William Matthew Merrick
| William Matthews Merrick | |
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| Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia | |
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In office May 1, 1885 – February 4, 1889 |
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| Appointed by | Grover Cleveland |
| Preceded by | Andrew Wylie |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Bradley |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland's 5th district |
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In office March 4, 1871 – March 3, 1873 |
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| Preceded by | Frederick Stone |
| Succeeded by | William Albert |
| Judge of the United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia | |
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In office December 14, 1855 – March 3, 1863 |
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| Appointed by | Franklin Pierce |
| Preceded by | James Dunlop |
| Succeeded by | Seat abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
September 1, 1818 near Faulkner, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | February 4, 1889 (aged 70) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater |
Georgetown University University of Virginia |
William Matthews Merrick (September 1, 1818 – February 4, 1889) was a United States Circuit Court judge for the District of Columbia and congressman from the fifth district of the state of Maryland.
Merrick was born near Faulkner, Maryland and graduated from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., in 1831. He studied law at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, and read law to be admitted to the bar in Baltimore, Maryland in 1839. He entered private practice in Baltimore in 1839, moving his practice to Frederick, Maryland, in 1844. He served as deputy attorney general for Frederick County, Maryland, from 1845 to 1850.
Merrick's father, William Duhurst Merrick, was a United States Senator from Maryland.
Merrick moved to Washington, D.C. in 1854, and on December 14, 1855, Merrick was nominated by President Franklin Pierce to a seat on the Circuit Court for the District of Columbia vacated by James Dunlop. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 14, 1855, and received his commission the same day. Merrick's service was terminated on March 3, 1863, due to the abolition of the court. While in this position, he is best known for his role in the case of United States ex rel. Murphy v. Porter during the American Civil War, when he was placed under house arrest by Gen. Andrew Porter in relation to a writ for habeas corpus concerning a soldier stationed in Washington, D.C. During the affair Pres. Abraham Lincoln also ordered Secretary of State William H. Seward to suspend Merrick's salary. Merrick was released from house arrest in December. His name came up in discussions by the United States Senate over whether to abolish the D.C. Circuit Court, opponents of the bill claiming that it was a stratagem to turn Merrick and his fellow judges out of office. Sen. Henry Wilson claimed that Merrick's heart "sweltered with treason" and that his house had become a hotbed of pro-secessionist sympathizers.
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