Draft:James H. McCoy

James H. McCoy (1855 – 19__) was a justice of the South Dakota Supreme Court from April 1, 1909 to December 1, 1921.

James H. McCoy, who since the 1st of April. 1909, has been judge of the supreme court for the fifth district. He was born in Decatur, Illinois, in 1855. He was one of a family of six children whose parents were B. F. and Minerva (Helm) McCoy, the former a farmer by occupation and a native of Greenbrier county, West Virginia, while the latter was a native of Baltimore, Maryland. After acquiring a high-school education in his native city James H. McCoy attended the Illinois “'esleyan University, from which he was graduated with the Bachelor of Arts degree with the class of 1880. Soon afterward _he was admitted to the bar, but did not nt once cntcr upon active practice, for he was appointed special examiner in the United States pension service with headquarters at Louisville, Kentucky, where he remained until 1885. In that year Judge McCoy left Kentucky and carne to South Dakota, settling in Britton, Marshall county. where he entered upon the practice of law. There his clientage constantly increased until 1893, when he sought a broader field of labor in Webster, where he practiced successfully until 1900, when he located in Aberdeen. From the outset of his professional career he was noted for the care and thoroughness with which he prepared his cases as well as for the logic which marked their presentation. In November, 1901, he was elected to the circuit bench of the fifth district, and on the 1st of April, 1909, was appointed judge of the supreme court for the fifth district. In the general election of November, 1910, he was elected to succeed himself as a member of the supreme court, in which position he has since served with honor and credit. He was also at one time county judge of Marshall county. In addition to his judicial service he was at one time county auditor for two years. Politically Judge McCoy is a republican. Judge Mccoy was married in Decatur, Illinois in 1883, to Miss Hannah Heath, and they became the parents of two children, Lelah and Carroll.^[1]