Robert C. Murphy (judge)

{{Short description|American judge}}

{{Other people|Robert Murphy}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Honorable

| name = Robert C. Murphy

| honorific-suffix =

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| office = Chief Judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals

| term_start = 1972

| term_end = 1996

| appointer = Marvin Mandel

| predecessor = Hall Hammond

| successor = Robert M. Bell

| office1 = Attorney General of Maryland

| term1 = 1966

| predecessor1 = Thomas B. Finan

| successor1 = Francis B. Burch

| pronunciation =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1926|10|9}}

| birth_place = Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2000|10|31|1926|10|9}}

| death_place = Timonium, Maryland, U.S.

| death_cause =

| resting_place =

| spouse = Helen Murphy

| children = Karen, Thomas, and Kathy

| parents = Leo Joseph Murphy and Eva (LaFontaine) Murphy

| education = University of Maryland (J.D.)

| allegiance = {{flag|United States}}

| branch = United States Navy

| unit = Nevada National Guard

| serviceyears = 1944–1946

| rank =

| battles = World War II

| mawards =

| party = Democratic

}}

Robert Charles Murphy (October 9, 1926 – October 31, 2000) was a Maryland lawyer and jurist.{{Cite news|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2000/11/01/robert-murphy-dies-at-74-appeals-court-chief-judge/|title=Robert Murphy dies at 74, appeals court chief judge: Practical centrist revamped Md. courts|last=Rasmussen|first=Frederick|date=2000-11-01|work=The Baltimore Sun|access-date=2018-09-15|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/murphy7.html|title=The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Murphy, O to R|last=Kestenbaum|first=Lawrence|website=politicalgraveyard.com|access-date=2018-10-09}}{{Cite web|url=https://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc3500/sc3520/001500/001525/html/1525bio.html|title=Robert C. Murphy (1926-2000) - MSA SC 3520-1525 - Archives of Maryland (Biographical Series)|last=Dunaway|first=Karen|date=2005-06-09|website=msa.maryland.gov|access-date=2018-09-15|language=en-US}} He served as Chief Judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals, the state's highest court, from 1972 to October 9, 1996, the same that day he turned 70 years old. Seventy is the Maryland State Constitution's mandatory retirement age for judges, which Murphy unsuccessfully attempted to raise to 75 years old. Murphy was 45 years old when he was appointed by then Governor Marvin Mandel, making Murphy the youngest chief judge in Maryland state history.