David Doty, Minnesota federal judge who oversaw NFL's labor disputes for decades, dies at 96

A Minnesota federal judge noted for presiding over "several landmark disputes involving the National Football League" has died at 96, the U.S. District Court announced Monday.

David Doty died Saturday, just three days before his 97th birthday, the court said.

"Judge Doty devoted his entire professional life to serving others — as a Marine, as a lawyer who served not only clients but his community in many ways, and as a U.S. District Judge for nearly four decades," Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz said. "Despite his remarkable accomplishments, he was a genuinely humble man. He treated everyone — from the guy who shined his shoes to Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court — the same way: with kindness and compassion and a sincere interest in their lives."

Former President Ronald Reagan appointed Doty to Minnesota's district court in 1987, and the court said he "continued to maintain a significant caseload until just a few months before his death."

Doty grew up in Minneapolis and earned his law degree from the University of Minnesota. Before becoming a judge, he practiced law for more than a quarter-century. He also served in the U.S. Marine Corps for six years. 

Doty's ruling in an antitrust case involving the NFL in the early '90s led to the creation of the free agency system the league still uses. He oversaw decades of NFL labor matters, including a 2011 case that preceded a brief lockout. So influential was Doty in NFL labor matters that owners tried to get him removed from cases on multiple occasions, according to the Associated Press. 

The NFL Network's Tom Pelissero shared a statement from the league on Doty's death: "Judge Doty devoted his life to public service and the law, presiding over NFL-related litigation for many years during his distinguished career. We express our sincere condolences to his family, friends and colleagues."