Charles Sterling Hutcheson
Charles Sterling Hutcheson | |
|---|---|
| Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia | |
| In office September 1, 1959 – October 24, 1969 | |
| Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia | |
| In office 1948–1959 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Albert Vickers Bryan |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia | |
| In office February 10, 1944 – September 1, 1959 | |
| Appointed by | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Preceded by | Luther B. Way |
| Succeeded by | Oren Ritter Lewis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 23, 1894 Mecklenburg County, Virginia, US |
| Died | October 24, 1969 (aged 75) |
| Education | University of Virginia College of William & Mary |
Charles Sterling Hutcheson (July 23, 1894 – October 24, 1969) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.[1]
Early life and education
Born in
Early career
After admission to the Virginia bar, Hutcheson entered private practice in Boydton, Virginia from 1920 to 1944. During the Great Depression, he served as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia from 1933 to 1944.[3]
Federal judicial service
Hutcheson was nominated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on January 19, 1944, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia vacated by deceased Judge Luther B. Way. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 8, 1944, and received his commission on February 10, 1944. He served as Chief Judge from 1948 to 1959. He assumed senior status on September 1, 1959. His service terminated on October 24, 1969, due to his death.[3]
Racial discrimination cases
Although Judge Hutcheson had a docket of many varieties of cases, his rulings in racial discrimination cases became the most controversial, including with his neighbors in southside Virginia. Shortly before Judge Way's final illness, he had ruled against a black fireman working for the Norfolk Southern Railroad, and who had sued the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen & Enginemen for excluding blacks from their union, but the Fourth Circuit remanded the case for further consideration of jurisdictional questions and the federal Railway Labor Act. Judge Hutcheson soon granted summary judgement for the plaintiff fireman, which the appellate court affirmed.[4] In 1945, Judge Hutcheson ruled that the Newport News School Board had not complied with an order forbidding discrimination against black teachers issued by Judge Way.[5]
In 1948, three years after Judge Pollard required Richmond to equalize its teachers' pay, Judge Hutcheson handled four significant racial discrimination cases. In one, he required Surry County to provide equal buildings and equipment for its black schools, which the Richmond Times Dispatch realized could foretell the ending of dual school systems based on race.[6] Judge Hutcheson also decided a schoolteacher pay discrimination case against the school board of Chesterfield County. He also decided cases brought by black parents against the King George County and Gloucester County school boards,[7] which failed to meet the "separate but equal" standard set forth in Plessy v. Ferguson, and two years later found the board and superintendent guilty of contempt of court for failing to comply with his orders and imposed $250 individual fines, which future Justice Thurgood Marshall believed encouraging.[8]
Stanley Plan decision
Beginning in 1955, Hutcheson served on a 3-judge panel with new district judge
Papers
In 1983, Hutcheson's widow donated his papers to the Library of Virginia, which also has the papers of his state senator brother, Joseph Collier Hutcheson .[10]
References
- ^ Charles Sterling Hutcheson at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- ) p. 138
- ^ a b Charles Sterling Hutcheson at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- ^ Peters p. 139 citing Tunstall v Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen & Enginemen, 140 F.2d 35 (4th Cir. 1944), 148 F.2d 403 (4th Cir. 1947) and Brotherhood of Locomiotive Firemen & Enginemen v Tunstall, 163 F.2d 289 (4th Cir. 1947)
- ^ Peters p. 131 citing Roles v School Board of the City of Newport News, 61 F.Supp 395 (E.D. Va 1945)
- ^ Peters p. 140 citing only Richmond Times Dispatch April 5, 1948
- ^ Margaret Edds, We Face the Dawn (2019) pp. 4-5, 9-12 citing among newspaper articles Ashley v. School Board of Gloucester County, 82 F.Supp 167 (E.D. Va. 1948)
- ^ Peters p. 142 citing Freeman v County School Board of Chesterfield County, 82 F.Supp 167 (E.D.Va. 1948), Richmond Times Dispatch May 5, 1949, New York Times January 9, 1949 and January 23, 1949
- ^ Washington and Lee Law Review, Vol. 49, p. 24
- ^ "A Guide to the C. Sterling Hutcheson Papers, 1925-1969 Hutcheson, C. Sterling, Papers, 1925-1969 32432". ead.lib.virginia.edu.
