John E. Richards was an associate justice of the California Supreme Court from 1924 until 1932.[1]
Richards was born on July 7, 1856 in San Jose.[2] He obtained his undergraduate degree from University of the Pacific in 1877 and his law degree from the University of Michigan in 1879.[3] In 1907, after practicing law in San Francisco and San Jose, Richards began serving on the Santa Clara Superior Court.[4] In 1913, he was elevated to the First District Court of Appeal, and in 1924, he was appointed to the Supreme Court.[5]
Richards served as a trustee of the University of the Pacific. In his spare time, he wrote editorials, essays and poetry;[6] he was also a Mason.[7]
His last opinion (Parra v. Traeger (1931) 214 Cal. 535) was filed on December 31, 1931. He died on June 25, 1932.[8]