Janet Reno
78th United States Attorney General
In office March 11, 1993 – January 20, 2001
Preceded by	William Barr
Succeeded by	John Ashcroft
Born	July 21, 1938 (1938-07-21) (age 69) Miami, Florida
Political party	Democratic

Janet Reno (born July 21, 1938) was the first and to date only female Attorney General of the United States (1993–2001). The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice (see) concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement Events 1425 BC - Thutmose III, Pharaoh of Egypt, dies (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th Dynasty Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. John David Ashcroft (born May 9 1942) is an American Politician who was the 79th United States Attorney General. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice (see) concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. ^[1] She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on February 11, 1993, and confirmed on March 11. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States Events 660 BC - Traditional founding date of Japan by Emperor Jimmu. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Events 1425 BC - Thutmose III, Pharaoh of Egypt, dies (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th Dynasty She was the second longest serving Attorney General after William Wirt. William Wirt ( November 8, 1772 &ndash February 18, 1834) was an American author and statesman who is credited with turning the

She is the sister of columnist Robert Reno, and aunt to model Hunter Reno. She was one of two Danish Americans in the cabinet, the other being Lloyd Bentsen. Lloyd Millard Bentsen Jr ( February 11 1921 – May 23 2006) was a four-term United States senator (1971 until 1993 from Texas

Biography

Reno's father, Henry Reno (original surname Rasmussen), immigrated to the United States from Denmark and for forty-three years was a police reporter for the Miami Herald. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe The Miami Herald is a daily Newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company headquartered in Downtown Miami Florida. ^[2] Jane Wood, Reno's mother, raised her children and then became an investigative reporter for the Miami News. ^[2] Janet Reno has three younger siblings.

Reno attended public school in Miami-Dade County, Florida, where she was a debating champion and was valedictorian at Coral Gables High School. Miami-Dade County (often referred to as simply Miami or Dade) is a County located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida Coral Gables Senior High School is a Secondary school located at 450 Bird Road in Coral Gables, Florida, USA; its principal is Jo Anne Gans In 1956 Reno enrolled at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where she majored in chemistry,^[3] lived in Balch Hall, became president of the Women's Self-Government Association, and earned her room and board. Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The City of Ithaca (named for the Greek island of Ithaca) sits on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake, in Central New York Chemistry (from Egyptian kēme (chem meaning "earth") is the Science concerned with the composition structure and properties Balch Hall, or more accurately Balch Halls, is the only all-female Dormitory at Cornell University.

Reno enrolled at Harvard Law School in 1960, one of only sixteen women in a class of more than 500 students. Harvard Law School (also known as Harvard Law or HLS) is one of the professional Graduate schools of Harvard University. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. She received her LL.B. from Harvard three years later. The Bachelor of Laws (abbreviated LLB, LLB or rarely LlB) is an undergraduate or bachelor degree in law offered in most Common law ^[4]

Reno was named staff director of the Judiciary Committee of the Florida House of Representatives in 1971. The Florida House of Representatives, one of the two Chambers of the Florida Legislature, is composed of 120 members each representing a district Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. She helped revise the Florida court system. In 1973 she accepted a position with the Dade County State's Attorney's Office. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. During this time, questions about Reno's sexual orientation became a major part of Republican opponent Jack Thompson's campaign against her, who demanded to know her sexual orientation. John Bruce "Jack" Thompson (born July 25 1951 is an American Activist and former Attorney, based in Coral Gables, ^[5] She left the state's attorney's office in 1976 to become a partner in a private law firm. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[6]

In 1978, Reno was appointed State Attorney for Dade County (now called Miami-Dade County). Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) In the United States, the State's Attorney (or State Attorney is an appointed or elected official who represents the State (prosecution in criminal prosecutions and is often She was elected to the Office of State Attorney in November 1978 and was returned to office by the voters four more times. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) She helped reform the juvenile justice system and pursued delinquent fathers for child support payments and established the Miami Drug Court. Drug courts are specialized courts designed to handle cases involving offenders who abuse addictive substances. ^[7]

