Doe, Charles (1830-1896)

US jurist. He was admitted to the New Hampshire bar and became an associate justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court. His reputation rested on innovative rulings on judicial procedure rather than on interpretations of law.

He was born in Derry, New Hampshire, graduated from Dartmouth College, and built a thriving law practice in Dover, New Hampshire. He became active in Democratic politics, but converted to Republicanism as the secession crisis boiled over in the late 1850s. Known for his hardworking efficiency and his keenness for judicial reform, in 1876, after a politically inspired court reorganization, he became the New Hampshire's chief justice.