James F. Battin
Senior Judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of Montana
In office February 13, 1990 – September 27, 1996
Chief Judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of Montana
In office November 16, 1978 – February 13, 1990
Preceded by	Russell Evans Smith
Succeeded by	Paul G. Hatfield
Judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of Montana
In office February 27, 1969 – February 13, 1990
Appointed by	Richard Nixon
Preceded by	William James Jameson
Succeeded by	Jack D. Shanstrom
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMontana's2nd district
In office January 3, 1961 – February 27, 1969
Preceded by	LeRoy H. Anderson
Succeeded by	John Melcher
Personal details
Born	James Franklin Battin (1925-02-13)February 13, 1925 Wichita,Kansas
Died	September 27, 1996(1996-09-27) (aged 71) Billings,Montana
Party	Republican
Education	Eastern Montana College (B.A.) George Washington University Law School (J.D.)

James Franklin Battin (February 13, 1925 – September 27, 1996) was aRepublicanUnited States Representative fromMontana, and later was aUnited States district judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of Montana.

Born inWichita,Kansas, Battin moved with his parents toMontana in November 1929. He was educated in thepublic schools ofBillings, then the third largest city in the state, graduating fromhigh school there in 1942. He enlisted in theUnited States Navy and served for three years, two and a half years of which were in thePacific theater of operations. He returned to his studies and graduated with aBachelor of Arts degree in 1948 fromEastern Montana College (nowMontana State University Billings) in Billings. He received aJuris Doctor fromGeorge Washington University Law School in 1951, and was in private practice of law inWashington, D.C. from 1951 to 1952, then in Billings from 1953 to 1960. He was a deputy county attorney ofYellowstone County, Montana from 1953 to 1955, then general counsel and secretary of the City-County Planning Board of Billings in 1955. In 1955 he became an assistant city attorney of Billings, and was the city attorney from 1957 to 1958. He served as member of theMontana House of Representatives in 1958 and 1959. Battin was elected as aRepublican to theEighty-seventh and to the three succeeding Congresses, and served from January 3, 1961, until his resignation February 27, 1969, to become United States District Judge.^[1]

Battin was nominated by PresidentRichard Nixon on February 20, 1969, to a seat on theUnited States District Court for the District of Montana vacated by JudgeWilliam James Jameson. He was confirmed by theUnited States Senate on February 25, 1969, and received his commission on February 27, 1969. He served as Chief Judge from November 16, 1978, to February 13, 1990. He assumedsenior status on February 13, 1990. His service terminated on September 27, 1996, due to his death in Billings.^[1]

TheJames F. Battin Federal Courthouse in Billings is named for him, as was its predecessor, theJames F. Battin Federal Building.^[2] Battin's son,Jim, was elected to theCalifornia State Assembly in 1994.^[3]

One of the cases that Battin handled was the conviction of four counts ofextortion of theLouisianaTeamsters Union business agentEdward Grady Partin, the one who supplied the immunized testimony that sentJimmy Hoffa to prison.^[4]

• United States Congress."James F. Battin (id: B000241)".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• James Franklin Battin at theBiographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of theFederal Judicial Center.

 This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBiographical Directory of the United States Congress.Federal government of the United States.

• 1925 births
• 1996 deaths
• Politicians from Wichita, Kansas
• Politicians from Billings, Montana
• George Washington University Law School alumni
• Republican Party members of the Montana House of Representatives
• Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Montana
• United States district court judges appointed by Richard Nixon
• Republican Party United States representatives from Montana
• Montana State University Billings alumni
• 20th-century American lawyers
• 20th-century United States representatives
• 20th-century members of the Montana Legislature

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