Arístides Maragliano is referred to as the 'unknown Justice' since very little is known about this Spanish-born member of

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

's highest court under Spanish rule, the 'Audiencia Territorial'. He is also the only Spaniard who was appointed to the highest court under American rule.

Background

Aristides Maragliano came to serve in high government positions for Spain and for the United States while residing in Puerto Rico. In 1897 an autonomous regime was granted to Puerto Rico and a Parliament with two chambers was established. In May 1897, Aristides Maragliano was the magistrate in

Mayagüez, Puerto Rico Mayagüez (, ) is the ninth-largest Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in Puerto Rico. It was founded as Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de Mayagüez (Township of Virgin of Candelaria, Our Lady of Candelaria), and is also ...

, a position he held under the crown of Spain. The

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

, a conflict between Spain and the United States which lasted three months from April 21, 1898 – August 13, 1898 ended with the signing of the

Treaty of Paris of 1898 The Treaty of Peace between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Spain, commonly known as the Treaty of Paris of 1898, was signed by Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States on December 10, 1898, and marked the end of the ...

and Puerto Rico was ceded to the United States. As a result of the United States invasion and the change in government in Puerto Rico, the social order and that of its institutions faced radical change. At that time, the composition of Puerto Rico's court was as follows: Venancio Zorrilla y Arredondo, President; Nicolás Lillo Rodas, President of the Chamber; Antonio Martínez Ruiz, José C. Hernández, Darío Olloa Varela, Arístides Maragliano and Francisco J. Vasco, Magistrates; Enrique Díaz Guijarro, Prosecutor; Indalecio Villaverde, Deputy Prosecutor; and Rafael Nieto Abeillé, Tax Attorney. On October 20, 1898, while living in Puerto Rico, Maragliano and other high-level Spanish officials also residing in Puerto Rico renounced their allegiance to Spain and swore allegiance to the United States. For this Maragliano and the other officials were called "traitors" by a Spanish newspaper reporting the story. It is believed that Maragliano was appointed on October 27, 1898, to the U.S. court as a magistrate, the same day that

José Severo Quiñones José Severo Quiñones Caro (November 6, 1838 – November 6, 1909) was the first chief justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he began his formal studies in Puerto Rico before continuing the study of law ...

and

José Conrado Hernández José Conrado Hernández Santiago (February 19, 1849 – June 20, 1932) served as the second chief justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico from 1909 to 1922. Born in Aibonito, Puerto Rico, he obtained his bachelor's degree in San Juan in 1 ...

were appointed. On December 1, 1898, a Madrid newspaper announced that Maragliano and others who had held high-level positions for the Crown of Spain no longer worked for Spain because they had accepted positions with the United States government instead. For unknown reasons, Maragliano resigned from his position on the court on March 17, 1899.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maragliano, Aristides Associate justices of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico Puerto Rican lawyers Year of birth missing Year of death missing