COURT OF APPEALS

FORMER JUDGES

FORMER CHIEF JUDGE


[photo, Robert C. Murphy, Court of Appeals Chief Judge] ROBERT CHARLES MURPHY (1926-2000)
Chief Judge, Court of Appeals, 1972-96
Chief Judge, Court of Special Appeals, 1967-72
Attorney General, 1966

Chief Judge, Court of Appeals, 2nd Appellate Judicial Circuit, (Baltimore County & Harford County) 1972 to October 9, 1996. Retired October 9, 1996. Chair, Maryland Judicial Conference, 1972-96. Chair, Hall of Records Commission, 1972-96; Library Committee, Maryland State Library, 1972-78; Library Committee, State Law Library, 1978-96. Member, Governor's Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice, 1972-82; Task Force on Crime, 1976; Maryland Heritage Committee, 1982-85; Maryland Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, 1982-87.


President, Conference of Chief Justices, 1986-87. Chair, Board of Directors, National Center for State Courts, Williamsburg, Virginia, 1986-87. Member, Governing Board, Council of State Governments, 1986-96.

Member, Governor's Advisory Board for Justice Assistance, 1987-92. Chair, Judicial Liaison Committee (with Department of Juvenile Services), 1990-96. Member, Judicial Compensation Committee, 1993-96, Maryland Judicial Conference. Member, Maryland Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy, 1996.

Chief Judge, Court of Special Appeals, 2nd Special Appellate Circuit, 1967-72. Member, Board of Trustees of the State Colleges, 1970-71. Chair, Commission on Judicial Disabilities, 1971-72.

Attorney General, 1966 (special assistant attorney general for university of maryland, 1955-59; assistant attorney general, 1959-62; deputy attorney general, 1963-66).

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, October 9, 1926. Attended Baltimore City public schools; Forest Park High School, Baltimore, Maryland. Served in U.S. Navy, 1944-46. University of Maryland; University of Maryland School of Law, J.D., 1951. Law clerk to Judge William P. Cole, Jr., U.S. Court of Customs and Patent Appeals, Washington, DC, 1951-52. Admitted to Maryland Bar, 1952. Member, Maryland State Bar Association. Past Chair and member, Board of Trustees, University of Maryland Alumni Association-International. Honorary Doctor of Laws, University of Maryland, University of Baltimore, and Washington College. Distinguished Alumnus Award, University of Maryland, 1974. Grand Marshal, St. Patrick's Day Parade of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, 1975. Mayor's Citation, City of Baltimore, 1979. Distinguished Marylander of the Year, Advertising Club of Baltimore, 1980. Distinguished Service Award, National Center for State Courts, 1988, 1997. H. Vernon Eney Endowment Fund Award, Maryland Bar Foundation, 1992. Distinguished Service Award, Commission on Impaired Attorneys, American Bar Association, 1994. Rita C. Davidson Award, Women's Bar Association of Maryland, 1995. First Citizen Award, Maryland Senate, 1996. Speaker's Medallion, House of Delegates, 1996. Governor's Citation for service as Hall of Records Commission Chair, 1996. Professionalism Award, American Inns of Court Foundation for U.S. Court of Appeals Fourth Circuit, 1997. Paul C. Reardon Award, National Center for State Courts, 1997. Died in Timonium, Maryland, October 31, 2000


In June 1996, to honor Chief Judge Murphy, the Annapolis site of the Court of Appeals, the Court of Special Appeals, and the Maryland State Law Library was renamed the Robert C. Murphy Courts of Appeal Building.

Maryland Judiciary
Maryland Government
Maryland Constitutional Offices & Agencies
Maryland Departments
Maryland Independent Agencies
Maryland Executive Commissions, Committees, Task Forces, & Advisory Boards
Maryland Universities & Colleges
Maryland Counties
Maryland Municipalities
Maryland at a Glance


Maryland Manual On-Line

© Copyright Maryland State Archives