Justice Francis Beauregard Carter

Justice Francis Beauregard Carter

Former Justice Francis Beauregard Carter was the 28th Justice on the Supreme Court and served from 1897-1905.

He began his legal career by reading law in the office of Marianna attorney Benjamin Liddon. After gaining admission to the bar in 1882, they formed a law partnership.

Liddon accepted an appointment to the Supreme Court in 1894, and when Liddon resigned from the court in 1897, Carter was appointed to succeed him. Carter’s wife did not enjoy life in Tallahassee, however, and when he saw an opportunity in 1905 to secure the position of first circuit court judge in Pensacola, he took it. 

Carter later became a partner in an established Pensacola law firm that specialized in corporate law.  He argued many cases on behalf of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad in the Florida Supreme Court. 

In 1920, he was unsuccessful in securing an appointment to the federal judiciary, and in 1926, he lost an election for a seat on the Florida Supreme Court. 

He went on to found his own law firm, in partnership with two of his sons, where he worked until his death.

Quick facts about Justice Carter:

• Served 1897 – 1905 as Justice
• Born: August 12, 1861 – Jackson County, Florida
• Died: January 9, 1937 – Pensacola, Florida