John Mitchell Robinson

Who was John Mitchell Robinson?

John Mitchell Robinson was an American jurist who served as chief judge of the supreme court of the U.S. state of Maryland, the Court of Appeals.

Robinson was born in Tuckahoe Neck, Caroline County, Maryland to Peter Robinson and Sarah Mitchell Robinson. He attended public schools in Denton, Maryland, and graduated from Dickinson College in 1847. He went on to study law under the tutelage of William M. Meredith, Richard B. Carmichael, and Madison Brown, and was admitted to the bar in 1849.

After admission to the bar, Robinson began to practice law in Centreville, Maryland. In 1850, he served as Deputy Attorney General for Queen Anne's and Kent Counties. He also served as State's Attorney for Queen Anne's County from 1851 to 1855, and later as judge of the Queen Anne's and Kent Counties Circuit Court, Third Judicial District, from 1864 to 1867.

In 1867, Robinson was appointed to the Maryland Court of Appeals as an associate judge. He served in that position until 1884, when he resigned to bid for the Democratic nomination to the United States Senate. In 1893, he returned to the court as Chief Judge, and served in that position until his death in 1896.