Paul G. Hatfield
Encyclopedia
Paul Gerhart Hatfield, (April 29, 1928 – July 3, 2000) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 and a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

. He served briefly as United States Senator from Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...

 in 1978, and was later a United States federal judge
United States federal judge
In 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....

.

Early life

Born in Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...

, he attended the College of Great Falls (now University of Great Falls
University of Great Falls
The University of Great Falls , a private Roman Catholic university located in Great Falls, Montana, is fully accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges...

) and served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

, Signal Corps, 181st Signal Depot Company, from 1951 to 1953 . He received an LL.B. from University of Montana Law School, Missoula, Montana
Missoula, Montana
Missoula is a city located in western Montana and is the county seat of Missoula County. The 2010 Census put the population of Missoula at 66,788 and the population of Missoula County at 109,299. Missoula is the principal city of the Missoula Metropolitan Area...

 in 1955 , and was admitted to the Montana bar that same year, commencing his practice in Great Falls.

Career

He was chief deputy county attorney
County attorney
A county attorney in many areas of the United States is the chief legal officer for a county or local judicial district. It is usually an elected position...

 for Cascade County
Cascade County, Montana
-National protected areas:*Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge*Lewis and Clark National Forest -Economy:Malmstrom Air Force Base is a driving force in the regional economy...

 from 1959 to 1960 and served as judge of the Eighth Judicial District from 1961 to 1976. He was appointed chief justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...

 of the Montana Supreme Court
Montana Supreme Court
The Montana Supreme Court is the highest court of the Montana state court system in the U.S. state of Montana. It is established and its powers defined by Article VII of the 1972 Montana Constitution...

 in 1977 and served until 1978.

On January 22, 1978, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...

 Governor Thomas Lee Judge
Thomas Lee Judge
Thomas Lee Judge was an American politician.Judge was born in Helena, Montana. He served in the Montana House of Representatives from 1961 to 1967 and in the Montana Senate from 1967 to 1969, and as Lieutenant Governor of Montana from 1969 to 1973. Judge was the 18th Governor of Montana from 1973...

 appointed Hatfield to the United States Senate
United States Senate
The 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...

 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Lee Metcalf
Lee Metcalf
Lee Warren Metcalf was an American politician of the Democratic Party and was a United States Representative, and a United States Senator from Montana....

 for the term ending January 3, 1979. He served from January 22, 1978, until his resignation December 14, 1978. He was defeated for renomination in the Democratic primary by Congressman Max Baucus
Max Baucus
Max Sieben Baucus is the senior United States Senator from Montana and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected to the Senate in 1978, as of 2010 he is the longest-serving Senator from Montana, and the fifth longest-serving U.S...

.

Shortly after his primary defeat, on March 15, 1979, Hatfield was nominated by President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...

 to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Montana
United States District Court for the District of Montana
The United States District Court for the District of Montana is the United States District Court whose jurisdiction is the state of Montana...

 vacated by Russell E. Smith. Hatfield was confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The 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 May 9, 1979, and received his commission the following day. He served as chief judge from 1990 to 1996, assuming senior status
Senior status
Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges, and judges in some state court systems. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status...

 on February 9, 1996, and continuing to serve until the end of his life. Hatfield was a resident of Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...

 from 1979 until his death on July 3, 2000. He is buried in Riverside Memorial Park in Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...

.

Hatfield was highly regarded as a courageous U.S. Senator (whose primary election defeat in 1978 is widely-regarded as a consequence of his unpopular, but principled and decisive vote in favor of the 1977 Panama Canal Treaty  ) and as the most outstanding jurist in Montana history . He died in Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...

. The Paul G. Hatfield Courthouse in Helena, Montana
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...

 is named in his honor.

External links

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