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Halsted Lockwood Ritter (July 14, 1868 – October 15, 1951) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. He was the thirteenth individual to be
impeached Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In ...
by the United States House of Representatives and the fourth individual to be convicted and removed from office in an impeachment trial before the United States Senate. He was also the last federal official to be impeached by the House of Representatives until
Harry E. Claiborne Harry Eugene Claiborne (July 2, 1917 – January 19, 2004) was a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada from 1978 until his Impeachment in the United States, impe ...
, when he was impeached and removed from office by the Senate for tax evasion.


Education and career

Born on July 14, 1868, in
Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
, Indiana, Ritter received a Bachelor of Philosophy degree in 1891, a Bachelor of Laws in 1892, and an
Artium Magister A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
degree in 1893, all from DePauw University. He entered private practice in Indianapolis from 1892 to 1895. He continued private practice in Denver, Colorado from 1895 to 1925. He was the Republican nominee for Governor of Colorado in 1912. In 1919, as a member of the Denver Lions Club, he attended the association's 3rd international convention in Chicago, where he proposed what would become the association's slogan - "liberty, intelligence, and our nation's safety", a backronym for the Lions name. In 1925, he moved to West Palm Beach, Florida for his wife's health and continued in private practice until 1929. Ritter wrote a book, ''Washington as a Business Man'', published in 1931 by Sears Publishing of New York.


Federal judicial service

Ritter was nominated by President
Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer ...
on January 23, 1929, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida vacated by Judge Rhydon Mays Call. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 15, 1929, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on April 17, 1936, due to his
impeachment Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In ...
, conviction and removal from office.


Details of impeachment

On May 29, 1933, United States Representative
J. Mark Wilcox James Mark Wilcox (May 21, 1890 – February 3, 1956) was a U.S. Representative from Florida. He is remembered as the author of the Wilcox Municipal Bankruptcy Act, which became law in 1934, a bill which initially allowed a city in his distr ...
of Florida introduced
resolution Resolution(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Resolution (debate), the statement which is debated in policy debate * Resolution (law), a written motion adopted by a deliberative body * New Year's resolution, a commitment that an individual mak ...
(H. Res. 163) authorizing the
House Judiciary Committee The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, a ...
to investigate Ritter's conduct to "determine whether in the opinion of the committee he had been guilty of any high crime or misdemeanor." The resolution was referred to the Judiciary Committee. On March 2, 1936, the United States House of Representatives voted to impeach Ritter by 181 votes to 146 on seven articles of impeachment. The proceedings were only the 13th impeachment case in the 147 years of Congress. The seven articles were: #Ordering the payment of "exorbitant" legal fees with intent to
embezzle Embezzlement is a crime that consists of withholding assets for the purpose of conversion of such assets, by one or more persons to whom the assets were entrusted, either to be held or to be used for specific purposes. Embezzlement is a type ...
. Specifically, the House managers said Ritter engaged in
champerty Champerty and maintenance are doctrines in common law jurisdictions that aim to preclude frivolous litigation: *Maintenance is the intermeddling of a disinterested party to encourage a lawsuit. It is: "A taking in hand, a bearing up or upholding ...
("a proceeding whereby a person having no legitimate interest in a
lawsuit - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil actio ...
abets it with money or services in the hope of profit") by "corruptly and unlawfully" receiving $4,500 from a former law partner, Albert L. Rankin. #The House charged that Ritter had planned with Rankin and others to put Whitehall (the former Henry Morrison Flagler
mansion A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word '' manse'' originally defined a property l ...
and then a hotel, and now a museum) into receivership, and had given Rankin an "exorbitant fee" of $75,000, keeping $4,500 of it. #Showing favoritism in
bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...
cases. #Two charges of practicing law while a judge. #Two charges of tax evasion (by filed false
income tax returns A tax return is the completion of documentation that calculates an entity or individual's income earned and the amount of taxes to be paid to the government or government organizations or, potentially, back to the taxpayer. Taxation is one of ...
in 1929 and 1930) #Bringing the judiciary into disrepute (accepting free meals and lodging at Whitehall during receivership proceedings). Ritter's chief
defense attorney A criminal defense lawyer is a lawyer (mostly barristers) specializing in the defense of individuals and companies charged with criminal activity. Some criminal defense lawyers are privately retained, while others are employed by the various ...
was
Frank P. Walsh Francis Patrick Walsh (July 20, 1864 – May 2, 1939) was an American lawyer. Walsh was noted for his advocacy of progressive causes, including Georgism and the land value tax, improved working conditions, better pay for workers, and equal employ ...
. Three House managers prosecuted the case, with
Sam Hobbs Samuel Francis Hobbs (October 5, 1887 – May 31, 1952) was a United States Representative from Alabama. Biography Born in Selma, Alabama, Hobbs attended the public schools, Callaway's Preparatory School, Marion (Alabama) Military Institute ...
of Alabama leading. On April 6, 1936, the United States Senate began his impeachment trial. Eleven days after the trial began, the Senate voted to acquit him of all but the last article (bringing the judiciary into disrepute), which he was convicted of 56–28, exactly the two-thirds necessary for conviction under the Constitution, the partisan balance of the United States Senate being approximately 72 Democrats to approximately 22 Republicans in the 74th United States Congress, and Ritter was removed from office on April 17, 1936. A motion to disqualify Ritter from all further federal office was defeated unanimously by the Senate.


Legal challenge to conviction

Ritter challenged the conviction in the federal Court of Claims on the grounds that the Senate could not convict him on a general charge of bringing the judiciary into disrepute if it was not able to convict him of a specific offense. The Court of Claims dismissed the case and held it did not have jurisdiction because the Senate was given the "sole power" to try impeachments under Clause 6, Section 3 of
Article I of the United States Constitution Article One of the United States Constitution establishes the legislative branch of the federal government, the United States Congress. Under Article One, Congress is a bicameral legislature consisting of the House of Representatives and the Sena ...
.


Later career and death

After his removal from office, Ritter continued to practice law in Miami, Florida. He became ill while flying to the West Coast, and stopped in New Orleans, Louisiana. He subsequently traveled to Laurel, Mississippi to recover while staying with friends. He died on October 15, 1951, in Laurel.


Personal

Ritter's sister was Mary Ritter Beard, the wife of
Charles A. Beard Charles Austin Beard (1874–1948) was an American historian and professor, who wrote primarily during the first half of the 20th century. A history professor at Columbia University, Beard's influence is primarily due to his publications in the f ...
; both were noted historians.


References


Sources

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ritter, Halsted Lockwood 1868 births 1951 deaths 20th-century American judges American people convicted of tax crimes Colorado Republicans DePauw University alumni Florida lawyers Florida politicians convicted of crimes Florida Republicans Impeached United States federal judges removed from office Indiana lawyers Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida Lawyers from Denver People from Indianapolis People from Laurel, Mississippi United States Attorneys for the Southern District of Florida United States district court judges appointed by Calvin Coolidge