348:
before him, appreciating his surpassing integrity and an innate sense of right and wrong, and lauding his judicial work as guided by a philosophy of judicial restraint, deference to the legislature, and adherence to precedent. Courts should continue "to adhere to precedent whenever reasonably possible and until departure is demanded by most compelling causes", he told the
Virginia Bar Association in a 1953 speech. "He wrote in a rugged and straightforward manner", and quickly recognized the right of a case, according to Chief Justice
25:
375:, and contended that the U.S. Supreme Court had made Section 129 of the state Constitution (mandating maintenance of "efficient, free public schools") inoperative by the desegregation opinion invalidating Section 140. Other aspects of the Stanley Plan were found unconstitutional by a three judge panel on the same day, January 19, 1959 (
344:, the first Richmond lawyer or judge to serve on the state's highest court for more than 100 years. Justice Miller's retirement took effect on December 20, 1960, a few hours before his death on the same day, such that his widow would receive a pension. Justice Miller received an honorary LL. D. from the University of Richmond in 1951.
321:
After admission to the
Virginia bar in 1914, Miller established a private legal practice in Richmond, where he practiced until 1935. He was reviser of the Richmond City Code in 1924. From 1925 to 1936, he was Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney for the City of Richmond. In that position, he prosecuted
347:
Justice Miller's character had two aspects. One commentator appreciated his keen sense of humor and penetrating intellect, boundless energy, and "delightful drawl" when speaking. His supporters in the bar characterized him as a friendly and humble man who never looked down upon those who appeared
307:
Justice Miller was the fifth generation in the direct male line of lawyers in his family, and sired the sixth generation. He married the former Eliza Ingram of
Richmond in December 1919. The first Virginia lawyer in the family line, Thomas M. Miller, received his license to practice from
387:
Justice Miller died in a
Richmond hospital of a heart attack just hours after retiring from office, which allowed his surviving wife to receive a pension. Governor J. Lindsay Almond Jr. ordered Virginia's flags to fly at half mast in his honor. Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge
322:
all criminal cases arising on the south side of the James River. These cases were heard in the
Manchester Courthouse. (As a result of the agreement by which the cities of Manchester and Richmond merged in 1910, the merged city of Richmond maintained two courthouses until 2007.)
312:
and John
Randolph in 1763, during the time of the French and Indian War. The Justice's only child, also named Thomas M. Miller, was also a lawyer and had become a member of the State Corporation Commission shortly before his father's death.
487:
284:
to Thomas M. Miller, a
Confederate veteran and judge for Powhatan and Cumberland Counties, and his wife Anne Harris Patteson. He attended public schools in Powhatan County, then
462:
439:
Virginia State Bar
Association Reports, volume 72, 1961 and Directory of American Judges, 1955, and Memorial to Justice Willis Dance Miller, 220 Va. cliii (April 17, 1961).
452:
135:
492:
457:
355:
On the other hand, Justice Miller firmly believed in racial segregation, and despite Chief
Justice Eggleston's entreaties, refused to join in the decision in
333:, who had been appointed to the United States District Court. He rendered some 6000 decisions as judge of that court, and was reversed in only six.
472:
301:
108:
42:
89:
61:
46:
297:
253:
68:
368:
325:
With the endorsement of the bar of the City of
Richmond (where he had served as president), he was selected by the
392:
succeeded him on the Virginia Supreme Court and later become the longest-serving justice in that court's history.
75:
35:
467:
341:
326:
281:
269:
214:
426:"State Bench Upsets Basis of 'MAssive REsistance' to Racial Integration, New York Times January 20, 1959 at p. 1
57:
293:
285:
249:
482:
477:
356:
158:
364:
170:
379:'s birthday, a state holiday in Virginia), and by the U.S. Supreme Court after Miller's death.
389:
330:
289:
82:
182:
337:
371:. Instead, Justice Miller sided with his mentor, now-Congressman Tuck, and U.S. Senator
349:
446:
376:
372:
360:
309:
329:
to serve as the judge of the Law and Equity Court of Richmond, succeeding Judge
24:
244:
417:
Two Dissent in Virginia Court ruling, Washington Post January 20, 1959 p. A11
352:, with whom Justice Miller had served for 13 years on the Supreme Court.
18:
268:(January 30, 1893 – December 20, 1960) was a justice of the
243:
235:
221:
197:
192:
176:
164:
152:
134:
123:
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
488:Burials at Hollywood Cemetery (Richmond, Virginia)
272:from 1947 until hours before his death in 1960.
148:November 17, 1947 – December 20, 1960
8:
463:University of Richmond School of Law alumni
120:
453:Justices of the Supreme Court of Virginia
367:to the U.S. Supreme Court's decisions in
292:, graduating in 1909. Later, he attended
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
136:Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia
401:
493:History of racism in the United States
7:
458:Washington and Lee University alumni
342:Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia
304:, receiving his law degree in 1914.
302:University of Richmond School of Law
270:Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia
47:adding citations to reliable sources
14:
408:Washington Post December 21, 1960
23:
359:, which overturned much of the
34:needs additional citations for
1:
298:Washington and Lee University
254:Washington and Lee University
473:Virginia state court judges
369:Brown v. Board of Education
509:
327:Virginia General Assembly
282:Powhatan County, Virginia
259:
215:Powhatan County, Virginia
188:
141:
130:
340:appointed Miller to the
286:Randolph Macon Academy
276:Early and family life
43:improve this article
280:Miller was born in
266:Willis Dance Miller
202:Willis Dance Miller
365:Massive Resistance
336:In 1947, Governor
171:George L. Browning
58:"Willis D. Miller"
390:Harry Lee Carrico
331:Robert N. Pollard
263:
262:
225:December 20, 1960
119:
118:
111:
93:
500:
468:Virginia lawyers
427:
424:
418:
415:
409:
406:
383:Death and legacy
294:Richmond College
250:Richmond College
228:
212:January 30, 1893
211:
209:
193:Personal details
183:Harry L. Carrico
179:
167:
155:
146:
125:Willis D. Miller
121:
114:
107:
103:
100:
94:
92:
51:
27:
19:
508:
507:
503:
502:
501:
499:
498:
497:
443:
442:
436:
431:
430:
425:
421:
416:
412:
407:
403:
398:
385:
357:Harrison v. Day
338:William M. Tuck
319:
278:
252:
230:
226:
213:
207:
205:
204:
203:
177:
165:
159:William M. Tuck
153:
147:
142:
126:
115:
104:
98:
95:
52:
50:
40:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
506:
504:
496:
495:
490:
485:
480:
475:
470:
465:
460:
455:
445:
444:
441:
440:
435:
432:
429:
428:
419:
410:
400:
399:
397:
394:
384:
381:
350:John Eggleston
318:
315:
277:
274:
261:
260:
257:
256:
247:
241:
240:
237:
233:
232:
231:Virginia, U.S.
229:(aged 67)
223:
219:
218:
201:
199:
195:
194:
190:
189:
186:
185:
180:
174:
173:
168:
162:
161:
156:
150:
149:
139:
138:
132:
131:
128:
127:
124:
117:
116:
31:
29:
22:
16:American judge
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
505:
494:
491:
489:
486:
484:
481:
479:
476:
474:
471:
469:
466:
464:
461:
459:
456:
454:
451:
450:
448:
438:
437:
433:
423:
420:
414:
411:
405:
402:
395:
393:
391:
382:
380:
378:
377:Robert E. Lee
374:
373:Harry F. Byrd
370:
366:
362:
358:
353:
351:
345:
343:
339:
334:
332:
328:
323:
316:
314:
311:
305:
303:
299:
295:
291:
287:
283:
275:
273:
271:
267:
258:
255:
251:
248:
246:
242:
238:
234:
224:
220:
216:
200:
196:
191:
187:
184:
181:
175:
172:
169:
163:
160:
157:
151:
145:
140:
137:
133:
129:
122:
113:
110:
102:
91:
88:
84:
81:
77:
74:
70:
67:
63:
60: –
59:
55:
54:Find sources:
48:
44:
38:
37:
32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
422:
413:
404:
386:
361:Stanley Plan
354:
346:
335:
324:
320:
310:George Wythe
306:
279:
265:
264:
239:Eliza Ingram
227:(1960-12-20)
178:Succeeded by
154:Appointed by
143:
105:
96:
86:
79:
72:
65:
53:
41:Please help
36:verification
33:
483:1960 deaths
478:1893 births
166:Preceded by
99:August 2022
447:Categories
396:References
245:Alma mater
208:1893-01-30
69:newspapers
144:In office
300:and the
434:Sources
290:Bedford
83:scholar
317:Career
236:Spouse
217:, U.S.
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
90:JSTOR
76:books
222:Died
198:Born
62:news
363:of
288:in
45:by
449::
296:,
210:)
206:(
112:)
106:(
101:)
97:(
87:·
80:·
73:·
66:·
39:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
