Reno, Janet

▪ 1994

      On March 12, 1993, Janet Reno was sworn in as the 78th attorney general of the United States. She was the first woman to serve as the nation's top law-enforcement official and seemed to be one of the few bright spots in the administration of Pres. Bill Clinton, who had been dogged by political missteps and questionable nominations. An experienced and able prosecutor, Reno was also known for launching innovative programs designed to steer nonviolent drug offenders away from jail and for espousing often controversial opinions regarding the rights of criminal defendants. As the new head of the Justice Department, Reno faced considerable challenges, not the least of which was reconciling her own views on the root causes of crime and social disorder with the views of a crime-weary populace that was demanding tougher laws and harsher punishments.

      Reno was born on July 21, 1938, in Miami, Fla. Her father, Henry, was a Danish immigrant who worked as a police reporter for the Miami Herald. Her mother, Jane, who worked as an investigative reporter for the Miami News, was locally known as a colourful eccentric who wrestled alligators, recited poetry, and was made an honorary princess by the Miccosukee Indians. Following her graduation from Harvard Law School in 1963, Reno worked for several law firms and for the Florida state legislature. In 1978 she was appointed state's attorney for Dade county, which encompassed the entire greater-Miami area. In this position she dealt with the 1980 bloody riots in the Liberty City section of Miami and with the greatly increased crime spurred by the booming 1980s drug trade. By reforming the juvenile justice system and aggressively prosecuting child-abuse cases, she also gained recognition as a strong advocate for the rights of children.

      Reno was criticized by some in the law-enforcement community for her perceived leniency toward criminals and for her tendency to plea-bargain cases. However, her innovative ideas and vast experience as a prosecutor put her on Clinton's shortlist for attorney general. Reno's nomination followed two others: Zoë Baird and Kimba M. Wood both withdrew from consideration amid controversy about their employment of illegal immigrants as domestics.

      Soon after taking office, Reno in April ordered agents of the FBI to conduct the final raid on the Branch Davidian cult compound near Waco, Texas, where weapons were reportedly being stockpiled. She received plaudits for shouldering responsibility for the ill-fated raid, which ended a 51-day standoff and left at least 75 people dead. She also drafted new legislation to broaden the federal scope of child pornography laws. Her philosophy often differed from that of the Clinton administration, and in October she annoyed the White House by threatening to force television networks to curb violence and by failing to endorse Vice Pres. Al Gore's plan to merge the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI. Nevertheless, by year's end the independent-minded Reno was still publicly viewed as one of the more popular figures in government.

      (JOHN H. MATHEWS)

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▪ United States attorney general

born July 21, 1938, Miami, Fla., U.S.

 

 American lawyer and public official who became the first woman attorney general (1993–2001) of the United States.

      Reno settled with her family on 20 acres (8 hectares) of wilderness at the edge of the Everglades, outside Miami, Florida, when she was eight years old. There, her parents built the house she would live in for many years to come. Her father, a Danish immigrant, was a police reporter for the Miami Herald and her mother was an investigative reporter for the Miami News. Reno graduated from Coral Gables High School, where she excelled on the debating team, and went on to Cornell University, earning a degree in chemistry in 1960. She then attended Harvard Law School, and, after graduating in 1963, she went to work as a lawyer.

      She began her career in politics in 1971 when she was named staff director of the Judiciary Committee of the Florida House of Representatives. In 1973 she was named assistant to the state's attorney general in Miami and became state attorney in 1978. She was reelected to the post five times, even though she was a Democrat in a largely Republican area.

      In 1993, after the unsuccessful nominations of two other candidates, President Bill Clinton (Clinton, Bill) nominated Reno for the position of U.S. attorney general, and she was quickly approved by the U.S. Senate. Her early days in office were marked by her efforts to secure greater protection for women seeking abortions, who were often victims of physical harassment from antiabortion activists. Her most controversial early decision, however, was her ordering agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to conduct the final raid on the compound of the Branch Davidian cult near Waco, Texas. Eighty-six adults and 17 children died as a result of this police action. Reno's acceptance of full responsibility and her candour and obvious regret over the incident helped her earn the respect of many Americans.

      Over the next few years, she drafted new legislation broadening the scope of child pornography laws. She clashed with the White House in her efforts to regulate violence on network television, as well as over her refusal to endorse Vice President Al Gore (Gore, Al)'s plan to merge the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Reno played a leading role in ordering relatives in the United States to return a Cuban child, Elián González, to his father in Cuba after his mother died while attempting to flee to the United States. Reno was among the highest profile cabinet officials, and despite criticism, she appeared on the television show Saturday Night Live, which had a recurring spoof of her while she served in Washington.

      In 2002 Reno unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for governor in Florida. Subsequently, she often gave speeches on criminal justice issues in the United States and served on the board of directors of the Innocence Project, which assisted convicted prisoners seek exoneration through DNA testing.

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