Ostis Otto Moore

Early life

Moore was born on May 4, 1896 in Floyds Knobs, Indiana to David Burke Moore and Charlotte Scott. In 1901, the family moved to Denver, Colorado. After working as a youth, Moore graduated from South High School (Denver), and was accepted on a football scholarship to the University of Denver. After World War I broke out, Moore was drafted into the US Army, and spent 27 months in France. Shortly before he was drafted, he met his future wife to be, Ruth Dye of Julesburg, Colorado, and they were married upon his return. Soon after, Moore received his law degree from the University of Denver.

Early career

In 1924, Moore joined the Denver District Attorney's office, and was charged with prosecuting bootleggers. In addition to bootleggers, Moore also investigated and had many incidents with the KKK, which had a strong hold on politics in Denver in the 1920s and 30s.

He left the district attorney's office in 1927 and started his own law practice around the time of The Great Depression. He formed the National Annuity League and published a weekly paper called the Bulletin Free Press that contained information and news for pensioners. He traveled the state making speeches and lobbying for a constitutional amendment. He worked with the United States House Committee on Ways and Means in Washington, D.C. on constructing legislation, which later became the Social Security Act. Finally, in 1936, his Colorado constitutional amendment was passed. In 1947, Moore authored a book about the pension movement called Mile High Harbor.

In 1939 Moore returned to the Denver District Attorney’s office. He ran for the office of Denver District Attorney in 1940, but was narrowly defeated and returned to private practice. Several of his murder defenses received national publicity such as the William Eugene Wymer case.

Colorado Supreme Court Career

In 1948, Moore was asked to run for the Colorado Supreme Court, and won the election. In total, Moore served from 1949 until 1968 on the bench. During his twenty years on the bench, Moore sat with twenty-two other Justices, authored 1,038 opinions and was involved in more than 5,000 decisions. Moore once said, “I particularly remember my dissents. I really relished them; they had more conviction. I may be wrong, but I’m never in doubt.”

He served three terms as Chief Justice (1957, 1967 and 1968). In 1969, Moore retired from the Colorado Supreme Court, and was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Denver.

Return to the District Attorney's Office

In 1970, Moore was asked to write and update the Colorado Criminal Code. In 1971, Moore helped with the creation of the Sam Cary Bar Association, a group for African-American Lawyers.

When Dale Tooley was elected Denver District Attorney in 1973, he asked Moore to come out of retirement and serve as an assistant Denver District Attorney, for which he served more than 10 years. When Dale Tooley resigned as District Attorney to run for Denver mayor in 1983, Moore continued in the office under Norman Early. Moore worked for two more years, and then retired in May 1985 at the age of 89.

Personal life

Moore was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars, Freemasons, Phi Delta Phi, and Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He served two terms as president of the University of Denver Alumni Association. He was active in many civic and fraternal organizations. He was an honorary 33 degree Scottish Rite Mason and a member of the El Jebel Shriners in Denver.

Moore and wife had one child together, Loahna, who was born in 1926.

Moore's wife, Ruth, died in 1986.

Moore died on December 10, 1990. He is buried at Fairmount Cemetery (Denver, Colorado)