Francis Osborne (North Carolina politician)

Francis "Frank" Osborne (1853-1920) was the Attorney General of North Carolina from 1893-1896. Osborne was born in Charlotte, North Carolina and attended the University of Virginia before reading law for 2 years in the offices of Richmond Mumford Pearson, Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Osborne was admitted to the North Carolina Bar in 1875. At age 25, he was elected mayor of the city of Charlotte. He was elected Attorney General of North Carolina in 1893, but, defeated for reelection to the same office in 1896. Osborne served a term as a State Senator from Mecklenburg County, North Carolina in the North Carolina General Assembly from 1898-1899. He served on 9 standing Senate Committees. After 1899, Osborne resumed his legal practice at the law firm of Osborne, Maxwell & Kearn. Though, himself, a Democrat, in 1901 Osborne defended both North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice David M. Furches and North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Robert Martin Douglas during their impeachment hearings. Osborne was of the opinion that the Republican judges' impeachments were unwarranted and an attempted political purge. Osborne's brilliant speech before the North Carolina General Assembly in closing defense of the justices caused both to be acquitted. As reward for his successful defense of the justices, Theodore Roosevelt upon assuming office as President of the United States appointed Osborne a United States District Judge.^[1][2]

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