Edelstein, David Norton

▪ 2001

      American judge (b. Feb. 16, 1910, New York, N.Y.—d. Aug. 19, 2000, New York), spent 43 years (1952–95) presiding over the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust action against IBM, considered one of the most important antitrust proceedings in modern judicial history, and was involved since 1988 in the landmark United States v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters lawsuit. Before he was ordered off the IBM case in 1995—owing to a ruling by a federal appeals court that questioned his impartiality—Edelstein had signed a consent order in 1956 under which IBM had agreed to modify some of its practices. In the case of the Teamsters union, Edelstein worked doggedly to rid the union of corruption; he sanctioned a 1998 review board decision to oust former union president Ron Carey, he paved the way for James P. Hoffa to accede to the union presidency in 1999, and shortly before his death, outlined rules for 2001 elections. Edelstein, who was appointed to the bench in 1951 by Pres. Harry Truman, was still hearing cases at the time of his death.

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