Isaac Parker

American politician (1838-1896)

Isaac Charles Parker (October 15, 1838 – November 17, 1896) was an American politician and jurist. He served as the United States Congressman for Missouri's 7th congressional district for two terms and presided over the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas for 21 years. He was known as the "Hanging Judge".

Isaac Charles Parker
Painting of Judge Isaac Parker, circa 1896.
U.S. District Judge presiding over the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas
In office
March 19, 1875 – November 25, 1896[1]
Nominated byUlysses S. Grant
Preceded byWilliam Story
Succeeded byJohn Henry Rogers
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Missouri's 7th district
In office
March 4, 1871 – March 4, 1875
Preceded byJoel Funk Asper
Succeeded byThomas Theodore Crittenden
Judge of the 12th Missouri Circuit Court
In office
1868–1870
Personal details
Born(1838-10-15)October 15, 1838
Barnesville, Ohio, US
DiedNovember 17, 1896(1896-11-17) (aged 58)
Fort Smith, Arkansas, US
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Mary O'Toole

Parker died of complications due to Bright's disease in Fort Smith, aged 58.

In 21 years on the federal bench, Parker tried 13,490 cases; more than 8,500 defendants either pleaded guilty or were convicted at trial. He sentenced 160 people to death and 79 were executed; the others died while incarcerated, were acquitted, pardoned, or their sentences were commuted.

References change

  1. Isaac Parker at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center. (The Western District of Arkansas lost its jurisdiction over Indian Territory on September 1, 1896, but he continued as district judge until his death.)

Other websites change

  Media related to Isaac Parker at Wikimedia Commons   Quotations related to Isaac Parker at Wikiquote

  • National Park Service (National Historic Site) entry about Judge Isaac Parker
  • United States Congress. "Isaac Parker (id: P000059)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
  • Judge Isaac Parker reference on About.com Archived 2016-07-30 at the Wayback Machine
  • Isaac Parker at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  • List of men executed at Fort Smith while Isaac Parker presided