Judge in UC Berkeley tree-sitting case dies

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 11/7/9 | John King

[SmithL]

OAKLAND -- The Alameda County judge who presided over the dispute between UC Berkeley and tree-sitters seeking to block a construction project, Barbara J. Miller, was found dead Friday at her home in Oakland. She was 58.

Judge Miller was found a little after 6 p.m., Oakland police said. The cause of her death has not been determined.

Judge Miller was elected to the Superior Court for Alameda County in 1996 after having been a commissioner of the court since 1987. She served as presiding judge in 2004 and 2005.

During her years on the bench, Judge Miller's best-known case involved the challenge to UC Berkeley's efforts to build an athletic training center next to Memorial Stadium.

While the legal issues involved the question of whether the university plans passed muster in terms of environmental reviews and seismic safety, the case drew international attention because of protesters who established perches in the grove of oak and redwood trees outside the stadium.

After numerous hearings and at least one visit to the site, Judge Miller issued a string of rulings last year in the university's favor. The trees were cut down in September 2008, ending the 21-month standoff.

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.