The Life and Legacy of Judge Richard S. Arnold

The world of politics entails a large variety of men and women from diverse backgrounds. Politicians range from mayors of local cities and state representatives to Congressmen and presidents. One other group that I consider to be included under the realm of politicians are those that serve in the judicial branch of the United State government. While Judges may not be labeled Republican or Democratic, the political backgrounds of appointees are some of the driving forces to decide who serves on the bench. Studying the judiciary leads to coming across some historical figures that shaped history through the opinions that they wrote during their time of service. It is interesting to see the development of judges and how their past can shape the type of person they become and the decisions they make. The late Richard S. Arnold is no exception to that description. Arnold was a man who was shaped and molded by his upbringing to have certain opinions, gained freedom through the knowledge he gained in education, and ultimately developed his own opinions that led to influence his decisions while serving on the federal court of appeals for the Eighth Circuit from 1980 to 2004