VIEWPOINT | The Wild West — Judges, scandal, a foiled assassination and murder

Guest column by David Adler, Alturas Institute

Historically, U.S. Supreme Court Justices have avoided drama. A bookish group, given to tranquility and docility, the Justices mark their time in the quiet of elegant court chambers, deciding cases and writing opinions. There is, however, an exception to this institutional serenity—the Terry Affair-- one that captured the attention of the country and the citizenry’s lurid interest in sex, scandal and murder.

 In the summer of 1889, Justice Stephen Field, an iconic 19^th Century conservative jurist, who sat on Supreme Court for 34 years and had a knack for arousing hostility and alienating colleagues, found himself at the center of the most wild, violent and dramatic moment in the Court’s history. Field, who had moved West from Connecticut in 1849 as part of the California Gold Rush, was known for brandishing a bowie knife and pistol and wading into controversies. While in California, he practiced law and distinguished himself at the Bar and in state politics. In 1857, he was was elected to the California Supreme Court and served for six years. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Field to the Supreme Court.

POINT: Don’t let Alabama ruling hurt South Dakota families
COUNTERPOINT: The secret the IVF industry doesn’t want you to know