The 35th Governor of California, George Deukmejian, who served from 1982 to 1986, died Tuesday of natural causes at 89. Prior to his election as Governor, Deukmejian served in the state assembly, senate and for two terms as Attorney General. The son of Armenian immigrants who insisted that he and his sister speak only English, Deukmejian was raised old school to value honesty, respect and hard work, traits almost completely abandoned by the current popular culture, which defined America's greatest generation. During his service in the state legislature and as Attorney General, Deukmejian fought policies put in place by Governor Jerry Brown which had led to a dramatic increase in violent crime creating 70,000 new victims annually in just six years. In 1982, when he ran to succeed Brown, Deukmejian supported a landmark criminal justice reform initiative (The Victims' Bill of Rights) to restore consequences for habitual criminals. That year, he won the election and the initiative passed. Both had a national impact on law enforcement, inspiring other states and Congress to follow California's lead and adopt similar measures targeting repeat offenders.
Governor Deukmejian also recognized the damage caused by the hundreds
of pro-defendant judges appointed by his predecessor, filling most
vacancies with former prosecutors and elevating experience jurists, who
exercised judicial restraint, to the appellate courts. In 1987, after
California voters made history at the polls, denying successive terms
to three liberal Brown-appointed Supreme Court Justices, including the
Chief Justice, Deukmejian appointed three replacements and elevated Associate Justice Malcolm Lucas to Chief Justice, to restore order and integrity to
the state judiciary. It took eleven years, the election of another
crime-fighting governor and adoption of several additional initiatives
to fully repair the state's criminal justice system. These steps
resulted in a 21-year drop in violent crime which prevented hundreds of
thousands of Californians from becoming victims. The so called "Iron
Duke", who inherited a $1.5 billion budget deficit from Brown, was just as
committed to reducing state spending, engaging in several legendary donnybrooks
with the big-spending democrats who ran the legislature. Six years after
leaving office, Deukmejian joined the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation
board, where he served for 12 years. He then joined our Foundation's
Legal Advisory Committee, serving until his death.
He was not a typical politician. He always told the truth and he never sold out. This often infuriated other politicians. Deukmejian was basically a private man who made a choice to sacrifice his privacy to serve the greater good. He did not covet the public spotlight. When he finally retired from politics, he seemed delighted to, as he put it, "be a grandfather." He is survived by his wife of 61 years, two daughters and a son. Our world would be be a better place were there more like him willing to serve today. He will be missed.
He was not a typical politician. He always told the truth and he never sold out. This often infuriated other politicians. Deukmejian was basically a private man who made a choice to sacrifice his privacy to serve the greater good. He did not covet the public spotlight. When he finally retired from politics, he seemed delighted to, as he put it, "be a grandfather." He is survived by his wife of 61 years, two daughters and a son. Our world would be be a better place were there more like him willing to serve today. He will be missed.
A deserved tribute. A great man of great humility. He was AG when I was hired at DOJ- it was an honour to work under his tenure.