Charles Burleigh Graves

Charles Burleigh Graves (November 13, 1841 – March 25, 1912) was a justice of the Kansas Supreme Court from August 21, 1905, to January 9, 1911.

Life

Graves was born November 13, 1841, in Wayne County, Indiana, and then at the age of ten moved with his family to Fulton County, Illinois. In 1859 he moved to Neosho Falls, Kansas.

When Judge Watson who had personally given Graves the bar examination retired from the district court at the end of his term he invited Graves and Samuel J. Crawford to join him in a new law partnership in Emporia.

At 10 a.m. on Monday August 21, 1905 Graves got a call telling him that he had been appointed by governor Edward W. Hoch to fill the supreme court position vacated by the death of justice Edwin Wilber Cunningham. He was given the oath on September 9 and moved to Topeka, Kansas shortly after. He dismissed the idea of having an elected or appointed jury wondering on issues of selection, political bias, and the lack of assurance that those selected would possess ideal qualities. His health had been bad since he was first stricken by a stroke February 24, 1911 and although his heath had improved it had not done so enough for him to work again. He was survived by his wife and several children.