Hugh Murray
Encyclopedia
Hugh Campbell Murray was an American lawyer and the third Chief Justice of California.
when he was a child. Little is known of his schooling except that he almost certainly studied Latin. In 1846 he began studying at the law firm of N.D. Strong in Alton. On March 8, 1847, following the outbreak of the Mexican–American War
he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 14th Infantry Regiment. After the end of the war he resigned his commission on March 31, 1848, and returned to Alton to study.
After completing his studies he was called to the Bar and moved to California, where he gained a large circle of friends and a lucrative practice as a lawyer. On January 8, 1850, at the age of 24, he was elected a member of the San Francisco ayuntamiento
, and continued to work as a lawyer. On April 20, 1850, he was made a Justice of the San Francisco Superior Court
, and on October 11, 1851, at the age of 26, he was made a Justice of the Supreme Court of California
, the youngest ever appointed.
In 1852, upon the resignation of H. A. Lyons, he became Chief Justice at the age of 27, the youngest ever Chief Justice of California. He was subsequently elected to another term as Chief Justice. As Chief Justice, his annual salary in 1854 was US$8,000.
As Chief Justice, he was noted for his dislike of changing the law through his decisions and for his irascible temper. Having heard that a man had called him "the meanest Chief Justice ever", Murray found the man and beat him with his cane. He was consequently fined by the city recorder of Sacramento the sum of $50 plus costs.
On September 18, 1857, he died in office of consumption
. He is interred in Sacramento Historic City Cemetery
.
Murray wrote the majority opinion of the court in People v. Hall
, which Charles J. McClain describes as "containing some of the most offensive racial rhetoric to be found in the annals of California appellate jurisprudence". His most elaborate opinion was also his last, the opinion in Welch v. Sullivan (8 Cal. 155).
Life
Murray was born in St Louis, Missouri before his family moved to Alton, IllinoisAlton, Illinois
Alton is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 27,865 at the 2010 census. It is a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area in Southern Illinois...
when he was a child. Little is known of his schooling except that he almost certainly studied Latin. In 1846 he began studying at the law firm of N.D. Strong in Alton. On March 8, 1847, following the outbreak of the Mexican–American War
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known as the First American Intervention, the Mexican War, or the U.S.–Mexican War, was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S...
he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 14th Infantry Regiment. After the end of the war he resigned his commission on March 31, 1848, and returned to Alton to study.
After completing his studies he was called to the Bar and moved to California, where he gained a large circle of friends and a lucrative practice as a lawyer. On January 8, 1850, at the age of 24, he was elected a member of the San Francisco ayuntamiento
Ayuntamiento
Ayuntamiento In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . is the general term for the council of a municipality, or sometimes the municipality itself, in Spain and Latin America. Historically Ayuntamiento was often preceded by the word excelentísimo , when referring to...
, and continued to work as a lawyer. On April 20, 1850, he was made a Justice of the San Francisco Superior Court
Superior Courts of California
The Superior Courts of California are the superior courts in the U.S. state of California with general jurisdiction to hear and decide any civil or criminal action which is not specially designated to be heard in some other court or before a government agency...
, and on October 11, 1851, at the age of 26, he was made a Justice of the Supreme Court of California
Supreme Court of California
The Supreme Court of California is the highest state court in California. It is headquartered in San Francisco and regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sacramento. Its decisions are binding on all other California state courts.-Composition:...
, the youngest ever appointed.
In 1852, upon the resignation of H. A. Lyons, he became Chief Justice at the age of 27, the youngest ever Chief Justice of California. He was subsequently elected to another term as Chief Justice. As Chief Justice, his annual salary in 1854 was US$8,000.
As Chief Justice, he was noted for his dislike of changing the law through his decisions and for his irascible temper. Having heard that a man had called him "the meanest Chief Justice ever", Murray found the man and beat him with his cane. He was consequently fined by the city recorder of Sacramento the sum of $50 plus costs.
On September 18, 1857, he died in office of consumption
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. He is interred in Sacramento Historic City Cemetery
Sacramento Historic City Cemetery
The Sacramento Historic City Cemetery , located at 1000 Broadway, at 10th Street, is the oldest existing cemetery in Sacramento, California. The cemetery is located at the highest point in Sacramento...
.
Murray wrote the majority opinion of the court in People v. Hall
People v. Hall
The People of the State of California v. George W. Hall or People v. Hall was an appealed murder case in the 1850s in which the California Supreme Court established that Chinese Americans and Chinese immigrants had no rights to testify against white citizens. The opinion was delivered in 1854 by...
, which Charles J. McClain describes as "containing some of the most offensive racial rhetoric to be found in the annals of California appellate jurisprudence". His most elaborate opinion was also his last, the opinion in Welch v. Sullivan (8 Cal. 155).