Rutledge, Wiley Blount, Jr (1894-1949)

US jurist and associate justice of the US Supreme Court 1943-49. He was known as a liberal, often dissenting from conservative Court decisions, such as in Wolf v. Colorado (1949), which allowed illegally obtained evidence to be used against a defendant in state courts.

Born in Cloverport, Kentucky, USA, Rutledge studied law at the University of Colorado was admitted to the bar in 1922, and taught law at Colorado, Washington, and Iowa universities 1924-39. In 1939 he was appointed judge of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.