Dakota Territorial Supreme Court

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The Dakota Territorial Supreme Court was the highest court of the Dakota Territory, then an organized incorporated territory of the United States. It was the first Territorial Supreme Court in American history, and was established under Article One of the United States Constitution, with justices were appointed directly by the President of the United States. The court sat in Yankton, South Dakota, and existed from March 2, 1861, to November 2, 1889. The first court consisted of three justices: Philemon Bliss, Lorenzo P. Williston, and Joseph Lanier Williams, appointed by President Abraham Lincoln. The court heard no cases until December 3, 1867. [1] In 1879 the court enlarged to four justices, then six in 1884, and eight in 1888.

Justices

Following is a list of justices of the Dakota Territorial Supreme Court, this was that existed. When the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and South Dakota, the court was abolished by operation of law, and its function was taken over by the North Dakota Supreme Court and the South Dakota Supreme Court. [2]

TitleNameTerm beginTerm endAppointed by
Chief Justice Philemon Bliss 18611864 Abraham Lincoln
Associate Justice Allan A. Burton 18611861 Abraham Lincoln
Associate Justice Lorenzo P. Williston 18611865 Abraham Lincoln
Associate Justice Joseph Lanier Williams 18611865 Abraham Lincoln
Chief Justice Ara Bartlett 18641869 Abraham Lincoln
Associate Justice William E. Gleason 18651867 Abraham Lincoln
Associate Justice Jefferson P. Kidder 1865
1879
1875
1883
Abraham Lincoln
Rutherford B. Hayes
Associate Justice John W. Boyle 18671869 Andrew Johnson
Associate Justice Wilmot Brookings 18691873 Ulysses S. Grant
Chief Justice George W. French 18691873 Ulysses S. Grant
Associate Justice Alanson H. Barnes 18731881 Ulysses S. Grant
Chief Justice Peter C. Shannon 18731882 Ulysses S. Grant
Associate Justice Granville G. Bennett 18751878 Ulysses S. Grant
Associate Justice Gideon C. Moody 18781883 Rutherford B. Hayes
Associate Justice Sanford A. Hudson 18811885
Chief Justice Alonzo J. Edgerton 18821886 Chester A. Arthur
Associate Justice William E. Church 18831886 Chester A. Arthur
Associate Justice Cornelius S. Palmer 18831888 Chester A. Arthur
Associate Justice William H. Francis 18841888 Chester A. Arthur
Associate Justice Seward Smith 18841885 Chester A. Arthur
Associate Justice Louis K. Church 18851887 Grover Cleveland
Associate Justice William B. McConnell 18851889 Grover Cleveland
Chief Justice Bartlett Tripp 18861889 Grover Cleveland
Associate Justice Charles M. Thomas 18861889 Grover Cleveland
Associate Justice James Spencer 18871889 Grover Cleveland
Associate Justice John Emmett Carland 18881889 Grover Cleveland
Associate Justice Roderick Rose 18881889 Grover Cleveland
Associate Justice Charles F. Templeton 18881889 Grover Cleveland
Associate Justice Louis W. Crofoot 18881889 Grover Cleveland
Associate Justice Frank R. Aikens 18891889 Benjamin Harrison

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References

  1. "Territorial Supreme Court". The South Dakota Supreme Court. South Dakota Unified Judicial System. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  2. "SD Supreme Court Photographic History". South Dakota Supreme Court. South Dakota Unified Judicial System. Retrieved June 17, 2016.