Jerold Krieger

Jerold A. Krieger ( – ) was a judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court known for his work fighting for civil rights for gays, minorities and the disadvantaged. As an openly gay judge, he served as Chairperson of the Sexual Orientation Fairness Subcommittee of the California Judicial Council's Access and Fairness Advisory Committee. He was a co-founder of the world's first gay and lesbian synagogue.

Professional career and judicial service As a California Deputy Attorney General, he was elected in 1974 to be president of the Association of Deputy Attorneys General. In private practice starting in 1977, he handled civil cases. Krieger was the chairman and treasurer for 1980 reelection campaign of Mike Roos for California State Assembly. Roos recommended Krieger as a judicial appointee. Krieger noted that "The importance of my appointment was in the fact that it did not make headlines." Krieger joined the Municipal Court in 1983 and served until 1988, becoming the presiding judge of its Encino branch. He was unopposed for reelection in 1994 and 2000 and served on the Superior Court bench until his death from cancer on February 14, 2002. It found many situations where people in the courts system, including parties to cases, workers, and jurors, were subject to bias. Krieger stated, "The study shows that there is both a perception and in some cases actual unequal treatment based upon sexual orientation."

"It's a wake-up call of how much work needs to be done," said Jon W. Davidson, attorney for the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund. "It has important consequences, because gays and lesbians are going to use the court system. The courts need to deal with [the inequalities] if they're committed to open access for all people."

Krieger also was a co-founder in 1972 of the world's first gay and lesbian synagogue, Temple Beth Chayim Chadashim.

Rabbi Lisa Edwards of Temple Beth Chayim Chadashim recalls that Judge Krieger "used to laugh and sigh with me at the irony that the state of California authorized the two of us to officiate and sign marriage licenses – could even do so for a couple who had been together one day – but that same state of California wouldn't let either of us marry our own partners of so many years." Krieger's life partner was Jon Smith.