Edward Harris (North Carolina)
Encyclopedia
Edward Harris was a North Carolina
lawyer, politician, and judge.
Born in Iredell County, North Carolina
, Harris read law to enter the bar in 1791, and thereafter engaged in private practice in New Bern, North Carolina
.
On April 27, 1802, President Thomas Jefferson
nominated Harris to a seat on the United States Circuit Courts for the Fifth Circuit
, vacated by Henry Potter
. The seat was one of a group of circuit court seats that had been created by the Midnight Judges Act, and to which John Adams
had appointed many of his supporters in the closing days of his administration. Harris, one of only three judges appointed by Jefferson pursuant to that Act, was confirmed by the United States Senate
on April 29, 1802, and received his commission on May 3, 1802. However, his service terminated on July 1, 1802, due to the repeal of the Act and the accompanying abolition of the court.
Harris was thereafter a member of the North Carolina General Assembly
from 1802 to 1803, and again in 1807. He was a Judge of the Superior Court of North Carolina from 1811 to 1813, and a trustee of the University of North Carolina
1805–1813
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
lawyer, politician, and judge.
Born in Iredell County, North Carolina
Iredell County, North Carolina
Iredell County, along with Moore County in the eastern Piedmont, are among a very few counties in the United States sharing borders with nine adjacent counties.-Demographics:...
, Harris read law to enter the bar in 1791, and thereafter engaged in private practice in New Bern, North Carolina
New Bern, North Carolina
New Bern is a city in Craven County, North Carolina with a population of 29,524 as of the 2010 census.. It is located at the confluence of the Trent and the Neuse rivers...
.
On April 27, 1802, President Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
nominated Harris to a seat on the United States Circuit Courts for the Fifth Circuit
United States circuit court
The United States circuit courts were the original intermediate level courts of the United States federal court system. They were established by the Judiciary Act of 1789. They had trial court jurisdiction over civil suits of diversity jurisdiction and major federal crimes. They also had appellate...
, vacated by Henry Potter
Henry Potter (judge)
Henry Potter was the longest serving United States federal judge to sit on a single court, and the longest serving active judge...
. The seat was one of a group of circuit court seats that had been created by the Midnight Judges Act, and to which John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
had appointed many of his supporters in the closing days of his administration. Harris, one of only three judges appointed by Jefferson pursuant to that Act, was confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on April 29, 1802, and received his commission on May 3, 1802. However, his service terminated on July 1, 1802, due to the repeal of the Act and the accompanying abolition of the court.
Harris was thereafter a member of the North Carolina General Assembly
North Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The General Assembly drafts and legislates the state laws of North Carolina, also known as the General Statutes...
from 1802 to 1803, and again in 1807. He was a Judge of the Superior Court of North Carolina from 1811 to 1813, and a trustee of the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
1805–1813