William Crawford (judge)

William Crawford (1784 – February 28, 1849) was a United States federal judge.

Born in Louisa County, Virginia, Crawford attended Hampden–Sydney College and read law to enter the Bar. He was in private practice for a time, and also served as a land commissioner in Florida and Louisiana. He was a Lieutenant in the State Militia in Richmond, Virginia from 1812 to 1814. At one point thereafter, he had a private practice in St. Stephens, Alabama, and was the Clerk of the United States District Court for the District of Alabama. He became a United States Attorney, first for the Territory of Mississippi beginning in 1814, then for the District of Alabama from 1817 to 1824, and, once Alabama had been divided into judicial districts, for the Southern District of Alabama until 1826. From 1825 to 1826, he was also a member of the Alabama State Senate.

On May 5, 1826, President John Quincy Adams nominated Crawford to the seats on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama, both vacated by Charles Tait. Crawford was confirmed by the United States Senate, and received his commission, on May 22, 1826. On February 6, 1839, when the judicial districts of Alabama were redrawn by the addition of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, Crawford was assigned to that court as well by operation of law. Crawford continued his federal judicial service until his death, in Mobile, Alabama.

Sources

• William Crawford at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.