Gladys Root - Legal Career

Legal Career

Root served as president of the Southern California Women Lawyers in 1945.

In July 1964 an indictment was issued against Gladys by the Federal Grand Jury in connection with her actions during her defense of one of the defendants in the kidnapping case of Frank Sinatra, Jr., the teenage son of Frank Sinatra. Three men had kidnapped Frank Sinatra Jr. from across the California-Nevada state line at Lake Tahoe and transported him to Los Angeles. The kidnappers collected US$240,000 ransom. Gladys was hired to defend one of the kidnappers, John William Irwin, and defended him with zeal. Charges were brought against Gladys based on her allegedly fabricating the story that the young singer concocted the kidnapping for publicity reasons. Gladys was indicted in 1964 on charges of conspiracy, suborning perjury, and obstruction of justice. The charges were dropped in 1968.

Root fought with the Internal Revenue Service, beginning in the 1970s. The IRS contended that she owed more than $230,000 in back taxes when interest and penalties were included. She fought the judgment and lost in the federal appeals court in 1977. She attempted to appeal to the United States Supreme Court but the highest court in the land refused to hear the case.

She presented a flamboyant figure in the courtroom. She was especially known for the large, dramatic hats she almost always wore to court.