Asa Keyes (August 9, 1877 – October 18, 1934) was district attorney of Los Angeles County, California from June 1923 until 1928, when he was found guilty of accepting a bribe from the Julian Petroleum Company and was sentenced to five years' imprisonment. He was paroled in October 1931, then pardoned by Governor James Rolph in August 1933.[1]
Asa Keyes | |
|---|---|
 Keyes in 1928 | |
| 28th District Attorney of Los Angeles County | |
| In office June 6, 1923 – December 3, 1928 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas L. Woolwine |
| Succeeded by | Buron Fitts |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 9, 1877 Wilmington, California |
| Died | October 18, 1934 (aged 57) Los Angeles, California |
| Resting place | Wilmington Cemetery |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Lillian Samuels (m. 1903) |
| Children |
|
| Education | University of Southern California |
Biography
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Keyes was born August 9, 1877, in Wilmington, California, and attended the University of Southern California, after which he entered the district attorney's office. When Thomas L. Woolwine resigned in June 1923, Keyes stepped into his position. A year later Keyes called upon 87 department employees to resign, and he reappointed only 27 of them to form his new team. During 1924 he caused the average length of a felony trial to be cut from 130 to 51 days.[1]
In 1926, Keyes brought felony charges against celebrity evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, her mother, and several others, alleging McPherson's reported kidnapping was a hoax.[2] However, in January the following year, the charges were dropped due to a lack of evidence.
When he died on October 18, 1934, he left his wife, Lillian, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Mrs. Fred McGuire.[1]
See also
edit- Ku Klux Klan in Inglewood, California, for one of Keyes' notable cases
- Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson, for another one of Keyes' notable cases
References
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- ^ a b c "Asa Keyes Succumbs to Stroke". Los Angeles Times. October 19, 1934. pp. 1, 3. Retrieved January 15, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Grace, Roger (August 29, 2007). "Asa Keyes Prosecutes Aimee Semple McPherson—and Encounters Her Wrath". Metropolitan News-Enterprise. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
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