Byron Sylvester Waite (September 27, 1852 – December 31, 1930) was an Associate Justice of the United States Customs Court and previously was a Member of the Board of General Appraisers.

Education and career

Born on September 27, 1852, in Penfield,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, Waite received a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree in 1880 from the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

and

read law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...

. He entered private practice in Wayne County,

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

from 1881 to 1889. He served as a member of the

Michigan House of Representatives The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2010 ...

from 1889 to 1890 and again from 1895 to 1896. He served as assistant prosecuting attorney for Wayne County from 1895 to 1898. He served as a Judge for the Third Judicial Circuit of Michigan from 1898 to 1900.

Federal Judicial Service

Waite was nominated by President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

on June 13, 1902, to a seat on the Board of General Appraisers vacated by Member Charles H. Ham. 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 June 19, 1902, and received his commission on June 25, 1902. Waite 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 United States Customs Court on May 28, 1926, to a new Associate Justice seat authorized by 44 Stat. 669. His service terminated on November 1, 1930, due to his retirement. He was succeeded by Associate Justice

Walter Howard Evans Walter Howard Evans (April 17, 1870 – July 13, 1959) was a judge of the United States Customs Court. Education and career Born on April 17, 1870, in New Middletown, Indiana, Evans received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1899 from Valparais ...

Incident

Two days after his retirement, the

New York Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in the New York State Unified Court System. (Its Appellate Division is also the highest intermediate appellate court.) It is vested with unlimited civ ...

ruled against his former daughter in law (Olive Celeste Moore-White-Waite-Matthews) and

American Express American Express Company (Amex) is an American multinational corporation specialized in payment card services headquartered at 200 Vesey Street in the Battery Park City neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. The company was found ...

for receiving a shipment of rugs and carpets (August 1919) from the United States Customs House without ever meeting the terms of the bill of lading.

Death

Waite died on December 31, 1930, in Yonkers, New York.

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Waite, Byron Sylvester 1852 births 1930 deaths Judges of the United States Customs Court People from Penfield, New York Members of the Board of General Appraisers Members of the Michigan House of Representatives Michigan state court judges United States Article I federal judges appointed by Theodore Roosevelt 20th-century American judges University of Michigan Law School alumni United States federal judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law