James Scott (judge)
James Scott | |
---|---|
Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court | |
In office December 28, 1816 – December 28, 1830 | |
Appointed by | Jonathan Jennings, William Hendricks |
Succeeded by | Stephen Stevens |
James Scott (May 28, 1767 – March 2, 1855) was an American lawyer, judge, and politician from the state of Indiana. Scott served as one of the first Justices of the Indiana Supreme Court from December 28, 1816, to December 28, 1830. He was also an important figure in the early history of Indiana University.
Biography
Early life and career
Born in Pennsylvania, the details of Scott's early life are not well recorded.[1]
Scott left Pennsylvania and moved to Clark County, Indiana. Scott lived in Charlestown, where he helped found a Sunday school, held inside the local courthouse. In 1810, William Henry Harrison, Governor of the Indiana Territory, appointed Scott to be Clark County's prosecutor.[2]
Scott was elected to the Indiana Territory's House of Representatives in 1813,[2] where he served briefly as the Speaker of the House[3] before resigning to become a chancery judge.[2]
Scott was an unsuccessful candidate for
In 1816, Scott became one of forty-three delegate to Indiana's
Judicial service
In 1827, while serving on the Supreme Court, the
Scott would serve on the Supreme Court until 1830, when he and his fellow Justice
After leaving the Supreme Court, Scott returned to practice law in Charlestown. He also began to publish a local newspaper, the Comet. Following William Henry Harrison's victory in the 1840 presidential election, Scott was hired as a registrar at the federal land office in Jeffersonville. He was fired following James K. Polk's victory in the 1844 presidential election. Scott moved back to Charlestown and opened a girls' school.[2]
Personal life and death
Scott married, but had no children of his own. He and wife adopted and raised a daughter.[5]
Shortly before his death, Scott moved Carlisle, Indiana.[2] He would die in Carlisle in 1855.[1]
References
- ^ Indiana Law Review, Vol. 30, No. 1 (1997), section reproduced in Indiana Courts Justice Biographies page.
- ^ ISBN 978-0871952882. Retrieved Jan 21, 2022.
- ^ "James Scott Papers". Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections. Michigan State University.
- ^ "Indiana 1816 U.S. Senate". Tufts Digital Collations and Archives. A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787–1825. Tufts University. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
- ^ a b "James Scott". Indiana University. Retrieved Jan 22, 2022.