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Off-Ramp

Judge James Reese - 92-year old advocate for troubled kids

By Off-Ramp Staff
Published Dec 17, 2011
92-year old Judge James Reese in his law office, December 12, 2011.
92-year old Judge James Reese in his law office, December 12, 2011.
(
John Rabe
)
The food was better in the officers mess - James Reese remembers huge bowls of strawberries that came with huge pitchers of cream - but you had to pay for it. This is the MONTHLY bill.
The food was better in the officers mess - James Reese remembers huge bowls of strawberries that came with huge pitchers of cream - but you had to pay for it. This is the MONTHLY bill.
(
Courtesy James Reese
)
(
Courtesy James Reese
)
December 12, 2011. Judge James Reese in his law office.
December 12, 2011. Judge James Reese in his law office.
(
John Rabe
)
James Reese, Compton Mayor Lionel Cade, and Governor Jerry Brown.
James Reese, Compton Mayor Lionel Cade, and Governor Jerry Brown.
(
Courtesy James Reese
)
James Reese, Charles Matthews, Yvonne Brathwaite-Burke, and LA County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn.
James Reese, Charles Matthews, Yvonne Brathwaite-Burke, and an unknown person.
(
Courtesy James Reese
)
James Reese, US Army
James Reese, US Army
(
Courtesy James Reese
)
A column Reese wrote for an informal serviceman's newspaper.
A column Reese wrote for an informal serviceman's newspaper.
(
Courtesy James Reese
)
Judge James Reese and his Officer's Candidates School, which he says was his first unsegregated group experience. He's in the third row, third from the right.
Judge James Reese and his Officer's Candidates School, which he says was his first unsegregated group experience. He's in the third row, third from the right.
(
Courtesy James Reese
)

About the Show

Over 11 years and 570 episodes, John Rabe and Team Off-Ramp scoured SoCal for the people, places, and ideas whose stories needed to be told, and the show became a love-letter to Los Angeles. Now, John is sharing selections from the Off-Ramp vault to help you explore this imperfect paradise.

Funding provided by:

Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Listen 12:42
Judge James Reese - 92-year old advocate for troubled kids
On Off-Ramp, we like to talk with witnesses to history, people who bring history alive, instead of leaving it on the dry pages of a book. Retired Judge James Reese is one of these voices of history. He was raised in the segregated south, served in the Army during WW2, became one of the relatively few black lawyers in LA in 1946, and was Ray Charles' legal counsel for two years before becoming LA's first black Superior Court commissioner. Later, he became a Superior Court judge. At 92, he's still hearing arbitration cases and has a new calling: a USC mentoring program for at-risk kids who can't read and write. Off-Ramp host John Rabe spoke with Judge Reese at his law office.

On Off-Ramp, we like to talk with witnesses to history, people who bring history alive, instead of leaving it on the dry pages of a book. Retired Judge James Reese is one of these voices of history. He was raised in the segregated south, served in the Army during WW2, became one of the relatively few black lawyers in LA in 1946, and was Ray Charles' legal counsel for two years before becoming LA's first black Superior Court commissioner. Later, he became a Superior Court judge. At 92, he's still hearing arbitration cases and has a new calling: a USC mentoring program for at-risk kids who can't read and write. Off-Ramp host John Rabe spoke with Judge Reese at his law office.

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