Federal judge

Richard Hugh Benson (1926 – 2021) was a judge for the Superior and Supreme Courts of Guam for over 40 years. Benson, born on 10 February 1926, began to make a mark on the community when he was appointed as a judge to the Island Court, after working as a lawyer for three years.

Benson graduated from the US Naval Academy, and was a member of the US Navy for 10 years before, before moving on to earn his Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School in 1956.

Benson was married to Beatrice “Betty” Benson. He had three children, Lang, Mark, Marzieh, and two stepchildren, Shirin and Zeena, along with numerous grandchildren. Benson was predeceased by his son, David.

Respected voice in the court system

In 1970, Governor Carlos G. Camacho appointed Benson to the Island Court. In 1974, the 12th Guam Legislature passed the Court Reorganization Act, and the Island Court became the Superior Court of Guam. Benson was appointed to the Superior Court in 1974, and then became the first judge to be retained by the people of Guam through a popular election in 1978.

Benson later resigned from the Superior Court in 1981, and began his service as the first associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Federated States of Micronesia. As a trusted leader and respected voice in the court system, he was appointed by the FSM’s first President Tosiwo Nakayama. He served in this capacity for decades, and retired from the position in 2001. Benson returned to Guam, and served as a Senior Judge Pro Tempore for the Superior Court of Guam and Senior Justice Pro Tempore for the Supreme Court of Guam.

Benson received the Hustisia Award from the Judiciary of Guam in 2012 in honor of his impact and decades of service to the island community.

He also served as a justice on appeals and trial matters for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the FSM Supreme Court.

Faith and service

In a PDN article about Benson’s legacy, Benson’s wife Betty shared that her husband’s Baháʼí Faith was critical to his dedication and service as a judge. In the article, Betty Benson said that her husband would visit the people that he sentenced to check on their conditions.

Upon Benson’s death, Governor Lourdes Leon Guerrero issued a statement on Benson’s legacy: “Judge Benson served our nation for 10 years in the Navy and summoned his spirit of goodness to fight against religious discrimination and racism at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. When he made Guam his home, we were not only gifted with his innate jurist abilities, we also gained a genuine man of faith and a fighter for all people.”

A statement from the Judiciary of Guam noted: “For more than 40 years, he presided over cases throughout the Pacific, establishing a legacy built upon his particular attention to island custom and culture. Within the legal community of our entire region, he was known for being a gentleman, a learned jurist, and a peacemaker. His dignity on the bench will remain legendary. His dedication to the administration of justice, his brilliance, and his geniality will be sorely missed.”

Benson died in 2021 at the age of 95.

For further reading

Daily Post Staff. “Island mourns death of former Judge Benson.” Guam Daily Post, 1 December 2021.

Healy, Shane. “Former Judge Richard Benson dies at 95.” Pacific Daily News, 17 November 2021. https://www.guampdn.com/news/former-judge-richard-benson-dies-at-95/article_479b2d08-4776-11ec-9fe7-8ba2c8c7b3af.html

Office of the Governor. “Statement on the Passing of Former Senior Judge Pro Tempore Richard H. Benson.” 18 November 2021.

Pacific Daily News Staff. “Richard Benson Obituary.” Pacific Daily News. 21 November 2021.