Judge McLafferty dies at age 70

By ERIC LINDBERG — Jan. 19, 2010

Judge J. William McLafferty, who oversaw civil cases in Santa Barbara Superior Court for more than a decade, died on Friday at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. He was 70.

Colleagues described him as a knowledgeable leader who left his touch as supervising judge of the court’s civil division in Southern Santa Barbara County.

“Judge McLafferty was a very dynamic individual who quickly rose to the top of his profession based on his talent and merit, and never forgot his humble origin,” Gary Blair, court executive, said in a prepared statement. “We are greatly diminished by his loss.”

Appointed to the court in 1997 by Gov. Pete Wilson and later re-elected twice to six-year terms, McLafferty served as a member of the court’s executive committee as well as its presiding judge from 2007 to 2008.

He is also remembered for designing a program known as CMADRESS, or Case Management Alternative Dispute Resolution Early Settlement Session.

“His program has been and continues to be responsible for the settlement of large numbers of civil cases through the use of mediation every week,” Presiding Judge Arthur Garcia said in the prepared statement.

Born in Butler, Penn., on June 14, 1939, McLafferty earned degrees in math and law from Duquesne University. He also served as editor-in-chief of Juris, the law school’s news magazine, before he completed his law degree in 1968.

After being admitted to the Pennsylvania state bar that same year, McLafferty worked as assistant general counsel of t he Housing Authority of Pittsburgh and as a research associate with the Pennsylvania Crime Commission.

After moving to California in 1972 and passing the state bar exam, he began work as a trial lawyer with Tom Halde & Associates through 1975, when he joined local firm Archbald and Spray.

In addition to working with the law firm through 1997 and serving as its managing partner from 1990 to 1997, McLafferty also held the position of director of the Santa Barbara County Bar Association from 1980 to 1982.

He is survived by his wife, Carol, and four children.

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A great man : 1/20/2010

He will be dearly missed. He had a really big heart.

Erin Griffin Kossen

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