Back to Home Page

Search Our Site Meet The District Attorney Bureau of Investigation Top Documents Office Directory Office Locations Office Overview History Of The Office Press Releases Employment Opportunities Frequently Asked Questions Victim Services Board of Supervisor's Correspondence Contact Us Los Angeles County Website

Crimes of ViolenceWorking With CommunitiesFraud & Corruption

JAMES C. RIVES
District Attorney

1898-1902


District Attorney James C. Rives

James C. Rives

James C. Rives (1898-1902) was born in Atlanta, Georgia and came to Los Angeles as a young child with his family in the late 1860s via oxcart. He dropped out of school at age 14 to help support his family following the death of his father, a pioneer doctor in Los Angeles. Rives never went to college and started a printing business at age 16. At 21 he owned and published the Downey Weekly Review newspaper, which he ran while studying law. He joined the bar at age 23, became a successful lawyer and served two terms as district attorney, from 1898 to 1902, before becoming a superior court judge for nearly two decades. Rives was a pioneer of Downey, where his mansion stands today, registered as an historical site. Rives Avenue bears his name.