John Gabbert

John Gordon Gabbert (June 20, 1909 – December 9, 2013) was an American judge. He was associate justice of the California Courts of Appeal appointed by Governor Ronald Reagan in May 1970. Before that, he was a Superior Court judge for Riverside County, California.

Biography

Early life Gabbert was born in Oxnard, California on June 20, 1909. His father, J. R. Gabbert, purchased the Riverside Enterprise newspaper and worked as both editor and publisher.

During World War II, he enlisted in the United States Army and in 1944 served with the Criminal Investigation Division in New Guinea and the Philippines.

Legal career Following his graduation from Boalt Law School, Gabbert was admitted to the California Bar on October 16, 1934 and to the Philippine Islands Bar in 1945. He also served as a City Court Judge for Riverside County from 1941 to 1943. In 1949, he was appointed by Governor Earl Warren as a Judge in the Superior Court of Riverside County, a position he held from 1949 to 1970. (It was at this time that his name was removed from the law firm that eventually became known as Best, Best, & Krieger.) In May 1970, Governor Ronald Reagan appointed him as a Presiding Justice of the California Appellate Court, Fourth Appellate District, Division Two, a position which he held until his retirement on June 1, 1974.

Civic involvement Gabbert served as a school board member for the Riverside Unified School District from 1946 to 1949. He is a former president of the Riverside County Bar Association as well as the Lions Club, the Present Day Club, and the Citizens University Committee. He also served on a variety of civic and charitable organizations both in a membership as well as a leadership capacity and was a member of the Executive Committee of University of La Verne College of Law.

University of California, Riverside advocacy In his role as President of the Citizens University Committee, Gabbert worked with Rupert Costo and other civic leaders to lobby the University of California system to establish a campus in Riverside.

Marriage and children Gabbert married Katherine Jeanette Fuller in Tulare, California on June 11, 1938. The couple had three children:

Sarah Gabbert (June 29, 1940 – present) Katherine Gabbert (December 24, 1942 – present) Scott Gabbert (January 28, 1946 – present)

Political views Gabbert was registered as a Republican.