Beverly Reid O'Connell

Beverly Reid O'Connell (born Beverly Ann Reid; May 12, 1965 – October 8, 2017) was an American lawyer and judge. She was a judge on the Los Angeles County Superior Court from 2005 to 2013, and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California from 2013 until her death.

Early life and education

O'Connell was born Beverly Ann Reid on May 12, 1965, in Ventura, California. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1986 from the University of California, Los Angeles. She received her Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, in 1990 from Pepperdine University School of Law.

Career O'Connell worked at the law firm of Morrison & Foerster from 1990 to 1995, where she handled a variety of civil litigation matters. She served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Central District of California from 1995 to 2005. and served on that court until 2013. On April 15, 2013, the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed her nomination, on a 92–0 vote. She received her commission on April 30, 2013. In 2015, she denied a petition for habeas corpus by Sirhan Sirhan, who is imprisoned for life for assassinating Robert F. Kennedy.

O'Connell was also a member of the board of visitors for her alma mater, Pepperdine University School of Law (later renamed the Rick J. Caruso School of Law). She lived in Pasadena, California.