Daniel Wathen

{{Short description|American judge (born 1939)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| image =

| name = Daniel Wathen

| imagesize =

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| office = Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court

| termstart = March 20, 1992

| termend = October 4, 2001{{Cite web |url=https://legislature.maine.gov/lawlibrary/maine-supreme-court-chief-and-associate-justices/9284/ |title=Maine Supreme Court Chief and Associate Justices | Maine State Legislature |access-date=2019-11-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114170546/https://legislature.maine.gov/lawlibrary/maine-supreme-court-chief-and-associate-justices/9284/ |archive-date=2019-11-14 |url-status=live }}

| appointer = John R. McKernan Jr.

| predecessor = Vincent L. McKusick

| successor = Leigh I. Saufley

| office1 = Associate Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court

| termstart1 = August 31, 1981

| termend1 = March 20, 1992

| predecessor1 =

| successor1 =

| appointer1 = Joseph E. Brennan

| office2 = Justice of the Maine Superior Court

| term_start2 = September 16, 1977

| term_end2 = August 31, 1981{{Cite web |url=http://cleaves.org/sjcbios1.htm |title=Cleaves Law Library [SJCBios] |access-date=2019-11-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114172056/http://cleaves.org/sjcbios1.htm |archive-date=2019-11-14 |url-status=live }}

| appointer2 = James B. Longley

| office3 =

| term_start3 =

| term_end3 =

| birth_name = Daniel Everett Wathen{{Cite web |url=https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1101&context=commencement |title=University of Maine Commencement (Class of 1965) |access-date=2019-11-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114181135/https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1101&context=commencement |archive-date=2019-11-14 |url-status=live }}

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1939|11|04}}

| birth_place = Easton, Maine, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| education = Ricker College (AB)
University of Maine (JD)
University of Virginia (LLM)

| alma_mater =

| spouse = Judith C. Foren{{Cite web |url=https://bangordailynews.com/2009/05/27/obituaries/james-a-foren/ |title=James A. Foren |date=27 May 2009 |access-date=2019-11-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114175021/https://bangordailynews.com/2009/05/27/obituaries/james-a-foren/ |archive-date=2019-11-14 |url-status=live }}Easton High School, Maine (Class of 1957) Yearbook

| profession=

| religion=

| party= Republican

}}

Daniel Everett "Dan" Wathen (born November 4, 1939, in Easton, Maine){{Cite web |date=2019-09-28 |title="Interview with Dan Wathen by Andrea L’Hommedieu" by Daniel 'Dan' E. Wathen |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928172040/https://digitalcommons.bowdoin.edu/mitchelloralhistory/9/ |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=web.archive.org}} is an American lawyer and politician from Maine. He was Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court from March 1992 until October 2001, when he resigned to run for Governor of Maine as a Republican. He was replaced as chief justice by Leigh Saufley.

At the time of his gubernatorial campaign announcement, many pollsters and academics did not believe Wathen would factor into the 2002 gubernatorial election. He ultimately dropped out of the race the next month.{{Cite news |date=November 27, 2001 |title=Wathen confirms end of gubernatorial run |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0NZKAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA2&dq=republican+daniel+wathen&article_id=2564,4493986&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiy1eqW7d-MAxVcFlkFHU_eMyEQ6AF6BAgEEAM#v=onepage&q=republican%20daniel%20wathen&f=false |access-date=April 17, 2025 |work=Lewiston Sun Journal}}

Wathen is a native of Easton in Aroostook County, Maine.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fqRJAAAAIBAJ&pg=2094,753854&dq=republican+daniel+wathen&hl=en|title=Chief Justice Wathen Resigns to Run for Governor|last=Higgins|first=A. J.|date=October 4, 2001|work=Bangor Daily News|accessdate=28 December 2011}} He graduated from Ricker College in Houlton and earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Maine School of Law. He also holds a Master of Laws degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

As of 2010, Wathen oversaw court-ordered improvements in mental health services. Wathen testified before the Health and Human Services committee of the Maine legislature that cuts to mental health services would be "illusory" and the proposed cuts would be spent elsewhere, such as in prison services for mentally ill people. Attorney General Janet Mills defended Governor John Baldacci's plan to cut mental health services.{{cite news|url=http://www.mpbn.net/News/MaineNews/tabid/181/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3483/ItemId/10695/Default.aspx|title=Wathen Says Mental Health Cuts Won't Work|date=January 22, 2010|work=MPBN|accessdate=28 December 2011|archive-date=27 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927082239/http://www.mpbn.net/News/MaineNews/tabid/181/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3483/ItemId/10695/Default.aspx|url-status=dead}}

As of 2011, Wathen was the board chairman of the Maine Turnpike Authority.{{cite news|url=http://bangordailynews.com/2011/12/15/news/state/fired-maine-turnpike-authority-director-reaches-settlement-to-repay-430000/|title=Former Maine Turnpike Authority director reaches settlement to repay $430,000 — Maine Politics — Bangor Daily News|last=Russell|first=Eric|date=December 15, 2011|work=Bangor Daily News|accessdate=28 December 2011}}

Since 2002, he has served as Of Counsel for Pierce Atwood LLP, a law firm which has an office based in Augusta, Maine.[https://web.archive.org/web/20191114153111/https://www.pierceatwood.com/people/daniel-wathen Pierce Atwood LLP profile]

In April 2013, Governor Paul R. LePage nominated him to serve as co-chair of the Maine Unemployment Investigation Commission.{{Cite web|url=https://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=Gov+News&id=519648&v=article2011|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191114153825/https://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=Gov+News&id=519648&v=article2011|archive-date = 2019-11-14|title = Governor Announces Co-Chairs for Blue Ribbon Commission}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.pierceatwood.com/update/governor-lepage-names-daniel-wathen-co-chair-unemployment-investigation-commission|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191114153917/https://www.pierceatwood.com/update/governor-lepage-names-daniel-wathen-co-chair-unemployment-investigation-commission|archive-date = 2019-11-14|title = Governor LePage Names Daniel Wathen as Co-Chair of Unemployment Investigation Commission | Pierce Atwood}}

Following a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, in 2023, committed by a mentally disturbed Army reservist, Governor Janet Mills appointed Wathen to chair a seven-member independent commission to investigate the tragedy. The commission concluded that both police and the Army Reserve missed opportunities to prevent the shooting.[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lewiston-maine-mass-shootings-robert-card-army-police-could-have-intervened-final-report/ Army and police missed opportunities to potentially stop Maine mass shooter, report says], CBS News (August 20, 2024).