During her time in Dade County, she was the lead prosecutor in a police brutality case. She was unable to convict any of the four officers charged with beating Arthur McDuffie in 1979. Arthur McDuffie (c 1946 - 1979 whose death at the hands of Miami-Dade police and the officers' subsequent acquittals caused one of the worst riots in United States Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar)

Reno has been criticized for her prosecutions of alleged sexual abusers during this time, which have been described as a "crusade"^[8] involving the "manipulative questioning" of child witnesses. ^[9] She was involved in the prosecution of Bobby Fijnje, a 14-year old accused of Satanic ritual abuse who was eventually acquitted. Satanic ritual abuse ( SRA, sometimes known as ritual abuse, cult related abuse, ritualized abuse, sadistic ritual abuse, ritual ^[10]

In 1995, Reno was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Parkinson's disease (also known as Parkinson disease or PD) is a degenerative disorder of the Central nervous system that often impairs the sufferer's ^[11]

Attorney General Nomination

In 1993, Reno was nominated and confirmed as the first female Attorney General under Bill Clinton, after both of his previous nominees, Zoe Baird and Kimba Wood, had confirmation problems when it was revealed both had previously employed illegal immigrants as nannies. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States Zoë Eliot Baird (born 1952 is an American lawyer She was Bill Clinton 's first unsuccessful nominee for attorney general in 1993 Kimba Maureen Wood (born 1944 in Port Townsend Washington) is a U Reno remained Attorney General for the rest of Clinton's presidency, making her the longest-serving Attorney General since William Wirt in 1829. William Wirt ( November 8, 1772 &ndash February 18, 1834) was an American author and statesman who is credited with turning the

While Clinton could steer a middle ground between his Democratic supporters and the Republican Congress on monetary issues, Reno's job was at the center of a variety of intractable cultural conflicts. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses This made her a lightning rod for criticism of the Clinton Administration from the right, who often perceived the federal government as a threat to their fundamental freedoms.

At the Justice Department

Reno supervised the following Department of Justice actions:

• The month-long standoff and ensuing deaths of more than 80 men, women, and children--the Branch Davidians--in Waco, Texas. For animal rights group see Justice Department (JD The United States Department of Justice ( DOJ) is a Cabinet department The Waco Siege (also known as the Waco Massacre) took place on February 28 The Branch Davidians are a Sect that originated from a schism in 1955 from the Davidian Seventh Day Adventists, themselves former members of the
• Bringing suit against the software company Microsoft for violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. United States v Microsoft There were many civil actions taking place in May 18 1998 Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational Computer technology Corporation, which rose to dominate the Home computer The Sherman Antitrust Act ( Sherman Act, July 2, 1890, ch 647,) was the first United States Federal statute to limit Cartels and
• Prosecution resulting in the conviction of 21 of the Montana Freemen after an 81 day armed standoff. The Montana Freemen were a Christian Patriot group based in Montana, United States, near the town of Jordan.
• Capture and conviction of Theodore Kaczynski, the Unabomber.
• Capture and conviction of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols for the Oklahoma City bombing. Timothy James McVeigh ( April 23, 1968 &ndash June 11, 2001) was a United States Army veteran and security guard who bombed Terry Lynn Nichols (born April 1, 1955) is a US Army veteran who was convicted of being an accomplice of Timothy McVeigh, the man convicted The Oklahoma City bombing was a domestic terrorist attack on April 19 1995 aimed at the U
• Capture and conviction of those who conducted the World Trade Center bombing (resulting in life-sentences of Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman and 4 conspirators)
• Leak to the news media regarding Richard Jewell that led to the widespread and incorrect presumption of his guilt in the Centennial Olympic Park bombing. The 1993 World Trade Center bombing occurred on February 26, 1993, when a Car bomb was detonated below Tower One of the World Trade Center Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman (عمر عبد الرحمن (born May 3, 1938) is a blind Egyptian Muslim leader who is currently serving Richard A Jewell ( December 17 1962 &ndash August 29 2007) was a central figure of the Centennial Olympic Park bombing at the The Centennial Olympic Park bombing was a terrorist Bombing on July 27, 1996 in Atlanta Georgia during the 1996 Summer She later apologized, saying "I'm very sorry it happened. I think we owe him an apology. I regret the leak. " ^[12]
• Identification of the correct suspect (Eric Rudolph) in the Centennial Olympic Park bombing and other bombings, who remained a fugitive throughout her tenure. Eric Robert Rudolph (born September 19, 1966) also known as the Olympic Park Bomber, is an American radical described by the FBI as a Terrorist The Centennial Olympic Park bombing was a terrorist Bombing on July 27, 1996 in Atlanta Georgia during the 1996 Summer
• Capture and conviction of Mir Aimal Kasi for the 1993 CIA headquarters shootings. An attack took place on January 25, 1993 near the entrance of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA headquarters in Langley Virginia where two CIA employees
• Armed seizure of six-year-old Elián González who had survived the dangerous trip by sea with his mother (who died) and his return to his surviving parent in Cuba, despite the desire of relatives in Florida to become his guardians. The custody and Immigration status of a young Cuban boy Elián González (born December 6, 1993) was at the center of a heated controversy
• In 1998, the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee voted to cite Reno for contempt of Congress for not turning over documents during the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is a United States House of Representatives committee that has existed in varying forms since 1816 Contempt of Congress is the act of obstructing the work of the United States Congress or one of its committees. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States ^[13] The full House of Representatives never voted on the resolution and the documents were turned over to the House.
• Her Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Division, David William Ogden, led a lawsuit against the tobacco companies

