On August 14, 2003, newspapers throughout the nation ran the following “quote of the day” from the Laci Peterson trial: “‘The trial of the century happens quite regularly in California.’ - media attorney Charity Kenyon.” In her usual inimitable style, SCBA Distinguished Attorney Charity Kenyon made good use of humor and showed her mastery of the quotable sound bite to her clients’ advantage in the midst of a high-profile trial.

Charity is no stranger to high-profile trials. As attorney for several newspapers, including The Sacramento Bee, and local television stations, she is frequently called upon to champion the First Amendment. She has numerous published decisions in both state and federal court. By way of example, she has defended the news reporters’ “shield law” in the court of appeal and the California Supreme Court and represented the media in the Unabom trial in the U.S. District Court as well as representing clients in defamation and access to records cases.

In the words of Bee reporter Ramon Coronado: “As The Bee’s lead reporter in Sacramento Superior Court for the past 12 years, I’ve had to reckon on occasion with sealed court files and closed judicial proceedings. While each legal challenge involved different groups of judges and lawyers, one thing I could count on with Charity was that I was walking into a courtroom with one of the best First Amendment lawyers around. With no advance warning we have called for her help, and she appears ready in court to do battle ... with points and authorities in hand and individual copies for each of the parties. She can recite Press- Enterprise vs. Superior Court and New York Times vs. Sullivan front and back with her eyes closed. I’ve seen her charm crusty judges into reversing themselves, disarm combatant defense attorneys and make righteous prosecutors eat humble pie. Most of all I’ve seen nothing but professionalism in Charity’s work and it is always a pleasure to go to court with her.”

Steve Burns, assistant general counsel for the McClatchy Company, echoed Coronado’s praise. “Charity regularly achieves excellent results as a First Amendment attorney,” he said. “Because of her extensive experience and knowledge of the law, she is often able to resolve potential problems involving media coverage of the courts even before they have a chance to develop.”

Charity is equally well respected by judges and fellow lawyers. Judge Jeffrey Gunther recently had the opportunity to work with Charity on the Bench Bar Media Committee of the Sacramento Superior Court, which had the task of developing a groundbreaking media policy. “Given all of the competing interests this was a formidable task,” Judge Gunther said. “Charity worked tirelessly and her input was invaluable as well as fair. The result is a policy that will be a model for courts statewide.”

This is not the first time that Charity has been instrumental in establishing a model for the courts. Judge Tal Jones and Judge Morrison England are familiar with Charity’s work in the sensitive arena of juvenile court.

“Charity is well known throughout the county as a generous, caring, compassionate attorney with a heart as big as all outdoors,” Judge Jones said. “Those same qualities serve her well when delicate issues are at hand.”

“In one notable case, Charity appeared before me in 1992 when I served as presiding judge of the Juvenile Court. She had filed a civil action seeking dependency records for an article about the child welfare system by the Sacramento Bee (Nancy Weaver- Teichert). The court’s ruling was the subject of an appeal and a published opinion by the Third District, In re Keisha T. (1995) 38 Cal.App.4th 220. It was an extremely sensitive case because the records revealed the details of child abuse and the efforts, if any, of the county to either investigate, pursue, or monitor the abusers.”

“The important rights of the press, and the rights of privacy of innocent children, were at stake. The articles were important because several children had died, among them Adrian Conway, a young boy of age 6 or 7 whose home was the subject of several contacts by CPS before his brutal death.”

“Without commenting upon the merits of the case (which judicial canons prohibit), I felt privileged to have witnessed Charity’s consummate legal skills.”

“She was tenacious about her task and earnest about shedding light with the public about the child welfare system. Later, the county implemented important changes in the protocols and policies with respect to children living in the home of drug abusers.”

Judge England, who now sits on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, describes the juvenile court procedures that Charity helped craft as “unique.” He calls Charity “the consummate professional” who is “a joy to work with. She is never flustered, no matter what happens. Her ethics and demeanor are impeccable.”

Charity has achieved nationwide recognition for her work on behalf of the media. She has been listed every year since 1991 as one of the best First Amendment lawyers in America.

It comes as no surprise that the Blue Ribbon committee, appointed by SCBA president Bion Gregory to find our 2003 Distinguished Attorney, nominated Charity for the award. Charity’s resume is outstanding and she is universally acclaimed as being one of the best lawyers in the country as well as one of our most important community activists.

Charity grew up in Orinda. The civil rights movement inspired her at an early age. She obtained a degree in community studies with an independent major in political theory and economics from UC Santa Cruz and her law degree from UC Davis’ King Hall School of Law. She was attracted to Davis because of its public interest emphasis and its small size. It proved to be a good fit.

At Santa Cruz, Charity began her lifelong passion for environmental protection. She worked on Proposition 20 (coastal protection) and started recycling. Charity describes her husband Mike Eaton, who works for the Nature Conservancy, as her inspiration. Mike and Charity have recently built an environmentally friendly home next to the Cosumnes River Preserve. Charity drives a “zero-emission” electric car (and not just because she can drive alone in the carpool lane!) and Mike and Charity are never happier than when they are cruising on their tandem cycle, usually through the foothills, but they recently rode across Nevada to accompany Charity’s sister on part of her cross-country trip. Charity and Mike also enjoy birding. Their Sandhill Crane-spotting parties are the hottest ticket in town.

Media law is only one aspect of Charity’s practice with the law firm of Riegels, Campos & Kenyon, of which she is a founding partner. She is also a nationally renowned appellate attorney, elected to the prestigious California Academy of Appellate Lawyers in 1997. Charity has achieved great results for her clients in countless published opinions.

Third District Court of Appeal Justice Rodney Davis said, “The high quality of Charity’s legal work in the Court of Appeal is well known and appreciated by all the justices on the Court. When her name is on a brief we know that the position of her client will be skillfully presented with an attention to detail and fairness.”

Justice Davis’ colleague on the Third District, Justice Coleman Blease, called Charity “a premier appellate attorney” who is held in high regard.

Fellow attorney and last year’s co-recipient of the Distinguished Attorney Award, Roger Dreyer, is also a big fan. He describes Charity as the “total team player” and a “class act” who is always there to give professional input to help trial attorneys with appeals.

Charity has many more strings to her bow, including health care law. She is a widely respected expert on bioethical issues. She sits on the health care ethics committees of UC Davis Medical Center, served nearly 20 years on the Mercy General Hospital Ethics Committee, and served on the “Sacramento Healthcare Decisions” board of directors.

Currently, Charity also represents the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) in cases involving two California Indian tribes. Tom Knox, of Knox Lemmon & Anapolsky, is an FPPC commissioner who has watched Charity at work. “The question of Indian sovereignty is a complicated one and Charity has proved successful so far in the trial court, arguing esoteric matters of Constitutional law and first impression with clarity and conviction,” Knox said. “At the FPPC, we feel very fortunate to have her leading our legal team.”

Tom speaks for many of his fellow members of the bar when he says, “Personally as well as professionally, Charity is the sort of learned attorney and wise counsel that most of us merely aspire to be.”

Charity is also widely respected for her commitment to both the legal community and the community at large.

The words of Justice Davis sum it up: “When a worthy cause not only needs support, but leadership, our community repeatedly turns to Charity to provide it. I have seen this happen in her work on behalf of the UC Davis Milton Schwartz Inn of Court, the UC Davis Health System Leadership Council, and the UC Davis Foundation. No one is turned to more frequently in these situations than Charity.”

Judge Tal Jones notes, “I am always hearing Charity’s name connected with one form of community service or another. Just this last week, I had lunch with Dorothy Montgomery, Executive Director of Friends Outside (a nonprofit which assists the families of prisoners), who mentioned Charity as a long time, close supporter.”

Charity also takes the time to make a difference at the personal level. There are many, many women lawyers, including this writer, who consider Charity an important mentor. Also, as well as raising their own son Rick who obtained his degree in mathematics and computer science with honors from Caltech in 2002, Mike and Charity have been parents to six exchange students from Scandinavia, Germany, Japan and Kyrgyzstan. Their “daughter” Asel from Kyrgyzstan is a lawyer. Charity and Mike are currently putting Asel’s sister through college in Nebraska.

Another local attorney recall Charity’s kindness to a newcomer. Deborah Correll first came to Sacramento in 1994, as managing attorney for Farmers’ Insurance. “Charity immediately offered any help I needed or wanted to ease my transition into the local bar and community. Over the years, her gracious offers to help have never flagged, even when my enthusiasm has.”

To sum up in the words of Judge Gail Ohanesian, who first met Charity 25 years ago at a WLS meeting: “She immediately impressed me as a lawyer of class and quality, who knows the importance of building and maintaining interpersonal relationships, and one with a kind of welcoming inclusiveness. That impression has never changed. Charity has been a constant and consistent presence in the legal community for the last 25+ years. She has been a tireless advocate for promoting other women for leadership positions. She has herself been a leader in WLS, in the League of Women Voters, and in the Milton Schwartz Inns of Court, among other things. She has consistently shown the kind of integrity and community involvement that represents the best of the legal profession. Charity Kenyon is a great choice for the Sacramento County Bar Association’s Distinguished Attorney of the Year.”