James F. Trotter

Biography

James F. Trotter, born in 1802, trained as a lawyer and gained the respect of Mississippi citizens through sound counsel and steady judgment. He was named to the state supreme court and later accepted the chance to represent Mississippi in the U.S. Senate when a vacancy arose, bringing a jurist's temper to the national stage.

After leaving Washington, Trotter returned to private practice but never ceased advocating for fairness in the courts, and his memory is preserved at Hillcrest Cemetery among others who shaped the state's legal traditions.