The History of the D.C. Circuit Courts
1859
The Murder of Phillip Barton Key
Congressman Daniel Sickles shot and killed Phillip Barton Key, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia and son of Francis Scott Key, composer of the “Star Spangled Banner.”
1863
The Cartter Courts 1863-1887
Read about the judges and history of Chief Justice David Kellogg Cartter's Courts from 1863 to 1887.
1865
The Assassination of President Lincoln
Read the fate of Mary Surratt, boarding house owner, for her part in the assassination of President Lincoln.
1882
“Technology in the Courtroom: Could it Change the Course of History?”
On July 31, 2008, the Historical Society sponsored "Technology in the Courtroom: Could it Change the Course of History?" The program explored the relative advantages and disadvantages of the use of technology to present evidence and arguments in a jury trial.
The Assassination of President Garfield
Learn the part of the M’Naghten test in the trial of Charles Guiteau, assassin of President James Garfield.
1887
The Bingham Courts 1887 – 1903
Read about the judges and history of Chief Justice Edward Franklin Bingham's Courts from 1887 to 1903.
1900
D.C. Law: Almost as Old as the Magna Carta?
Is it possible that remnants of the old British law and the laws of Maryland and Virginia are still on the books in the District of Columbia?
Now On Exhibit:
The History of the Courts of the D.C. Circuit
Created amidst the controversy over President John Adams’s appointment of the so-called “Midnight Judges,” the Courts of the District of Columbia Circuit have been transformed and transformative over the two centuries of their existence.
Visit the exhibit to learn how the D.C. Circuit Courts were formed and the challenges overcome in their creation.
Calmly to Poise The Scales of Justice:
A History of the Courts of the D.C. Circuit

Purchase the book now for $30
or send a check to:
The Historical Society of the D.C. Circuit
Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse
333 Constitution Ave NW, Room 4714
Washington, D.C. 20001