Walter Smith Cox
{{Short description|American judge}}
{{other people||Walter Cox (disambiguation){{!}}Walter Cox}}
{{Infobox judge
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Walter Smith Cox
| honorific-suffix =
| image = Walter Smith Cox cabinet card 15664710 1 (crop1).jpg
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| office = Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia
| term_start = March 1, 1879
| term_end = July 1, 1899
| nominator =
| appointer = Rutherford B. Hayes
| predecessor = Seat established by 20 Stat. 320
| successor = Job Barnard
| pronunciation =
| birth_name = Walter Smith Cox
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1826|10|25}}
| birth_place = Georgetown, D.C.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1902|06|25|1826|10|25}}
| death_place = Washington, D.C.
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| education = {{nowrap|Georgetown University (B.A., M.A.)}}
Harvard Law School (LL.B.)
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| signature = Walter Smith Cox cabinet card 15664710 1 (signatures).jpg
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Walter Smith Cox (October 25, 1826 – June 25, 1902) was an associate justice of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
Education and career
Born in Georgetown, then a separate municipality in the District of Columbia, Cox received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgetown University in 1843, a Master of Arts degree from the same institution in 1844, and a Bachelor of Laws from Harvard Law School in 1847. He was in private practice in Washington, D.C. from 1848 to 1879, and during that period was also a recorder for the City of Georgetown, an Alderman for the City of Georgetown, and an auditor of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia. From 1874 to 1879, he was a Professor of law at what was then called Columbian University, known today as George Washington University in Washington, D.C.{{FJC Bio|525|nid=1379581|name=Walter Smith Cox}}
On April 16, 1868, Cox testified in the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson, having been called as a witness by Johnson's defense team.{{cite book |title=Extracts from the Journal of the United States Senate In All Cases of Impeachment Presented By The United States House of Representatives (1798-1904) |series=Congressional serial set |page=272 |date=1912 |publisher=Washington Government Printing Office |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.$b628530&view=1up&seq=280}}{{cite web |title=IMPEACHMENT.; Testimony of Walter S. Cox and Richard T. Merrick. Continuation of the Case for the Defence. Proceedings in the Case of Secretary Stanton Againstt Gen. Thomas. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1868/04/17/archives/impeachment-testimony-of-walter-s-cox-and-richard-t-merrick.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=6 April 2022 |date=17 April 1868}}
Federal judicial service
Cox was nominated by President Rutherford B. Hayes on February 26, 1879, to the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia (now the United States District Court for the District of Columbia), to a new Associate Justice seat authorized by 20 Stat. 320. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 1, 1879, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on July 1, 1899, due to his retirement.
During Cox's service, he presided over the trial of Charles J. Guiteau, who was convicted of the assassination of President James A. Garfield.
Later career and death
References
{{Reflist}}
Sources
- {{FJC Bio|525|nid=1379581|name=Walter Smith Cox}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-legal}}
{{s-bef|before=Seat established by 20 Stat. 320}}
{{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia}}|years=1879–1899}}
{{s-aft|after=Job Barnard}}
{{s-end}}
{{Impeachment and impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cox, Walter Smith}}
Category:Georgetown University alumni
Category:Harvard Law School alumni
Category:George Washington University faculty
Category:Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
Category:United States federal judges appointed by Rutherford B. Hayes
Category:People from Georgetown (Washington, D.C.)
Category:Testifying witnesses of the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson