Charles Robert Richey

Charles Robert Richey (October 16, 1923 – March 19, 1997) was a United States federal judge. When fairly new to the federal bench, he presided over the civil case related to Watergate and embroiled himself in controversy for his communications with the Nixon Administration and the judicial decisions that followed.

Early life, education, and career

Born in Logan County, Ohio, Richey was in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during World War II. He received an A.B. from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1945 and an LL.B. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 1948. He was a legislative counsel to U.S. Representative Frances P. Bolton from 1948 to 1949. He was in private practice in Washington, D.C. and Chevy Chase, Maryland from 1949 to 1971, also working as a speech and debate coach for American University from 1954 to 1955. He was special counsel to Montgomery County, Maryland, on Council Redistricting from 1965 to 1966, and was a member of the Montgomery County Board of Appeals, Maryland from 1965 to 1967, serving as chairman from 1966 to 1967. He was general counsel to the Maryland Public Service Commission from 1967 to 1971.