Philip J. Durkin
Presiding Justice of the Salem District Court
In office
1964–1973
Preceded byJoseph B. Harrington
Succeeded bySamuel Zoll
Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 10th Essex district
In office
1949–1957
Preceded byArthur B. Carney Jr.
Succeeded byHenry W. Hallinan
Personal details
BornOctober 21, 1903
Salem, Massachusetts
DiedJanuary 15, 1992
Largo, Florida
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materBoston University School of Business Administration
Suffolk Law School
OccupationLawyer
State legislator
Judge

Philip J. Durkin (October 21, 1903 – January 15, 1992) was an American jurist and politician who served as a judge of the Salem District Court from 1957 to 1973 and a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1949 to 1957.

Early life

Durkin was born on October 21, 1903, in Salem, Massachusetts. He graduated from Salem High School in 1923, the Boston University School of Business Administration in 1927, and Suffolk Law School in 1930.[1]

Political career

From 1933 to 1949, Durkin was a member of the Salem City Council. From 1940 to 1941 he was the council president. In 1948 he was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives.[1]

Judicial career

In August 1957, Durkin, who had been an avid supporter of Governor Foster Furcolo's failed 3% sales tax, was appointed an associate justice of the Salem District Court by Furcolo.[2] In 1964 he was elevated to presiding justice by Governor Endicott Peabody.[3] In 1972, Massachusetts voters passed a Constitutional Amendment requiring the retirement of judges at age 70, which forced Durkin into retirement the following year.[4]

Later life

Durkin spent his later years in Beverly, Massachusetts, and Largo, Florida. He died on January 15, 1992, at his winter home in Largo.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 Public Officers of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts 1957-1958. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  2. ↑ "Three Major State Posts Go to Sales Tax Backers". The Boston Daily Globe. August 8, 1957.
  3. 1 2 "Philip J. Durkin, 88 Was Salem District Court judge". The Boston Globe. January 17, 1992.
  4. ↑ "40% turnover of judges possible". The Boston Globe. June 25, 1972.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.