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. |
| Political 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 counting onRichard 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 ofFlorida introducedresolution (H. Res. 163) authorizing theHouse 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] The resolution was referred to the Judiciary Committee.[5]
On March 2, 1936, theUnited States House of Representatives voted to impeach Ritter by 181 votes to 146 on sevenarticles of impeachment.[6] The proceedings were only the 13th impeachment case in the 147 years ofCongress. The seven articles were:
Ritter's chiefdefense attorney wasFrank P. Walsh.[citation needed] Three House managersprosecuted the case, withSam Hobbs ofAlabama leading.[citation needed]
On April 6, 1936, theUnited States Senate began hisimpeachment trial.[citation needed] Eleven days after the trial began, the Senate voted to acquit him of all but the last article (bringing the judiciary into disrepute), which he was convicted of 56–28, exactly the two-thirds necessary for conviction under theConstitution, the partisan balance of the United States Senate being approximately 72 Democrats to approximately 22 Republicans in the74th United States Congress, and Ritter was removed from office on April 17, 1936.[7] Amotion to disqualify Ritter from all further federal office was defeated unanimously by the Senate.[citation needed]
Ritter challenged the conviction in the federalCourt of Claims on the grounds that the Senate could not convict him on a general charge of bringing the judiciary into disrepute if it was not able to convict him of a specific offense.[citation needed] The Court of Claims dismissed the case and held it did not havejurisdiction because the Senate was given the "sole power" to try impeachments under Clause 6, Section 3 ofArticle I of the United States Constitution.[8]
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 to recover while staying with friends.[citation needed] He died on October 15, 1951,[1] in Laurel.[citation needed]
Ritter's sister wasMary Ritter Beard, the wife ofCharles A. Beard; both were notedhistorians.[citation needed]
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)| Legal offices | ||
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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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