Federal Magistrate Judge Donald C. Ashmanskas dead at 75

July 31, 2011

Oregon: U.S. Chief District Judge Ann Aiken announced Monday July 18th that U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald Ashmanskas passed away. The judge passed away suddenly while working in a community garden, the cause of death was not yet known. He is remembered as a life long Red Sox fan, and a man with a larger-than-life personality. Ashmanskas, a trivia buff, would often challenge sports fans to identify obscure college mascots as a way to keep others grounded. One of Ashmanskas's greatest legacies to the court will be permitting past criminal history to be used against a defendant, a practice that started during a 1980's murder case and now is the standard for how the Supreme Court allows the practice to be used today. He is survived by three children and at least one grand child.