Maurice Victor Barnhill (1887–1963) was an associate justice (1937–1954) and chief justice (1954–1956) of the

North Carolina Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of North Carolina is the state of North Carolina's highest appellate court. Until the creation of the North Carolina Court of Appeals in the 1960s, it was the state's only appellate court. The Supreme Court consists ...

. Barnhill was born in

Halifax County, North Carolina Halifax County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 48,622. Its county seat is Halifax. Halifax County is part of the Roanoke Rapids, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is al ...

on December 5, 1887, and attended the

University of North Carolina Law School The University of North Carolina School of Law is the law school of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Established in 1845, Carolina Law is among the oldest law schools in the United States and is the oldest law school in North Caro ...

. He was a prosecutor in

Nash County, North Carolina Nash County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 94,970. Its county seat is Nashville. Nash County is now a part of the Rocky Mount, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, instead of the ...

and was elected to the

North Carolina House of Representatives 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 ...

, serving in 1921. He was a Nash County judge and a state

superior court In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general jurisdiction over civil and criminal legal cases. A superior court is "superior" in relation to a court with limited jurisdiction (see small claims court), which is restricted to civil ...

judge before Governor

Clyde R. Hoey Clyde Roark Hoey (December 11, 1877May 12, 1954) was an American Southern Democrats, Democratic politician from North Carolina. He served in both houses of the state legislature and served briefly in the United States House of Representatives, U ...

appointed him to the state Supreme Court on July 1, 1937. As a superior court judge, Barnhill presided over the murder trial that followed the

Loray Mill Strike The Loray Mill strike of 1929 in Gastonia, North Carolina, was a notable strike action in the labor history of the United States. Though largely unsuccessful in attaining its goals of better working conditions and wages, the strike was considered ...

. in which he is mistakenly referred to as Morris Victor Barnhill) He was subsequently elected to the Supreme Court in 1938 and re-elected in 1946. Barnhill was appointed Chief Justice by Governor

William B. Umstead William Bradley Umstead (May 13, 1895November 7, 1954) was an American politician who served as a United States Senator and the 63rd governor of North Carolina from 1953 to 1954. Early life and education Umstead was born in the northern Dur ...

on February 1, 1954, and he was elected to the post on November 2, 1954.

References

Archive of NC Manual
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barnhill, Maurice 1887 births 1963 deaths Members of the North Carolina House of Representatives Chief Justices of the North Carolina Supreme Court 20th-century American judges 20th-century American legislators 20th-century North Carolina politicians