Byron Paine
Byron Paine (October 10, 1827 – January 13, 1871) was an American lawyer, judge, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court from 1867 until his death in 1871, and also served on the court from 1859 to 1864, interrupting his judicial service to become an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. As a lawyer, he was responsible for two of the most important civil rights cases of early Wisconsin history—He represented abolitionist Sherman Booth in the case of Ableman v. Booth at the Wisconsin Supreme Court, in which the Wisconsin court chose to nullify enforcement of the federal Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. He later represented Ezekiel Gillespie in the 1866 case of Gillespie v. Palmer, which resulted in the Wisconsin Supreme Court extending voting rights to African Americans in Wisconsin.
The Honorable Byron Paine | |
|---|---|
| Associate Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court | |
| In office September 1867 – January 13, 1871 (death) | |
| Appointed by | Lucius Fairchild |
| Preceded by | Jason Downer |
| Succeeded by | William P. Lyon |
| In office June 1, 1859 – August 1864 | |
| Preceded by | Abram D. Smith |
| Succeeded by | Jason Downer |
| Chief Clerk of the Wisconsin Senate | |
| In office January 9, 1856 – January 14, 1857 | |
| Preceded by | Samuel G. Bugh |
| Succeeded by | William Henry Brisbane |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 10, 1827 Painesville, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | January 13, 1871 (aged 43) Monona, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Hill Cemetery, Madison, Wisconsin |
| Spouse |
Clarissa R. Wyman
(m. 1854–1871) |
| Children |
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| Parents |
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| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Volunteers Union Army |
| Years of service | 1864–1865 |
| Rank | Lt. Colonel, USV |
| Unit | 43rd Reg. Wis. Vol. Infantry |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |