J. Frank McInnis

Jesse Frank McInnis
Judge of the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal
In office 1952 – December 1953
Preceded by	Robert F. Kennon
Succeeded by	H. Welborn Ayres
26th Judicial District Court Judge
In office January 1, 1930 – 1952
Preceded by	Harmon Caldwell Drew
Succeeded by	James E. Bolin
Webster Parish Clerk of Court
In office September 26, 1919 – April 7, 1924
Preceded by	John H. Tillman
Succeeded by	G. A. Rathbun
Personal details
Born	January 28, 1886 Castor, Bienville Parish Louisiana, USA
Died	January 27, 1959 (aged 72) Madison, Wisconsin
Resting place	Minden Cemetery in Minden, Louisiana
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Cortez Mixon McInnis
Children	Elizabeth M. Crumpton (1917-2013)[1]
Residence	Minden, Louisiana
Occupation	Judge; Attorney
Religion	Methodist

Grave of Judge J. Frank McInnis at Minden Cemetery

Jesse Frank McInnis, known as J. Frank McInnis (January 28, 1886 – January 27, 1959), was a judge of his state's Second Circuit Court of Appeal from Minden, Louisiana. In 1952, McInnis succeeded Robert F. Kennon of Minden, in the circuit judgeship which Kennon vacated to become governor of Louisiana. Prior to his appeals court service, McInnis served for twenty-two years on the now 26th Judicial District Court.^[2]

Biography

The son of Jesse McInnis (1858-1946),^[3] McInnis was born on a farm near Castor in Bienville Parish in north Louisiana. From 1919-1924, he was the deputy Webster Parish clerk of court under John H. Tillman, in which capacity he independently studied for the law.^[4] In 1923, he was admitted to the Louisiana bar and began the practice of law in Minden. One of his early law partners was another attorney originally from Castor, John T. Campbell (1903-1993), who also for a time was the secretary of the Louisiana State Senate.^[5]

On January 1, 1930, Governor Huey Pierce Long, Jr., appointed McInnis, a fellow Democrat, to the new 26th District state court, created in 1926 and based in Benton, the seat of Bossier Parish.^[6] After his short-term appointment, McInnis was elected to full terms on the district court in 1930, when he defeated fellow Democrat R. H. Lee in a runoff election,^[7] 1936, when he topped opponent Clifford E. Hays,^[8] 1942, and again in 1948. Some 80 percent of McInnis' criminal court rulings were upheld on appeal. At the time, few criminal cases were appealed.^[4]

As district judge, McInnis succeeded Judge Harmon Caldwell Drew, who at the time was elevated to the Second Circuit Court of Appeal in Shreveport.^[4] Drew was the father of later City Judge and State Representative R. Harmon Drew, Sr. Harmon Caldwell Drew's grandson, Harmon Drew, Jr., also of Minden, still serves on the same appeal court.

From 1945-1946, McInnis served briefly on the Court of Appeals^[2] and returned to that body when Judge Kennon became governor in 1952. In December 1953, McInnis retired after a year and a half of service on the circuit court of appeals, having completed Kennon's unexpired term. In 1953, he was named "Citizen of the Year" by the Minden Lions Club.^[2]

In February 1954, McInnis joined the Minden law firm of John B. Benton, Jr. (1924–2009), and Enos Carr McClendon, Jr., later a state court judge from 1960 to 1978.^[9] He was married to the former Cortez Mixon (November 3, 1889–December 2, 1947).^[4][10] The couple resided at 211 Goode Avenue in Minden in Webster Parish.^[11] McInnis was a Methodist.^[2]

McInnis died on the day before his 73rd birthday in Madison, Wisconsin, where he was visiting his daughter, Elizabeth Crumpton (1917-2013), and her husband, Dr. Charles Whitmarsh Crumpton, Sr. Elizabeth Crumpton was living in Middleton near Madison at the time of her death in 2013. Frank and Cortez McInnis are interred at Minden Cemetery.^[10][12]

Judge McInnis, through his brother John Lawson McInnis, Sr., was an uncle of the Minden businessmen and building contractors, Harry Elwood McInnis, Sr. (1913-2003), and John Lawson McInnis, Jr. (1915-1994).^[1][13]

References

1. Elizabeth M. Crumpton obituary, Minden Press-Herald, February 26, 2013
2. "Judge J. F. McInnis Will Retire Soon," Minden Herald, December 18, 1953, p. 1
3. Records of Old Castor Cemetery, Castor, Louisiana
4. "McInnis became longest serving judge of 26th District," Minden Herald January 6, 1950, p. 1
5. "Local attorney to be honored", Minden Press-Herald, March 20, 1942, p. 1
6. "J. F. McInnis Candidate for District Judge: He Is Now Serving on the Bench", Minden Herald, May 1, 1930, p. 1
7. Minden Herald, September 18, 1930, p. 1
8. "How They Stand in Webster Parish", Minden Herald, January 24, 1936, p. 1
9. "Judge J.F. McInnis Joins Law firm," February 19, 1954, p. 1
10. Earlene Mendenhall Lyle, Minden Cemetery records
11. Telephone directory, Minden, Louisiana, 1940
12. "Final Rites at 3 p.m. Friday for Judge J. Frank McInnis", Minden Herald, January 29, 1959, p. 1
13. "Frances McInnis Crumpton". channel3000.com. Retrieved February 26, 2013.