James Helmick Beatty

Who was James Helmick Beatty?

James Helmick Beatty was a United States federal judge.

Born in Lancaster, Ohio, Beatty received an A.B. from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1858 and read law to enter the bar in 1862. He was Superintendent of Jackson Public Schools in Jackson, Mississippi from 1858 to 1861, and was in the United States Army during the American Civil War, serving as first lieutenant of the Fourth Iowa Battery from 1863 to 1865. He was in private practice in Lexington, Missouri from 1865 to 1872, also serving as a register in bankruptcy during that time. He was an assistant United States Attorney of the Salt Lake City, Utah from 1872 to 1882. He returned to private practice, this time in Hailey, Idaho from 1882 to 1889. He was a Senator in the Idaho Territorial Legislature from 1886 to 1888. In 1889, Beatty was appointed chief justice of the Idaho Territorial Supreme Court until the court was dissolved when Idaho was admitted to the Union in 1890.

On March 7, 1891, Beatty received a recess appointment from President Benjamin Harrison to a new seat on the United States District Court for the District of Idaho created by 26 Stat. 215.