Edward Joseph DeSaulnier Jr.

Edward Joseph DeSaulnier Jr. (January 8, 1921 – April 20, 1989) was an American politician and judge from the commonwealth of Massachusetts. He served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1949 to 1957, in the Massachusetts Senate from 1957 to 1958, and on the Massachusetts Superior Court from 1958 to 1972. His son, Mark DeSaulnier, is a member of the United States House of Representatives from California. Early life DeSaulnier was from Chelmsford, Massachusetts, the son of a French Canadian immigrant. He attended the College of the Holy Cross, then during World War II, served as a combat pilot in the United States Marine Corps; he served during the Battle of Iwo Jima. After the war, he graduated from the Boston University School of Law. Career DeSaulnier served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1949 to 1957, then served one term in the Massachusetts Senate. Governor Foster Furcolo appointed DeSaulnier to the Massachusetts Superior Court in December 1958. In 1971, DeSaulnier was accused of accepting bribes from a criminal defendant. Although the statute of limitations meant he could not be charged, he was disbarred by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on January 11, 1972, and resigned his judgeship.