The Resume

(October 15, 1838-November 17, 1896)
Born in Barnesville, Ohio
Congressional Representative for Missouri's 7th District (1871-75)
District Court Judge for the Western District of Arkansas (1875-96), which also held jurisdiction over Indian Territory (modern Oklahoma)
Imposed the death penalty on 160 convicted criminals
79 were executed by hanging (the remainder successfully appealed, had their sentences commuted, or died of other causes before the execution date)

Why he might be annoying:

Ironically, given his reputation as a hanging judge, he said he favored abolishing the death penalty.
He complained, 'Appellate Courts exist mainly to stab the trial judge in the back.'
When the Supreme Court ordered that Lafayette Hudson, a prisoner appealing his conviction, be released on bail, he refused (1894).

Why he might not be annoying:

He enlisted in a pro-Union home guard unit during the Civil War.
Due to an overwhelming caseload, he frequently had to hold court ten hours a day, six days a week.
He lobbied Congress to build a proper jail to hold prisoners waiting for trial in his court. (Formerly, prisoners were held in the overcrowded and frequently flooded basement of the Fort Smith barracks.)
He appointed Bass Reeves as the first Deputy Marshall west of the Mississippi River.
He pointed out that he had little say in whether a convicted criminal would hang due to statutes with mandatory death sentences.

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 86]
• Judges
• Profiles 53751-54000 (Ranked: 53898)
• Served in the American Civil War [1861-65]
• U.S. Congressional Representatives
• Wild West

Year In Review:

In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying