Judge Lagueux, who oversaw the Station fire case, dies at 91
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PROVIDENCE — U.S. District Judge Ronald R. Lagueux, a devotee of court decorum who presided over some of Rhode Island’s most prominent legal cases, died May 3 at age 91.
“[The] judges of the Court are saddened at the death of our dear friend, colleague and mentor,” Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr. said in announcing Lagueux’s passing. “He was an exceptional jurist and respected by the legal community in Rhode Island. His legacy of public service is an inspiration, and we extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Denise, and his family.”
President Ronald Reagan appointed Lagueux, then an 18-year veteran of the state Superior Court bench, in January 1986 to a newly created seat on the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island. He was recommended by his friend and former boss U.S. Sen. John H. Chafee.
“He was a man of immense integrity. The straightest shooter you could imagine,” Senior 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Bruce M. Selya said Friday. “He served with great distinction. We have many fine District Court judges, but Ron Lagueux was as good as they get.”
First appointed to the bench by Gov. John Chafee
Selya, who attended Harvard Law School a few years behind Lagueux, said the two became good friends after Lagueux was recruited to come to Rhode Island from Maine by the law firm Edwards & Angell.
They connected in Republican politics as part of the campaign to get Chafee elected governor. Lagueux went on to become Chafee's legal counsel from 1963 to 1965.
According to Journal archives, Chafee and Lagueux first met at a clambake for state court sheriffs in June 1956. Lagueux told of not liking steamed clams and giving his share to a young lawyer sitting next to him, who turned out to be Chafee.
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In 1968, Chafee named Lagueux to a seat on state Superior Court, where he earned a reputation as a no-nonsense presence on the bench, and for handing out tough sentences.
Selya recalled Lagueux approaching him with the “difficult conversation” after he became a Superior Court judge that the men would no longer be able to socialize because Selya maintained a busy practice in the courts. The two resumed their get-togethers after both became federal judges.
“He was just a straight-up good guy,” Selya said.
A 'judicial conservative' who presided over major cases
After being nominated to U.S. District Court, Lagueux described himself as a "political liberal" but a "judicial conservative" who agreed with Reagan that the judge's role is "to decide actual controversies and not to take over the job of the executive and the Congress."
He famously delayed taking the federal bench to preside over the trials resulting from the Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation scandal.
Rhode Island Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul A. Suttell praised Lagueux as "a leader and a stalwart contributor to the Rhode Island judicial system."
"His service and keen legal mind will be remembered fondly," Suttell said in a statement.
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Lagueux served with distinction in U.S. District Court from 1986 to 2016, presiding over the historic Station nightclub fire case and serving as chief judge from 1992 to 1999. During his tenure, he was a steward of the district and oversaw a renovation project aimed at preserving the integrity of the historic courthouse. He assumed senior status on Nov. 30, 2001.
“All judges are lucky to have the title honorable, but he exemplified it,” Selya said.
Lagueux was born in Lewiston, Maine, on June 30, 1931. He attended public schools there, graduated cum laude from Bowdoin College and graduated in the top 10% of his class from Harvard Law School in 1956.
As an undergraduate, he was a standout athlete and earned varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball. He received several offers to play professional baseball, but opted instead to accept a scholarship to study law at Harvard.
He leaves behind his wife, Denise, three children, and grandchildren.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Judge Lagueux, who oversaw the Station nightclub fire case, dies at 91
