Halsted Ritter | |
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| Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of Florida | |
| In office February 15, 1929 – April 17, 1936 | |
| Appointed by | Calvin Coolidge |
| Preceded by | Rhydon Mays Call |
| Succeeded by | John W. Holland |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Halsted Lockwood Ritter (1868-07-14)July 14, 1868 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | October 15, 1951(1951-10-15) (aged 83) Laurel, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Relatives | Mary Ritter Beard (sister) Charles A. Beard (brother-in-law) |
| Education | DePauw University(BPhil,LLB,MA) |
Halsted Lockwood Ritter (July 14, 1868 – October 15, 1951) was aUnited States district judge of theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. He was the thirteenth individual to beimpeached by theUnited States House of Representatives and the fourth individual to be convicted and removed from office in animpeachment trial before theUnited States Senate. He was also the last federal official to be impeached by the House of Representatives untilHarry E. Claiborne (not countingRichard Nixon, whoresigned before he was impeached), when he was impeached and removed from office by the Senate for tax evasion in 1936.
Born on July 14, 1868, inIndianapolis,Indiana,[1] Ritter received aBachelor of Philosophy degree in 1891, aBachelor of Laws in 1892, and anArtium Magister degree in 1893, all fromDePauw University.[1] He entered private practice in Indianapolis from 1892 to 1895.[1] He continued private practice inDenver,Colorado from 1895 to 1925.[1] He was theRepublican nominee forGovernor of Colorado in 1912.[2] In 1919, as a member of the DenverLions Club, he attended the association's 3rd international convention in Chicago, where he proposed what would become the association's slogan - "liberty, intelligence, and our nation's safety", abackronym for the Lions name.[3] In 1925, he moved toWest Palm Beach,Florida[1] for his wife's health[citation needed] and continued in private practice until 1929.[1]Ritter wrote a book,Washington as a Business Man, published in 1931 by Sears Publishing of New York.
Ritter was nominated by PresidentCalvin Coolidge on January 23, 1929, to a seat on theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of Florida vacated by JudgeRhydon Mays Call.[1] He was confirmed by theUnited States Senate on February 15, 1929, and received his commission the same day.[1] His service terminated on April 17, 1936, due to hisimpeachment, conviction and removal from office.[1]
On May 29, 1933, United States RepresentativeJ. Mark Wilcox of Florida introduced resolution (H. Res. 163) authorizing the House Judiciary Committee to investigate Ritter's conduct to "determine whether in the opinion of the committee he had been guilty of anyhigh crime or misdemeanor."[4]
On March 2, 1936, theUnited States House of Representatives voted to impeach Ritter by 181 votes to 146 (with 7 present and 96 not voting).[4] The proceedings were only the 13th impeachment case in the 147 years of Congress.[citation needed]
On March 30, 1936, the House amended and expanded the articles of impeachment; theUnited States Senate ultimately voted on seven articles of impeachment.[4]
The seven articles (as amended) alleged, among other things:
On March 6, 1936, the House appointed Hatton W. Sumners of Texas, Randolph Perkins of New Jersey, and Sam Hobbs of Alabama as managers to conduct the impeachment trial in the Senate.[4] Ritter was represented by Frank P. Walsh and Carl T. Hoffman as counsel.[4]
On April 6, 1936, the Senate began Ritter's impeachment trial.[4] On April 17, 1936, the Senate voted to acquit Ritter on Articles I–VI and to convict him on Article VII (56 guilty to 28 not guilty), and Ritter was removed from office the same day.[4] A motion to disqualify Ritter from holding any future federal office failed (yeas 0, nays 76).[4]
After his conviction and removal, Ritter brought an action in the federal Court of Claims seeking to recover his judicial salary, claiming the Senate had exceeded its jurisdiction in trying him for non-impeachable charges. The Court of Claims dismissed the case for want of jurisdiction, holding that the impeachment power is vested in Congress and is not subject to judicial review.[4]
After his removal from office, Ritter continued to practice law inMiami, Florida.[citation needed] He became ill while flying to the West Coast, and stopped inNew Orleans, Louisiana.[citation needed] He subsequently traveled toLaurel, Mississippi, Mississippi to recover while staying with friends.[citation needed] He died there on October 15, 1951.[1][5]
Ritter's sister wasMary Ritter Beard, the wife ofCharles A. Beard; both were notedhistorians.[citation needed]
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| Preceded by | Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of Florida 1929–1936 | Succeeded by |
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