Post-political life

Reno ran for Governor of Florida in 2002, but lost in the Democratic primary to Bill McBride. The 2002 Florida gubernatorial election took place on 5 November 2002 for the post of Governor of Florida. Bill McBride (born May 10, 1945) is an American lawyer and politician. Voting problems arose in the election, and she did not concede defeat until a week later. ^[14] She has since retired from public life but frequently makes guest appearances for Democratic and other political causes.

After her tenure as attorney general and her unsuccessful gubernatorial election bid, Reno tours the country giving speeches on topics relating to the criminal justice system. For example, on March 31, 2006, she spoke at a criminology conference held at the University of Pennsylvania. Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn) is a private University located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. At this conference, she stated that she believes that the education system in the USA country needs to be improved, as there is a link between the quality of education and the crime rate. She also believes that too much money has been diverted away from the juvenile court system and believes that the government should find some way to make the juvenile courts work effectively so as to prevent problems in troubled children and adolescents before these problems are exacerbated by the time these adolescents reach adulthood. A juvenile court or young offender court is a court of law having special authority to try and pass judgments for Crimes committed by children or adolescents ^[15][16]

Janet Reno (right), with Will Ferrell in character as her. John William "Will" Ferrell (ˈfærəl born July 16, 1967) is an American Comedian, Actor, Voice actor,

In 2001, Reno appeared alongside Will Ferrell on Saturday Night Live in the final installment of the recurring sketch "Janet Reno's Dance Party". John William "Will" Ferrell (ˈfærəl born July 16, 1967) is an American Comedian, Actor, Voice actor, Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City ^[17] In another television appearance, on a 2007 Super Bowl XLI TV commercial, Janet Reno was among the guests at Chad Johnson's Super Bowl party. Super Bowl XLI was an American football game played on February 4 2007 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a suburb of ^[18]

Reno is also curating a compilation of old-time American songs performed by contemporary artists called the "Song of America. "^[19]

Reno also serves on the Board of Directors for the Innocence Project, a nonprofit organization which assists prisoners who could be exonerated through DNA testing. For other uses see The Innocence Project The Innocence Project refers to a number of non-profit legal clinics in the United States and Canada

Sources

• This article incorporates text from the Department of Justice website, which is in the public domain. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone
• Miami New Times on Reno's controversial sexual abuse prosecution

References

External links