Richard S. Rodney

Richard Seymour Rodney (October 10, 1882 – December 22, 1963) was a United States federal judge.

Born in New Castle, Delaware, Rodney served in the Delaware National Guard from 1899 to 1913, achieving the rank of First Lieutenant. He also read law to enter the bar in 1906, and was in private practice in Wilmington, Delaware from 1906 to 1922, serving as Mayor of New Castle, Delaware from 1911 to 1917. He was an associate judge of the Supreme Court of Delaware from 1922 to 1946.

In 1945, Chief Justice Daniel J. Layton, who had a reputation for being combative towards attorneys appearing before him, failed to be reappointed to the Supreme Court of Delaware. Governor Walter W. Bacon, a Republican, nominated Layton and Judge Charles S. Richards, both well-known Republicans, to succeed themselves as chief justice and associate justice respectively, but the Delaware Senate, a majority of whom were also Republicans, twice rejected both nominees. It was generally said that the opposition to Layton was mounted by Hugh M. Morris, a former United States District Court judge but then a practicing attorney in Wilmington, and joined in by certain Sussex County lawyers who thought they had suffered too long under Layton's wrath in the courtroom. In a compromise arrangement. The Governor of Delaware withdrew Layton's name and nominated Judge Richards to be the new chief justice. He was confirmed. The governor then appointed James B. Carey of Georgetown to be the resident judge for Sussex County, succeeding Judge Richards.

...
Wikipedia