Book Beginning: The Court that Tamed the West

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YOUR BOOK BEGINNING



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Across the landscape of American institutions, the federal judiciary has consistently received the highest (by far) vote of confidence in public opinion polls.

-- from the Foreword by United States District Judge William Alsup, The Court that Tamed the West: From the Gold Rush to the Tech Boom by Richard Cahan, Pia Hinckle, and Jessica Royer Ocken, published by Heyday Books

On the morning of May 19, 1851, Ogden Hoffman Jr. prepared to enter his courtroom for the first time. He was just 20-9 years old and had been chosen as the first judge of the new United States District Court for the District of California.

-- from Chapter 1, "The Admiralty Court"

The US District Court for the Northern District of California is one of the most influential courts in America. The Court that Tamed the West is the history of the American West through an examination of the judges and of the cases heard in this court. Although legal in focus, the book is written for a general audience.