Howard C. Bratton

{{Infobox judge

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Howard C. Bratton

| honorific-suffix =

| image = Howard_C_Bratton.png

| alt =

| caption = Bratton in 1990

| office = Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico

| term_start = February 4, 1987

| term_end = May 5, 2002

| office1 = Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico

| term_start1 = 1978

| term_end1 = 1987

| predecessor1 = Harry Vearle Payne

| successor1 = Santiago E. Campos

| office2 = Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico

| term_start2 = March 17, 1964

| term_end2 = February 4, 1987

| nominator2 =

| appointer2 = Lyndon B. Johnson

| predecessor2 = Waldo Henry Rogers

| successor2 = James Aubrey Parker

| pronunciation =

| birth_name = Howard Calvin Bratton[govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-CRECB-1963-pt14/pdf/GPO-CRECB-1963-pt14-1-1.pdf Congressional Record: Proceedings And Debates Of The 88th Congress, First Session]

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1922|02|04}}

| birth_place = Clovis, New Mexico

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2002|05|05|1922|02|04}}

| death_place =

| death_cause =

| father = Sam G. Bratton

| education = University of New Mexico (BA)
Yale University (LLB)

| branch = {{flag|United States Army}}

| battles = World War II

| serviceyears = 1942–1945

}}

Howard Calvin Bratton (February 4, 1922 – May 5, 2002) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico.

Early life and education

Bratton was born in Clovis, New Mexico, the son of politician and jurist Sam G. Bratton. He and graduated from New Mexico Military Institute and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Mexico in 1941. Bratton served in the United States Army during World War II from 1942 to 1945 and attained the rank of captain.Logan, Paul. [https://www.abqjournal.com/obits/profiles/676529news05-07-02.htm "Bratton Called a Model Judge" (obituary)], Albuquerque Journal, May 7, 2002. Retrieved May 28, 2021. After the war, he received a Bachelor of Laws from Yale Law School in 1947.{{Cite web |title=Albuquerque Journal Obituaries, BRATTON |url=http://obits.abqjournal.com/obits/show/110078 |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=obits.abqjournal.com}}

Career

After spending a year as a law clerk for the United States Court of Appeals in 1948, he worked in private practice in Albuquerque, New Mexico, from 1949 to 1952. He was also a special assistant United States attorney in charge of litigation at the Office of Price Stabilization from 1951 to 1952. He returned to private practice in Roswell, New Mexico, from 1952 to 1964.{{FJC Bio|243|nid=1378181|name=Howard C. Bratton}} In 1958, Bratton testified before the United States Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs on behalf of the New Mexico Oil & Gas Association.{{Cite book |last=Affairs |first=United States Congress Senate Committee on Interior and Insular |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8eYcfrsxgo8C |title=National Wilderness Preservation Act: Hearings Before the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, United States Senate, Eighty-fifth Congress, Second Session, on S. 4028, a Bill to Establish a National Wilderness Preservation System for the Permanent Good of the Whole People, and for Other Purposes ... |date=1958 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |language=en}}

On March 3, 1964, Bratton was nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico vacated by Judge Waldo Henry Rogers. Bratton was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 14, 1964, and received his commission on March 17, 1964. He served as Chief Judge from 1978 to 1987, assuming senior status on February 4, 1987. Bratton served in that capacity until his death on May 5, 2002.