Martin, Francois-Xavier (1762–1846)

French-born US jurist and author. With the creation of the state of Louisiana, he became the state's attorney general (1813–15) and then a judge on the state supreme court (1815–46), and chief justice (1836–46). As Louisiana law was based on Spanish and French law, he worked hard to bring the state's law in line with the prevailing US practices, which were based more on English law.

Martin was born in Marseilles, France; He taught French in New Bern, North Carolina, while learning English. He began working in a printing shop and moved up to become a publisher. He was admitted to the North Carolina bar in 1789 and began to publish and edit legal texts. In 1809 he was appointed a federal judge for the Mississippi Territory and was reassigned to the Territory of Orleans in 1810. He published a total of 34 volumes, including many reports of legal decisions and histories of Louisiana and North Carolina.