John Lanham
Encyclopedia
John C. Lanham was an American
state legislator in Hawaii
and Circuit Court
judge
. He also served as the Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court
of the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
in South Carolina
. In an interview later in life, Lanham explained how the experience had affected his view of the law, "The first thing I think of when I study a law is: What will be its effect on (poor) people."
He served on a B-25 bomber during World War II
and in the American infantry
during the Korean War
. He arrived in Hawaii
after the wars.
and then as a Hawaiian state senator
. During his time in office, Lanham focused on the creation of an office to assist the poor pay for legal advice. He also helped to create Hawaii's Family Court
system, reformed the bail
system and modernized the state's criminal code
.
Hawaiian Governor John A. Burns
appointed Lanham to the Hawaiian Circuit Court
in Honolulu in 1970.
Lanham was named the Chief Justice
of the Marshall Islands
Supreme Court
in 1982. The Marshall Islands were a trust territory of United States
at the time.
on August 14, 2007. He was survived by his wife, Annie, daughters Patrice and Catherine, son Robert, and grandchildren Tatum and Kyle.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state legislator in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and Circuit Court
Circuit court
Circuit court is the name of court systems in several common law jurisdictions.-History:King Henry II instituted the custom of having judges ride around the countryside each year to hear appeals, rather than forcing everyone to bring their appeals to London...
judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
. He also served as the Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Supreme Court
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
of the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Early life
John Lanham was raised in an orphanageOrphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. In an interview later in life, Lanham explained how the experience had affected his view of the law, "The first thing I think of when I study a law is: What will be its effect on (poor) people."
He served on a B-25 bomber during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and in the American infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. He arrived in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
after the wars.
Career
Lanham was first elected to the last Territorial Legislature of Hawaii before it became a state in 1959. He next served in the Hawaii House of RepresentativesHawaii House of Representatives
The Hawaii House of Representatives is the lower house of the Hawaii State Legislature. Accord to Article III, Section 3 of the Hawaii Constitution, amended during the 1978 constitutional convention, the House of Representatives consists of 51 members representing an equal amount of districts...
and then as a Hawaiian state senator
State Senator
A state senator is a member of a state's Senate, the upper house in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a legislator in Nebraska's one house State Legislature.There are typically fewer state senators than there are members of a state's lower house...
. During his time in office, Lanham focused on the creation of an office to assist the poor pay for legal advice. He also helped to create Hawaii's Family Court
Family court
A family court is a court convened to decide matters and make orders in relation to family law, such as custody of children. In common-law jurisdictions "family courts" are statutory creations primarily dealing with equitable matters devolved from a court of inherent jurisdiction, such as a...
system, reformed the bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
system and modernized the state's criminal code
Criminal Code
A criminal code is a document which compiles all, or a significant amount of, a particular jurisdiction's criminal law...
.
Hawaiian Governor John A. Burns
John A. Burns
John Anthony Burns served as the second Governor of Hawaii from 1962 to 1974. Born in Fort Assinniboine, Montana, Burns was a resident of Hawaii from 1913....
appointed Lanham to the Hawaiian Circuit Court
Circuit court
Circuit court is the name of court systems in several common law jurisdictions.-History:King Henry II instituted the custom of having judges ride around the countryside each year to hear appeals, rather than forcing everyone to bring their appeals to London...
in Honolulu in 1970.
Lanham was named the Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
Supreme Court
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
in 1982. The Marshall Islands were a trust territory of United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at the time.
Death
John C. Lanham died in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
on August 14, 2007. He was survived by his wife, Annie, daughters Patrice and Catherine, son Robert, and grandchildren Tatum and Kyle.