Erskine Mayo Ross
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Erskine Mayo Ross (June 30, 1845 – December 10, 1928) was an American attorney and jurist from
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. He served as a United States circuit judge of the
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts for the following federal judicial districts: * Distric ...
and of the United States Circuit Courts for the Ninth Circuit and previously was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California and a justice of the
Supreme Court of California The Supreme Court of California is the Supreme court, highest and final court of appeals in the judiciary of California, courts of the U.S. state of California. It is headquartered in San Francisco at the Earl Warren Building, but it regularly ...
.


Early life

Ross was born in Belpre on June 30, 1845, in Culpeper County,
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
. He attended the Virginia Military Institute, leaving school twice during the
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to assist the
Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...
and then returning for further training, graduating in 1864.Oscar T. Shuck, History of the Bench and Bar of California, page 657.


Legal and judicial career in California

In 1868, Ross moved to
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, and joined the law office of his uncle, Cameron E. Thom, a prominent lawyer and former state senator who would later serve as Mayor of Los Angeles. After studying law at Thom's office for two years, Ross was admitted to the bar of the district court. In 1875, he joined the bar of the state supreme court, having already become wealthy and famous through his partnership with his uncle. In October 1879, when adoption of a new
constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...
required elections for all court seats, Ross was elected to the
Supreme Court of California The Supreme Court of California is the Supreme court, highest and final court of appeals in the judiciary of California, courts of the U.S. state of California. It is headquartered in San Francisco at the Earl Warren Building, but it regularly ...
and began his term on January 5, 1880. A Democrat, he was elected at age 34 without having served on the bench of any lower court. The newly elected justices drew lots to determine their length of term, and both he and John Sharpstein drew three-year terms. In October 1882, Ross was re-elected on the Democratic ticket along with Sharpstein to a 12-year term on the high court. In November 1885, he announced his plans to resign to return to private practice with law partner Stephen M. White effective January 1, 1886. Instead, Ross delayed his resignation and stayed on the court until October 1, 1886.


Federal judicial service

Ross was nominated by President
Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, serving from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. He was the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms and the first Hist ...
on December 16, 1886, to the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, to a new seat authorized by 24 Stat. 308. He was confirmed by the
United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
on January 13, 1887, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on March 5, 1895, due to his elevation to the Ninth Circuit. Ross was nominated by President Cleveland on February 19, 1895, to the
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts for the following federal judicial districts: * Distric ...
and the United States Circuit Courts for the Ninth Circuit, to a new seat authorized by 28 Stat. 665. He was confirmed by the Senate on February 22, 1895, and received his commission the same day. On December 31, 1911, the Circuit Courts were abolished and he thereafter served only on the Court of Appeals. He assumed senior status on May 31, 1925. His service terminated on December 10, 1928, due to his death in Los Angeles.


Bequest creating Ross Essay Contest

In his will, Ross bequeathed $100,000 to endow an essay contest administered by the
American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary association, voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students in the United States; national in scope, it is not specific to any single jurisdiction. Founded in 1878, the ABA's stated acti ...
. The essay contest spawned a well-known tax case, in which a winner avoided paying income tax on his prize money. Congress later amended the tax code so that such winnings would be taxed. The topic for the 2009 Ross Essay Contest is ''Write an open letter to the new president and Congress describing the most important priority for improving the U.S. justice system.''


Alpha Tau Omega

Ross was one of the founders of the fraternity Alpha Tau Omega.


Personal life

On May 7, 1874, Ross wed Inez Hannah Bettis. In 1875, they had one son, Robert Erskine Ross. Inez died December 12, 1907, and in June 1909, Ross remarried to daughter of Agoston Haraszthy named, Ida Haraszthy Hancock, a wealthy widow in Los Angeles. Ross was a charter member of the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of California, admitted on November 30, 1895. General Society No 1360, California Society No. 17.Register of the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of California (2008), pgs.45,92.


See also

*
List of United States federal judges by longevity of service These are lists of Article III United States federal judges by longevity of service. Senate confirmation along with presidential appointment to an Article III court entails a lifelong appointment, unless the judge is impeached, resigns, retires, ...


References


Sources

* * *


External links


ABA Ross Essay Contest
*
Erskine M. Ross
California Supreme Court Historical Society. Retrieved July 18, 2017.

California State Courts. Retrieved July 19, 2017.


See also

* List of justices of the Supreme Court of California {{DEFAULTSORT:Ross, Erskine Mayo 1845 births 1928 deaths Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California Justices of the Supreme Court of California Virginia Military Institute alumni Lawyers from Los Angeles People from Culpeper County, Virginia United States federal judges appointed by Grover Cleveland United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law