Carlos Risopatrón

Carlos Risopatrón Escudero (3 June 1824 – 4 August 1907) was a Chilean lawyer, judge and politician who served as president of the Supreme Court in 1894.

Biography

Risopatrón was born in Santiago on 3 June 1824, the son of Manuel Risopatrón Vera and Isabel Escudero. He studied at the Instituto Nacional and later studied law at the University of Chile. He was admitted to the bar on 9 May 1845 after presenting a thesis entitled Publicidad de los juicios.

From 1845 to 1852, Risopatrón taught at the Instituto Nacional. In 1850, he was appointed a member of the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences of the University of Chile, and in 1852 became a member of its Faculty of Humanities.

Risopatrón married Leocadia Argomedo Lurquín in Santiago on 29 March 1849. They had four children: Abel, Carlos Vicente, Daniel and Víctor.

He died in Santiago on 4 August 1907, aged 83.

Judicial career

Risopatrón entered the Chilean judiciary in 1851, when he was appointed a substitute criminal judge in Santiago. In 1852, he served as acting prosecutor of the Court of Appeals of La Serena and was subsequently appointed judge in Chillán and Ñuble.

In 1853, Risopatrón became an acting justice of the Court of Appeals of Concepción. After serving in judicial positions in Rere and Concepción, he was appointed a permanent justice of the Court of Appeals of Concepción on 29 May 1854.

On 27 April 1857, Risopatrón became regent of the Court of Appeals of Concepción, a position he held for 33 years. During the Revolution of 1859, President Manuel Montt entrusted him with exercising public authority in the Province of Concepción and organizing its defense.

On 19 August 1890, Risopatrón was appointed a justice of the Supreme Court of Chile.

In 1894, Risopatrón became president of the Supreme Court, succeeding José María Barceló. He held the presidency during the government of Jorge Montt and was succeeded by José Alfonso Cavada in 1895.

Risopatrón retired from the Supreme Court in 1899.

Political and academic career

A member of the Conservative Party, Risopatrón was elected deputy for Rere for the 1861–1864 legislative period. He served on the Permanent Commission of Constitution, Legislation and Justice before resigning his seat in 1862.

Risopatrón also participated in the establishment of the Catholic University of Chile. He later taught procedural law there and became dean of its Faculty of Law in 1903.

After retiring from the judiciary, he devoted himself to writing legal works and continued participating in charitable activities.