Shelby Highsmith
Encyclopedia
Shelby Highsmith is an American lawyer
and judge
.
Highsmith was born in 1929 in Jacksonville, Florida
. He graduated from Georgia Military College
with an Associate of Arts degree
in 1949. He served in the United States Army
from 1949-1955. Highsmith graduated from the University of Kansas
with a B.A.
in 1958 and from the University of Missouri Kansas City
School of Law with an LL.B.
in 1958.
Highsmith was in private practice in Kansas City, Missouri
from 1958 to 1959, before relocating to Florida
and entering private practice in Miami
from 1959 to 1970. Highsmith served as chief legal advisor to the Governor's War on Crime Program, Florida from 1967 to 1968 and special counsel for the Florida Racing Commission from 1969 to 1970.
Highsmith was a member of the Law Enforcement Planning Counsel of Florida from 1969 to 1970 and served as a circuit judge for the 11th Judicial Circuit (Dade County
) from 1970 to 1975. Highsmith resumed private practice in Miami in 1975.
President
George H.W. Bush nominated Highsmith on June 27, 1991 to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
, to the seat vacated by Thomas E. Scott. Confirmed
by the Senate
on September 12, 1991, he received commission
on September 16, 1991.
Highsmith assumed senior status
on March 15, 2002.
Law of the United States
The law of the United States consists of many levels of codified and uncodified forms of law, of which the most important is the United States Constitution, the foundation of the federal government of the United States...
and 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...
.
Highsmith was born in 1929 in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. He graduated from Georgia Military College
Georgia Military College
Georgia Military College is a United States Military Junior College, high school, and middle school in Milledgeville, Georgia. GMC is one of five military junior colleges that participates in the Army's Early Commissioning Program. Cadets who graduate from GMC's two-year, military science-oriented...
with an Associate of Arts degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
in 1949. He served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
from 1949-1955. Highsmith graduated from the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1958 and from the University of Missouri Kansas City
University of Missouri–Kansas City
The University of Missouri–Kansas City is a public university located in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. It is a branch of the University of Missouri System. Its main campus is in Kansas City's Rockhill neighborhood east of the Country Club Plaza...
School of Law with an LL.B.
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
in 1958.
Highsmith was in private practice in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
from 1958 to 1959, before relocating to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and entering private practice in Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
from 1959 to 1970. Highsmith served as chief legal advisor to the Governor's War on Crime Program, Florida from 1967 to 1968 and special counsel for the Florida Racing Commission from 1969 to 1970.
Highsmith was a member of the Law Enforcement Planning Counsel of Florida from 1969 to 1970 and served as a circuit judge for the 11th Judicial Circuit (Dade County
Miami-Dade County, Florida
Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the state of Florida. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 2,496,435, making it the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States...
) from 1970 to 1975. Highsmith resumed private practice in Miami in 1975.
President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George H.W. Bush nominated Highsmith on June 27, 1991 to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida is the federal United States district court with jurisdiction over the southern part of the state of Florida....
, to the seat vacated by Thomas E. Scott. Confirmed
Advice and consent
Advice and consent is an English phrase frequently used in enacting formulae of bills and in other legal or constitutional contexts, describing a situation in which the executive branch of a government enacts something previously approved of by the legislative branch.-General:The expression is...
by the 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 September 12, 1991, he received commission
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
on September 16, 1991.
Highsmith assumed senior status
Senior status
Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges, and judges in some state court systems. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status...
on March 15, 2002.