at Jeremiah's actions as Chief Judge.[6] Earlier in March 2012, lobbyist and political scientist Nicholas Alahverdian successfully persuaded the RI House of Representatives Municipal Government Committee to prevent the bill from being voted out of committee, arguing that it was "against the best interests of the state." The Providence Journal reported that Alahverdian argued Jeremiah's administration of the state's Truancy Court was unlawful and subject to litigation brought by the ACLU and also placed a record number of children in group homes far from Rhode Island and often in faraway places such as Texas, Florida, and Nebraska. In the hearing before the Committee, Alahverdian stated that Jeremiah was "not deserving of this honor." He also noted that since Jeremiah's retirement, out of state placements had decreased and David Tassoni, Jeremiah's former law clerk, was found to not have a law degree at all yet unlawfully mediated divorce cases and acted as a magistrate judge in other cases.[7][8]

      Death

      Judge Jeremiah died after a long illness on July 19, 2015.[1][2]

      References
      1. "Judge Jeremiah S Jeremiah". Find a Grave. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
      2. Naylor, Donita; Fitzpatrick, Ed (July 21, 2015). "Former R.I. chief Family Court judge Jeremiah dies". The Providence Journal. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
      3. "RI Family Court Chief Judge Jeremiah to retire". The Boston Globe. April 1, 2010. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
      4. Lenzer, Gertrud (March 11, 2004). Children and the Law in New York (PDF). Children's Studies Center. p. 80. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
      5. Vartabedian, Tom (August 10, 2011). "Bedrosian Gets Top Judicial Post in Rhode Island". Armenian Weekly. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
      6. Grant, Anne (April 24, 2012). "Jeremiah's record should be probed". The Providence Journal. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
      7. Breton, Tracy (March 30, 2012). "Amended bill would make Jeremiah pay for plate". The Providence Journal. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
      8. Gavigan, Parker (January 6, 2011). "Court mediator resigns amid resume questions". NBC 10 News. Retrieved January 11, 2020.


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