George Webster Latimer (November 28, 1900 – May 3, 1990) was aUtahlawyer best known for representing Lt.William Calley Jr. in his court martial for theMy Lai incident.[1] Latimer was also a justice of theUtah Supreme Court from 1946 to 1951 and one of the three original members of theU.S. Court of Military Appeals from 1951 to 1961.[2]
Latimer was born inDraper, Utah, to John and Petria Jensen Latimer[3] and attendedSalt Lake Public Schools.[4] In 1924, he graduated from theUniversity of Utah College of Law, where he was a member ofDelta Theta Phi law fraternity.[5] As an undergraduate at theUniversity of Utah he was a member ofSigma Pi fraternity.[6]
Latimer practiced law inSalt Lake City from 1924 to 1940.[7] He joined theUtah National Guard in 1925.[3]
On October 5, 1929, Latimer married Rhoda Caroll.[3] They had two children.[1]
DuringWorld War II, Latimer spent three years in thePacific Theater with theFortieth Infantry Division. He rose the rank ofcolonel and was the division’schief of staff.[1] Latimer participated in four landings and was awarded theBronze Star and theLegion of Merit.[3] He continued his work with the National Guard after the war and rose to the rank ofbrigadier general.[4]
In 1946, Latimer defeated incumbentMartin M. Larson to win election to the Utah Supreme Court,[8] and was sworn in for a 10-year term.[6] In 1951, he resigned to accept an appointment by PresidentHarry S. Truman to the newly formed U.S. Court of Military Appeals.[4] Latimer was instrumental in interpreting theUniform Code of Military Justice after it was adopted at the end of World War II.[1] He noted in a 1956 address to the military’sJudge Advocate Generals that civilian courts were beginning to call on the Court of Military Appeals for judicial opinions relating to military judicial subjects. He said that this was a good sign that the Uniform Code of Military Justice had established an acceptable court system.[9]
Latimer became a partner in the Salt Lake City firm of Parsons, Behle, and Latimer in 1961.[7] He served as its president until retiring in 1973 but remained as a counsel to the firm until 1985.[3]
In 1965, Latimer was appointed to theUtah State Board of Pardons. He served on the board until 1979. During that time he presided over the commutation hearings of murdererGary Gilmore.[1] He never voted to commute a death sentence as he thought he should not overrule the decision of a judge and jury.[4]
In 1969, Latimer was hired to represent Calley at his court-martial.[10] He was sought out because of his experience in both military and civilian courts. Latimer worked on the case until 1974, with appeals in the military and civilian courts. A U.S. district judge eventually found that Calley’s military trial was conducted in a way that violated his constitutional rights.[1]
In 1977, Latimer won theUtah State Bar’s Lawyer of the Year Award.[11] He was a member of theKiwanis and a director for theSalvation Army.[6]