Milo A. Root
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Milo Adelbert Root (January 22, 1863 – January 9, 1917)"Judge Milo Root Dies Suddenly In Seattle", ''The Tacoma News Tribune'' (January 10, 1917), p. 3.Milo A. Root Is Dead
, ''The Spokesman-Review'' (January 10, 1917), p. 5.
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 1905 to 1908. He was appointed by Governor
Albert E. Mead Albert Edward Mead (December 14, 1861 – March 19, 1913) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the List of governors of Washington, fifth governor of Washington from 1905 to 1909. Biography Mead was born in Kansas on December 14, ...
to a newly created seat on the court. Born in Illinois, Root's family moved to New York when he was thirteen, where Root received a law degree from
Albany Law School Albany Law School is a private law school in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1851 and is the oldest independent law school in the nation. It is accredited by the American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary ...
in
Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...
, in 1883. Root moved to the
Territory of Washington A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, belonging or connected to a particular country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually a geographic area which has not been granted the powers of self-government, ...
in 1884. He was probate judge and prosecuting attorney for two terms in each position in
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 ...
, and was appointed to the supreme court by Governor
Albert E. Mead Albert Edward Mead (December 14, 1861 – March 19, 1913) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the List of governors of Washington, fifth governor of Washington from 1905 to 1909. Biography Mead was born in Kansas on December 14, ...
in 1905. Root resigned from the supreme bench in 1909 while the state bar association was investigating charges that Root had permitted a railroad attorney to write an opinion in a case involving the railroad. It was alleged that the railroad attorney not only prepared the opinion, but that It was submitted to the chief counsel of the railroad before Root filed tie opinion. The charges and the resignation of Root attracted liational attention. Last aututnn, when Root sought election as superior judgis of King county, the Seattle Bar association, adopted resolutions disapproving his candidacy and reviewing the events of 1908. Root nevertheless claimed that his resignation was prompted by accusations of wrongdoing against a fellow justice with whom Root had a close friendship, saying "any reflection upon any member casts a cloud upon the entire court; and I do not wish to be the means of casting any such cloud even in the slightest degree".Washington Supreme Judge Quits Place
, ''San Jose Mercury-news'', Vol. LXXV, No. 148, (November 25, 1908), p. 10.
Root died in Seattle at the age of 54 following a three-week illness culminating in a bout of pneumonia.


References

1863 births 1917 deaths Albany Law School alumni Justices of the Washington Supreme Court Deaths from pneumonia in Washington (state) {{Washington-state-judge-stub