Charles E. Wiggins | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Senior Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit | |
| In office December 31, 1996 – March 2, 2000 | |
| Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit | |
| In office October 11, 1984 – December 31, 1996 | |
| Appointed by | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | Seat established by 98 Stat. 333 |
| Succeeded by | Carlos Bea |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia | |
| In office January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1979 | |
| Preceded by | Ronald B. Cameron |
| Succeeded by | William E. Dannemeyer |
| Constituency | 25th district (1967–1975) 39th district (1975–1979) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Charles Edward Wiggins (1927-12-03)December 3, 1927 El Monte, California, U.S. |
| Died | March 2, 2000(2000-03-02) (aged 72) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | University of Southern California (BS,LLB) |
Charles Edward Wiggins (December 3, 1927 – March 2, 2000) was aUnited States representative fromCalifornia, and later aUnited States circuit judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He was initially elected toCalifornia's 25th congressional district. The district was renumbered asCalifornia's 39th congressional district prior to the1974 election.
Born inEl Monte,California, Wiggins attended the public schools in El Monte. He was a First Lieutenant in theUnited States Army duringWorld War II, from 1945 to 1948 and again from 1950 to 1952, thereafter receiving aBachelor of Science degree from theUniversity of Southern California in 1953 and aBachelor of Laws from theUniversity of Southern California Law School in 1956. He was alaw clerk to Judge Swain of the Appellate Division, Los Angeles Superior Court. Wiggins then served as a member of the El Monte Planning Commission from 1954 to 1960, entering private practice in El Monte in 1957. He was an El Monte Councilman from 1960 to 1964, and mayor of El Monte from 1964 to 1966.[1]
Wiggins was elected as aRepublican to theNinetieth and to the five succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1979). He represented much of the territory thatRichard Nixon represented in the House from 1947 to 1950.[2]
Wiggins fiercely defended Nixon during debate on theHouse Judiciary Committee overNixon's impeachment.[3] However, Wiggins dropped his support after the revelation of the so-called "Smoking Gun" tape.[4][5] He had actually been invited to the White House byChief of StaffAlexander Haig to review the transcripts before their release. However, after reading the transcript, Wiggins concluded that the tapes proved that Nixon had indeed taken part in the plan to cover up the break-in and other illegal activities.[2]
In a statement, Wiggins said that based on this evidence, "the facts then known to me now have changed." He added that it was now clear Nixon had a "plan of action" to cover up the break-in, and that alone would be "legally sufficient" to prove Nixon engaged in "a conspiracy to obstruct justice." While Wiggins believed "a competent counsel" could offer an innocent explanation for Nixon's actions in the Senate, he did not believe a protracted impeachment trial would be in the national interest. For that reason, he urged Nixon to resign and allowVice PresidentGerald Ford to succeed him. He warned Nixon that if he did not resign, he was prepared to vote to impeach Nixon for obstruction of justice. He balked at supporting the other articles, citing concern about "unfortunate historical precedents." Several other Republicans on the Judiciary Committee followed his lead, a fact emphasized byThe New York Times in its headline, "Wiggins for Impeachment; Others in G.O.P. Join Him."[6][7]
Wiggins's earlier advocacy for Nixon saw his margin of victory reduced in the congressional elections of 1974.[8] Re-elected in 1976, he was not a candidate for reelection to theNinety-sixth Congress in 1978, instead returning to private practice inLos Angeles California from 1979 to 1982, inWashington, D.C. from 1982 to 1984, and inSan Francisco, California in 1984.[1]
On August 1, 1984, Wiggins was nominated by PresidentRonald Reagan to a new seat on theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit created by 98 Stat. 333. He was confirmed by theUnited States Senate on October 3, 1984, and received his commission on October 11, 1984. Wiggins assumedsenior status on December 31, 1996, serving in that capacity until his death.[1]
Wiggins died ofcardiac arrest on March 2, 2000, inLas Vegas,Nevada, and was buried inArlington National Cemetery.[9] There is aCenotaph monument atSavannah Memorial Park inRosemead, California.[10]
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBiographical Directory of the United States Congress.Federal government of the United States.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 25th congressional district 1967–1975 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 39th congressional district 1975–1979 | Succeeded by |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by Seat established by 98 Stat. 333 | Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit 1984–1996 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
