Charles Dickens the lower reaches of the Thames, all aspects of the capital are described over the course of his body of work. Authors frequently draw their portraits of characters from people they have known in real life. "David Copperfield" is regarded by many as a veiled autobiography of Dickens. The scenes of interminable court cases and legal arguments in "Bleak House" reflect Dickens's experiences as a law clerk and court reporter, and in particular his direct experience of the law's procedural delay during 1844 when he sued publishers in Chancery for breach of copyright. Dickens's father was sent to prison for
Philip Charles Wilkins 23, 1969, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California vacated by Judge Sherrill Halbert. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 17, 1969, and received his commission on December 18, 1969. He served as Chief Judge from 1979 to 1983. He assumed senior status on January 27, 1983. Wilkins served in that capacity until his death on July 8, 1998, in Sacramento. Philip Charles Wilkins Philip Charles Wilkins (January 27, 1913 – July 8, 1998) was a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the