George Washington Brooks (March 16, 1821 – January 6, 1882) was a
United States district judge
The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district, which each cover one U.S. state or, in some cases, a portion of a state. Each district cou ...
of the
and the
.
Education and career
Born in
Elizabeth City
Elizabeth City is a city in Pasquotank County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 18,629. Elizabeth City is the county seat and largest city of Pasquotank County. It is the cultural, economic and educ ...
,
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
, Brooks
read law to enter the bar in 1846. He was then in private practice in Elizabeth City until 1865, also serving as a member of the
North Carolina House of Commons
The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the North Ca ...
(now the
North Carolina House of Representatives) in 1852, and from 1865 to 1866.
Federal judicial service
Brooks received a
recess appointment
In the United States, a recess appointment is an appointment by the president of a federal official when the U.S. Senate is in recess. Under the U.S. Constitution's Appointments Clause, the President is empowered to nominate, and with the a ...
from President
Andrew Johnson on August 19, 1865, to a seat on the
(also referenced officially as the
United States District Court for the District of North Carolina
The following are former United States district courts, which ceased to exist because they were subdivided into smaller units. With the exception of California, each of these courts initially covered an entire U.S. state, and was subdivided as the ...
) vacated by Judge
Asa Biggs
Asa Biggs (February 4, 1811 – March 6, 1878) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as a member of both chambers of the United States Congress and as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for ...
. He was nominated to the same position by President Johnson on December 20, 1865. He was confirmed by the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
on January 22, 1866, and received his commission the same day. Brooks was reassigned by
operation of law
The phrase "by operation of law" is a legal term that indicates that a right or liability has been created for a party, irrespective of the intent of that party, because it is dictated by existing legal principles. For example, if a person dies wi ...
to the
on June 4, 1872, to a new seat authorized by 17 Stat. 215. His service terminated on January 6, 1882, due to his death in Elizabeth City.
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Brooks, George Washington
1821 births
1882 deaths
Members of the North Carolina House of Representatives
Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina
Judges of the United States District Court for the District of North Carolina
United States federal judges appointed by Andrew Johnson
19th-century American judges
19th-century American politicians
United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law
People from Elizabeth City, North Carolina