Robert Vance

Judge Robert S. Vance (died December 16, 1989) was a judge on the 11th United States Circuit Court of Appeals in Birmingham. He was killed by a mail bomb delivered to his Mountain Brook home in December 1989. Walter Leroy Moody was convicted in St Paul, Minnesota of having sent the bomb, along with another that killed civil rights attorney Robert Robinson in Savannah, Georgia and 69 other criminal counts.

Former Governor Don Siegelman began his law practice in Vance's office.

Vance served as the first chair of the Conference Committee on Space and Facilities for the Federal Court System. His death prompted the committee to dedicate their U. S. Courts Design Guide to his memory. The Federal Courthouse Building on 5th Avenue North was dedicated to him in 1990.

Vance was survived by his wife, Helen, who was injured in the blast, and by his son, Robert Jr, who now sits on the circuit court bench.

References

• Waldmen, Michael L., J. Pearson, P. McCoy, D. Peeler, R. Kandel, M. Kane, J. Tichy and M. Valentini (1991) "Footprints of a Just Man: The Case Law of Judge Robert S. Vance." Alabama Law Review.
• Montgomery, Bill. (June 29, 1991) "Moody convicted on all counts; Georgia bomber could face 7 life sentences, plus 415 years." Atlanta Journal Constitution. p. A1
• Jenkins, Ray. (September 1997) Blind Vengeance: The Roy Moody Mail Bomb Murders Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press.