Samuel Ames (jurist)
Samuel Ames | |
|---|---|
| Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court | |
| In office June 26, 1856 – November 15, 1865 | |
| Preceded by | William R. Staples |
| Succeeded by | Charles S. Bradley |
| Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives | |
| In office May 1844 – May 1845 | |
| Preceded by | Alfred Bosworth |
| Succeeded by | George Gordon King |
| Member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives | |
| In office 1841–1851 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 6, 1806 |
| Died | December 20, 1865 (aged 59) Providence, Rhode Island |
| Party | Whig, Law-and-Order |
| Spouse |
Mary Throop Dorr (m. 1838) |
| Children | Mary, Sullivan, William, Edward, and Samuel |
| Education | |
Samuel Ames (September 6, 1806 – December 20, 1865) was an American lawyer, jurist, and politician who served as the chief justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court from 1856 to 1865. Despite his relatively short tenure, he is considered to have been Rhode Island's greatest chief justice. He is most remembered for his opinion in Taylor v. Place, which enshrined Rhode Island's judiciary as a coequal branch of government.