Robert E. Colville
Robert Colville | |
|---|---|
| Judge of the Pennsylvania Superior Court | |
| In office March 20, 2006 – January 6, 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Edmund B. Spaeth Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Anne Lazarus |
| Judge of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas | |
| In office January 1, 1998 – March 17, 2006 | |
| 17th District Attorney of Allegheny County | |
| In office January 5, 1976 – January 1, 1998 | |
| Preceded by | John Hickton |
| Succeeded by | Stephen Zappala |
| 16th Pittsburgh Police Chief | |
| In office February 10, 1971 – March 1, 1975 | |
| Preceded by | Stephen Joyce |
| Succeeded by | Robert Coll |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 23, 1935 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | September 11, 2018 (aged 83) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 6, including Robert John |
| Alma mater | Duquesne University (BA, JD) |
| Profession | Attorney, politician, police officer |
| Nickname | Bob |
| Military service | |
| Years of service | 1961–1975 (Pittsburgh Police Department) |
| Rank |  Chief (1971–1975)Homicide Detective (1969–1971) Patrolman (1961–1969) |
Robert E. Colville (May 23, 1935 – September 11, 2018) was an American police officer, attorney, and judge from Pittsburgh. Over the course of his career, he served as Pittsburgh Police Chief, as the district attorney of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and finally, as a judge on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas and the Pennsylvania Superior Court.
Background
Colville was born on May 23, 1935, and grew up in the Manchester section of Pittsburgh.[1][2] After graduating from North Catholic High School in 1953, Colville joined the United States Marine Corps. He later attended Duquesne University, where he obtained his BA in 1963. Colville then returned to North Catholic, where he was a teacher, and the school's head football coach.[3] He earned a law degree from Duquesne in 1969.[1]
Colville lived on Pittsburgh's North Side.[4] He had six children: three his first marriage to Judy Joyce, including federal judge Robert J. Colville, and three from his second marriage, to Janet Graham, which lasted until his death.[5][4]
Colville died from lung cancer at Allegheny General Hospital on September 11, 2018, at the age of 83.[4]
Police career
Colville joined the Pittsburgh Police Department in 1961, and became a homicide detective in 1969.[1] From 1971 through 1975, Colville served as Pittsburgh Chief of Police under Mayor Pete Flaherty.[6] While Chief in 1974 he started the department on testing for promotions.[7]
Political and legal career
He was the Allegheny County District Attorney from 1976, when he defeated incumbent John Hickton,[8] until 1998.[9][10] Colville contemplated a run for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 1981.[11] In 1997, he was elected to the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, and in 2006, he was appointed to the Pennsylvania Superior Court.[12]
References
- ^ a b c Crompton, Janice (September 12, 2018). "ROBERT E. COLVILLE: Pittsburgh police chief, Allegheny County district attorney, judge". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ "Robert E. Colville". Devlin Funeral Home. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
- ^ "Colville, Robert E. 'Bob'". Biographies. Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
- ^ a b c Guza, Megan (September 12, 2018). "Robert Colville, former Pittsburgh police chief, county DA and judge, remembered as smart, funny, fair".
- ^ "ROBERT COLVILLE Obituary (1935 - 2018) - Pittsburgh, PA - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette". Legacy.com.
- ^ Warner, David (February 28, 1975). "Pete Names Coll City Police Chief". The Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
- ^ "The Pittsburgh Press - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
- ^ "Hickton, Colville Set To Debate at Forum". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. May 15, 1975. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
- ^ "Political Power To Change Hands Here On Monday". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. January 3, 1976. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
- ^ "Report: Juror feared 'outside pressures'". The Observer-Reporter. December 15, 1997. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
- ^ "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
- ^ "Colville To Superior Court". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. March 16, 2006. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
