John R. Mitchell (January 32, 1861 – March 24, 1939)John R. Mitchell, Veteran Judge, Passes at Home
, ''The Olympian'' (March 24, 1939), p. 1. was a justice of the

Washington Supreme Court The Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the judiciary of the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. The court is composed of a chief justice and eight associate justices. Members of the court are elected to six-year terms. ...

from 1918 to 1937.

Education and early career

Born in

Halifax County, Virginia Halifax County is a county (United States), county located in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 34,022. Its county seat is Halifax, Virginia, Halifax. ...

, Mitchell was educated in private schools, including the Law Department of the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...

.''American Blue Book (Boswell) Western Washington'' (1922), p. 33. He moved to

Olympia, Washington Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington. It had a population of 55,605 at the 2020 census, making it the state of Washington's 23rd-most populous city. Olympia is the county seat of Thurston County, and the central city ...

in 1888, and gained

admission to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

there in 1889. From 1889 to 1893, Mitchell was associated in practice with Judge M. A. Root. In 1897 he became a prosecuting attorney, serving in that role until 1899. In 1901 he formed a partnership with Thomas M. Vance, which continued until 1908.

Judicial service

In 1908, Mitchell was appointed to the Superior Court for Thurston and Mason counties. Mitchell was twice re-elected to the superior court, without opposition, remaining in that office for ten years. During his tenure, he ruled in favor of the constitutionality the state's railroad commission act, and the law establishing the state department of labor and industries. On May 11, 1918, Governor

Ernest Lister Ernest Lister (June 15, 1870June 14, 1919) was an American politician who served as the eighth governor of Washington from 1913 to 1919. Biography Born in Halifax, England, Lister immigrated with his family in 1884, to be near his uncle, who w ...

jointly appointed Mitchell and Warren W. Tolman to vacant seats on the state supreme court,Governor Picks Two Justices
, ''Salem Statesman Journal'' (May 12, 1918), p. 1. with Mitchell succeeding Justice Overton G. Ellis. Mitchell was later elected to the seat, to a term expiring in 1925, and thereafter re-elected until his retirement from the court in 1937.

Personal life and death

Mitchell married Hallie Price of Kentucky in Virginia on April 22, 1891. They had one son. Dr. Richard S. Mitchell, a prominent physician and surgeon. Mitchell died died at his home at the age of 78, following several months of poor health.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, John R. 1861 births 1939 deaths People from Halifax County, Virginia University of Virginia School of Law alumni Justices of the Washington Supreme Court