San Joaquin Superior Court Judge Franklin Stephenson of Ripon was killed Tuesday afternoon in a three-car crash on southbound Highway 99 between Austin and Jack Tone roads.

Stephenson reportedly was in one of three cars that went off the roadway and down a slight embankment toward the Union Pacific Railroad tracks.  He was taken to a Modesto trauma center where he was declared dead.

Stephenson was a well know jurist at Colony Oak Elementary School where he worked with upper grade students in putting on classroom trials for the students to help them understand more about court trials. 

The CHP was unavailable for comment and there was no further information available at press time.