James Duane Doty - Early Life and Legal Career

Early Life and Legal Career

James Doty was born in Salem, New York in 1799, where he attended school and went on to study law. His son was Charles Doty, who served as his father's secretary, and his cousin was Morgan Lewis Martin.

In 1818 he moved to Detroit, Michigan and was admitted to the bar as a lawyer in 1819. He started practicing law, and shortly later he was made the clerk of court of Michigan Territory.

In 1820 Doty was chosen by Lewis Cass, governor of Michigan Territory, to serve as secretary to his expedition to the headwaters of the Mississippi River.

In 1823, a new federal judicial district was created for northern and western Michigan Territory, covering what is now the state of Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Doty was appointed as the federal judge for the district by President James Monroe, and, because he was required to live within his district, Doty moved from Detroit to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin in 1823. Doty regularly held court at Prairie du Chien, Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Mackinac Island, Michigan. He also served as postmaster at Prairie du Chien from 1823 to 1824. In 1824, Doty moved to Green Bay, where he lived until 1841. Doty remained the district judge until he was replaced by David Irvin in 1832.

Read more about this topic:  James Duane Doty

Famous quotes containing the words early life, early, life, legal and/or career:

    Many a woman shudders ... at the terrible eclipse of those intellectual powers which in early life seemed prophetic of usefulness and happiness, hence the army of martyrs among our married and unmarried women who, not having cultivated a taste for science, art or literature, form a corps of nervous patients who make fortunes for agreeable physicians ...
    Sarah M. Grimke (1792–1873)

    We can slide it
    Rapidly backwards and forwards: we call this
    Easing the spring. And rapidly backwards and forwards
    The early bees are assaulting and fumbling the flowers:
    They call it easing the Spring.
    Henry Reed (1914–1986)

    Our life is not so much threatened as our perception. Ghostlike we glide through nature, and should not know our place again.
    Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

    ... whilst you are proclaiming peace and good will to men, Emancipating all Nations, you insist upon retaining absolute power over wives. But you must remember that Arbitrary power is like most other things which are very hard, very liable to be broken—and notwithstanding all your wise Laws and Maxims we have it in our power not only to free ourselves but to subdue our Masters, and without violence throw both your natural and legal authority at our feet ...
    Abigail Adams (1744–1818)

    I began my editorial career with the presidency of Mr. Adams, and my principal object was to render his administration all the assistance in my power. I flattered myself with the hope of accompanying him through [his] voyage, and of partaking in a trifling degree, of the glory of the enterprise; but he suddenly tacked about, and I could follow him no longer. I therefore waited for the first opportunity to haul down my sails.
    William Cobbett (1762–1835)