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Sunday, September 14, 2008
Ind. Courts - "The versatility of Judge Samuel Barnes Gookins"
Mike McCormick writes today for the Terre Haute Tribune Star about Samuel Barnes Gookins. A few quotes:
Newspaper editor and publisher, attorney, state legislator, author, poet, circuit court judge and justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, Samuel Barnes Gookins was one of Terre Haute’s most esteemed citizens for more than a half century. * * *After brief stints as editor of the Vincennes Gazette, the Western Register and Terre Haute Advertiser, Sam studied law under Terre Haute lawyer Amory Kinney, perhaps Indiana’s first abolitionist.
Admitted to the bar in 1834, Gookins was in a partnership for several years with Kinney and Terre Haute lawyer Salmon Wright. In July 1850, following the resignation of Judge John Law, he was appointed president judge of the First Judicial Circuit, which included several counties including Vigo. The appointment lasted through January 1851. * * *
After serving one term (1851-52) in the Indiana House, Judge Gookins was elected justice of the Indiana Supreme Court on Oct. 10, 1855. He resigned effective Dec. 10, 1857, citing the inadequate salary he was being paid while living in Indianapolis during the week and maintaining a family residence in Vigo County.
Gookins founded the Chicago law firm of Gookins, Roberts & Thomas in 1858 and continued to commute by rail on weekends to Terre Haute until retirement in 1875.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on September 14, 2008 09:42 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts