Jonathan Russell Bullock (September 6, 1815 – May 7, 1899) was a Rhode Island politician and a
United States federal judgeIn the United States, the title of federal judge usually means a judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article II of the United States Constitution....
.
Born in
Bristol, Rhode IslandBristol is a town in and the historic county seat of Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 22,954 at the 2010 census. Bristol, a deepwater seaport, is named after Bristol, England....
, Bullock graduated from
Brown UniversityBrown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
in 1834 and read law to enter the bar in 1836. He was in private practice in
Alton, IllinoisAlton is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 27,865 at the 2010 census. It is a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area in Southern Illinois...
from 1836 to 1843, and served as on the Alton Common Council. He was in private practice in
Bristol, Rhode IslandBristol is a town in and the historic county seat of Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 22,954 at the 2010 census. Bristol, a deepwater seaport, is named after Bristol, England....
from 1843 to 1849, serving as a member of the
Rhode Island General AssemblyThe State of Rhode Island General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. A bicameral body, it is composed of the lower Rhode Island House of Representatives with 75 representatives, and the upper Rhode Island Senate with 38 senators...
from 1844 to 1846. He was the attorney general of Rhode Island in 1849. He was a collector of customs in Bristol and Warren, Rhode Island from 1849 to 1853, then served in the
Rhode Island SenateThe Rhode Island Senate is the upper house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Rhode Island. It is composed of 38 Senators, each of whom is elected to a two-year term. Rhode Island is one of the 14 states where its upper house serves at a two-year...
in 1859 before becoming lieutenant governor of the state in 1860. After briefly serving as a special commissioner to adjust accounts between Rhode Island and the Government of the United States, he served as a judge on the
Rhode Island Supreme CourtThe Rhode Island Supreme Court, founded in 1747, is the court of last resort in the U.S. State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. The Court consists of a chief justice and four associate justices. The current Justices of the Rhode Island Supreme Court are:*Chief Justice Paul A...
from 1862 to 1864.
On February 9, 1865, Bullock was nominated by President
Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
to a seat on the
United States District Court for the District of Rhode IslandThe United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Rhode Island. The District Court was created in 1790 when Rhode Island ratified the Constitution...
vacated by
John PitmanJohn Pitman was a United States federal judge.Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Pitman was educated at Brown University, receiving an A.B. in 1799, at the age of fifteen. He read law to enter the New Hampshire Bar in 1805, and the New York Bar in 1806...
. Bullock was confirmed by the
United States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on February 11, 1865, and received his commission the same day. Bullock served in that capacity until his resignation, on September 15, 1869.
He died in
Bristol, Rhode IslandBristol is a town in and the historic county seat of Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 22,954 at the 2010 census. Bristol, a deepwater seaport, is named after Bristol, England....
.
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