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James Robinson (North Dakota judge)

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James Robinson
Chief Justice of North Dakota
In office
1921
Preceded byAdolph M. Christianson
Succeeded byRichard Grace
Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court
In office
1917–1922
Preceded byEdward T. Burke
Succeeded bySveinbjorn Johnson
District Attorney of Trempealeau County, Wisconsin
Personal details
Born(1842-05-11)May 11, 1842
DiedMarch 22, 1933(1933-03-22) (aged 90)
Alma materMichigan State University College of Law

James Robinson (May 11, 1843 – March 22, 1933) was a justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court from 1917 to 1922.

Biography

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Early years

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Born in Michigan, Robinson began his education in Canada, where he taught school for a short time.[1]

He enlisted in the Union Army and served during the Civil War.[2]

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Robinson graduated from the Michigan State University College of Law on March 5, 1868, and thereafter engaged in the private practice of law in Wisconsin until 1883, during which time he also served a term as District Attorney of Trempealeau County.[1]

Robinson then moved to Fargo, Dakota Territory, in 1882 where he resumed his private practice until 1916, when, at the age of 73, he was elected to a six-year term on the North Dakota Supreme Court.[2]

While serving as a Justice, he wrote a weekly "Saturday Evening Letter" column about the work of the court for the Bismarck Tribune.[2] He had an opposition to the doctrine of precedent and stare decisis, which attracted criticism upon his practice.[3][4]

He became Chief Justice of North Dakota in 1921, but was defeated in a reelection attempt in 1922.[5]

Later years

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He then returned to the practice of law until poor health forced his retirement, in 1931.[1] In 1923, Robinson published a book entitled Wrongs and Remedies.[6][7] In 1931, he moved into a National Soldiers Home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and remained there until his death in 1933.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c North Dakota Supreme Court. "James Robinson". State of North Dakota Courts. Archived from the original on 2022-07-20. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  2. ^ a b c d Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections. "Judge J. E. Robinson Papers, 1916-1921". University of North Dakota. Archived from the original on 2023-03-21. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  3. ^ Troesken, Werner (2015-06-29). The Pox of Liberty: How the Constitution Left Americans Rich, Free, and Prone to Infection. University of Chicago Press. p. 1. ISBN 978-0-226-92217-1.
  4. ^ Farnsworth, E. Allan (2010-07-16). An Introduction to the Legal System of the United States, Fourth Edition. Oxford University Press. p. 59. ISBN 978-0-19-974971-3.
  5. ^ North Dakota Supreme Court. "North Dakota Supreme Court Chief Justices". State of North Dakota Courts. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  6. ^ Robinson, James E. (1923). "Wrongs and remedies: economic live wire essays". WorldCat. OCLC 9422500. Retrieved 2023-03-21.
  7. ^ Robinson, James E. (1923). Wrongs and remedies: economic live wire essays. New York: The Knickerbocker press. OCLC 742323377.