LOS ANGELES – Arthur L. Alarcon, who was the first Latino appointed to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, has died. He was 89.
A court statement says Alarcon had cancer and died at his Los Angeles home on Wednesday.
Alarcon was a judge for more than 50 years on state and federal courts. He was appointed to the 9th Circuit in 1979 and served until taking senior status in 1992.
Alarcon continued to fill in on other courts as late as last summer, including in six other federal circuits. He also worked with judges in Chile and Argentina under international judicial exchange programs.
In recent years, he also was an advocated for death penalty reform.
The 9th Circuit is the nation's largest, covering nine state and two Pacific territories.
