Portrait of Florida Supreme Court Justice Evelyn C. Maxwell (April 1905)

Evelyn Croom Maxwell (July 27, 1863 – November 17, 1954) was a justice of the Florida Supreme Court from 1902 to 1904.[1][2]

Biography

Maxwell was born in Evergreen, Alabama,[3] on July 27, 1863.[1][2] His father was the former Florida Secretary of State and Chief Justice Augustus Maxwell, and he was the grandson of former justice Walker Anderson.[2] Maxwell studied in the public and private schools of Pensacola and at the University of Nashville in Tennessee,[2] thereafter entering the practice of law in 1885.[2]

In 1892, Maxwell became a criminal court judge,[3] sitting on the Escambia Criminal Court of Records.[2] He was elevated to Circuit Judge in 1896.[2][3]

In 1901, the Florida Legislature addressed the court's increasing workload "by authorizing the court to appoint three attorneys to act as commissioners and assist the court in performing its duties".[2] Maxwell was then appointed as a commissioner,[3][2] along with James F. Glen and William A. Hocker.[2] These appointments lasted until 1902, when a constitutional amendment was passed adding three temporary justices, who would serve until 1905.[2] Maxwell became a Supreme Court justice on December 1, 1902, and served in that position until February 15, 1904,[1] when he submitted his resignation to Governor William Sherman Jennings.[4][2] As a justice, it is noted that Maxwell "was often teased about the apparent chaos and disorder of his office, even though he could find any document on a minute's notice".[2]

Maxwell died in Pensacola, Florida on November 17, 1954.[1][3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Erik Robinson, "Florida Supreme Court Justices: List of Life Dates", Florida Supreme Court Historical Society (June 2010).
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Joseph A. Boyd Jr., Randall Reder, "A History of the Florida Supreme Court", University of Miami Law Review (1981), p. 1044-1046.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Judge Evelyn Croom Maxwell", Tampa Bay Times (November 19, 1954), p. 22.
  4. ↑ "Judge Evelyn C. Maxwell, of the Florida Supreme Court, will tender his resignation to Governor Jennings", Cleburne New Era (January 16, 1904), p. 8.


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