Charles E. Cox

Who was Charles E. Cox?

Charles E. Cox was an American lawyer and judge who became the 55th justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, serving from 1911 to 1917. Elected as a Democrat in the Fall of 1910, he was Chief Justice by the end of his six-year term. The "Marshall Constitution" case and the "Technical Institute" case were among the important decisions made by the court during his tenure. As a judge in the Indiana Supreme Court and in lower courts, he never had a decision reversed.

Cox began studying law in 1877 while a law clerk for judge William E. Niblack, 27th justice of the Indiana Supreme Court. Cox came from a family of lawyers and judges, as brothers Jabez T. Cox and Millard F. Cox also practiced law and spent time as judges in Indiana.

In private practice, Cox gained national attention assisting the prosecutor in the 1925 trial of D. C. Stephenson for the death of Madge Oberholtzer. In addition to private practice and his tenure on the Indiana Supreme Court, Cox's legal career also included librarian of the Indiana State Law Library, Marion County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, and city judge of Indianapolis.