predecessor death_date death_place birth_place religion profession office birth_date term_start spouse article_title term_end name nominator
john rowan 06 december 1831 frankfort , kentucky worcester county , maryland presbyterian lawyer associate justice of the kentucky court of appeals january 12 , 1779 1820 mary read thornton benjamin mills
 1828 benjamin mills gabriel slaughter
benjamin mills

benjamin mills was a lawyer and judge who served in the kentucky circuit courts and the kentucky court of appeals .
he also represented bourbon county , kentucky , in the kentucky house of representatives .
mills issued a significant ruling in the 1820 case of `` rankin v. lydia '' which dealt with the rights of slaves brought to the northwest territory , where slavery was illegal .
mills ' opinion in `` rankin '' established a precedent that was cited in u.s. courts until the abolition of slavery following the civil war .
later , mills was ensnared in the state 's old court -- new court controversy wherein the state legislature attempted to abolish the court of appeals in retaliation for its opinion overturning a piece of debt relief legislation .
the legislature established a new court of appeals , and for a time , both courts claimed authority as the court of last resort in kentucky .
the controversial measure abolishing the old court was repealed in 1826 , and mills resigned from the court in 1828 .
he died suddenly of an apoplectic stroke on december 6 , 1831 .
