Name Halsted Ritter Role Lawyer | Died October 15, 1957 Education DePauw University | |
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Halsted Lockwood Ritter (July 14, 1868 – October 15, 1951) was an American lawyer a judge and a member of the Republican political party. He served in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida but was impeached and removed from office, only the fourth official to be removed.
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Early life and education
Ritter was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1868. His sister was Mary Ritter Beard, the wife of Charles A. Beard; both were noted historians. Halsted Ritter attended DePauw University, receiving his Bachelor of Philosophy in 1891, LL.B. in 1892, and Master of Arts in 1893.
Legal career
Ritter was in private practice in Indianapolis from 1892 to 1895, in Denver, Colorado from 1895 to 1925. He moved to West Palm Beach, Florida in 1925 for his wife's health.
District court and impeachment
President Calvin Coolidge nominated Ritter to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida on January 23, 1929, to the seat vacated by Rhydon Mays Call. Confirmed by the Senate on February 15, 1929, he received his commission the same day.
On May 29, 1933, U.S. Representative J. Mark Wilcox of Florida introduced resolution (H. Res. 163) authorizing the House Judiciary Committee 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, although it took place just a month after the impeachment of Harold Louderback (who was acquitted in the Senate). The seven articles were:
Ritter's chief defense attorney was Frank P. Walsh. Three House managers prosecuted the case, with Sam Hobbs of Alabama leading.
On April 6, 1936, the U.S. Senate began its 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, 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.
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.
Later life
After being removed from the bench, Ritter continued to practice law in Miami. He became ill while flying to the West Coast, and stopped in New Orleans. He subsequently traveled to Laurel, Mississippi to recover while staying with friends. He died in Laurel on October 15, 1951.