David Glendenning Roberts (July 17, 1928 – January 26, 1999), of

Portland, Maine Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...

, was a justice of the

Maine Supreme Judicial Court The Maine Supreme Judicial Court is the highest court in the state of Maine's judicial system. It is composed of seven justices, who are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Maine Senate. Between 1820 and 1839, justices served lifetime ...

from January 11, 1980, to August 31, 1998. Born in

Penobscot County, Maine Penobscot County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Maine, named for the Penobscot people in Wabanakik. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 152,199, making it the third-most-populous count ...

,"Justice David G. Roberts", ''

The Bangor Daily News The ''Bangor Daily News'' is an American newspaper covering a large portion of central and eastern Maine, published six days per week in Bangor, Maine. The ''Bangor Daily News'' was founded on June 18, 1889; it merged with the ''Bangor Whig and ...

'' (January 28, 1999), page 8. he attended the

Mount Hermon School for Boys Northfield Mount Hermon School (abbreviated as NMH), is a co-educational college-preparatory school in Gill, Massachusetts. It educates boarding and day students in grades 9–12, as well as post-graduate students. It is a member of the Eight S ...

Gill, Massachusetts Gill is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,551 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The campus of Northfield Mount Hermon School is located ...

and received an undergraduate degree from

Bowdoin College Bowdoin College ( ) is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Brunswick, Maine. It was chartered in 1794. The main Bowdoin campus is located near Casco Bay and the Androscoggin River. In a ...

in 1950, and a law degree from

Boston University School of Law The Boston University School of Law (BU Law) is the law school of Boston University, a private research university in Boston. Established in 1872, it is the third-oldest law school in New England, after Harvard Law School and Yale Law School. Ap ...

in 1956. He "served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

from September 1951 to October 1953 and was stationed in both Japan and Korea". He became a lieutenant."Caribou Attorney Seeks Democratic Nod"
''

Portland Press Herald The ''Portland Press Herald'' (abbreviated as ''PPH''; Sunday edition ''Maine Sunday Telegram'') is a daily newspaper based in South Portland, Maine, with a statewide readership. The ''Press Herald'' mainly serves southern Maine and is focused ...

'', Portland, Maine, volume 98, number 219, March 3, 1960, page 1. Roberts "began his law practice in

Caribou The reindeer or caribou (''Rangifer tarandus'') is a species of deer with circumpolar distribution, native to Arctic, subarctic, tundra, boreal, and mountainous regions of Northern Europe, Siberia, and North America. It is the only represe ...

in 1960, then shortly afterwards moved to Bangor". From 1961 to 1966, Roberts served as an assistant

United States Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal ...

for District of Maine.David Rawson, "Roberts named to court", ''

'' (December 1, 1979), page 29. In 1967, Roberts was appointed as a Maine Superior Court judge. On November 30, 1979, Governor

Joseph E. Brennan Joseph Edward Brennan (November 2, 1934 – April 5, 2024) was an American lawyer and politician from Maine. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 70th governor of Maine from 1979 to 1987 and in the ...

named Roberts to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. In 1980, President

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...

nominated Roberts to a seat on the

United States District Court for the District of Maine The U.S. District Court for the District of Maine (in case citations, D. Me.) is the U.S. district court for the state of Maine. The District of Maine was one of the original thirteen district courts established by the Judiciary Act of ...

vacated by

George J. Mitchell George John Mitchell Jr. (born August 20, 1933) is an American politician, diplomat, and lawyer. A leading member of the Democratic Party, he served as a United States senator from Maine from 1980 to 1995, and as Senate Majority Leader from 19 ...

, but Carter's term as president expired without a vote on confirmation being taken. Roberts remained on the state supreme court until his retirement on August 31, 1998. Roberts was killed in an automobile accident in

, less than six months after retiring from the court.

References

1928 births 1999 deaths 20th-century Maine state court judges People from Penobscot County, Maine Bowdoin College alumni Boston University School of Law alumni United States Army officers Justices of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court Justices of the Maine Superior Court {{Maine-state-judge-stub