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William Barrett Gunter (April 20, 1919 – August 17, 1986) was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia from 1972 to 1977.

Early life, education, and military service

Born in Commerce, Jackson County, Georgia, Gunter received his B.A. from the University of Georgia in 1940, and his J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1942. United States District Court judge Robert Lee Russell then hired Gunter for a term as a law clerk.

Gunter served in the United States Army during World War II, deploying with the 3rd Infantry Division in the European theatre, and attaining the rank of lieutenant. His service lasted until 1946, and Gunter was awarded a Silver Star and a Purple Heart.

Legal and political career

Gunter practiced law in Gainesville, Georgia, for 25 years, during which time he was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives for three terms, from 1952 to 1958. In 1971, Gunter was named the Democratic National Committeeman for Georgia.

On December 22, 1971, Governor Jimmy Carter, a "longtime personal friend" of Gunter's, announced his appointment to a seat on the state supreme court vacated by the impending retirement of Justice Jule W. Felton. As a justice, Gunter was "known for his criticism of Georgia's death penalty law", writing in one dissenting opinion that if jurors who oppose the death penalty are excluded from serving, "the jury that is left does not represent the conscience of the community".

In March 1977, then-President Carter designated Gunter as "his special representative on the Indian claims matter in the State of Maine". Gunter resigned from the state supreme court on April 1, 1977, and dedicated himself to resolving the Maine dispute, issuing a proposal in July 1977 that the contesting tribes receive "$25 million, 100,000 acres of land, and the option to purchase another 400,000". Gunter further "recommended that Congress extinguish all Indian claims to private land, about 90 per cent of the disputed area", to prevent such claims from clouding claims to title in the land. However, both sides disagreed with Gunter's proposal, and Carter responded by announcing a new task force to address the problem. Gunter died after an apparent heart attack at his home in Gainesville, Georgia on August 17, 1986.

References

1. "The Supreme Court of Georgia History". Supreme Court of Georgia. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
2. ^ Tom Linthicum, "Gunter Named to State High Court", The Atlanta Constitution (December 23, 1971), p. 2.
3. ^ "Indian Claims Dispute in the State of Maine Designation of William B. Gunter as the President's Special Representative To Coordinate Negotiations". The American Presidency Project, University of California at Santa Barbara. March 11, 1977.
4. ^ "Gunter on Court", Tallahassee Democrat (December 24, 1971), p. 2.
5. ^ "Gunter 'not involved'", Bangor Daily News (March 18, 1977), p. 15.
6. ^ "Longley denies 'weak defense'", The Portsmouth Herald (October 13, 1977), p. 2.
7. ^ Joseph Hall, "Was the "S" for Silent?: The Maine Indian Land Claims and Senator Edmund S. Muskie", 50 Maine Political History Vol. 1 (2016), p. 14-15.
8. "William Gunter, a former justice of Supreme Court". The Atlanta Constitution. August 18, 1986. p. 17C. Retrieved September 27, 2021.

• 1919 births
• 1986 deaths
• People from Commerce, Georgia
• University of Georgia School of Law alumni
• United States Army personnel of World War II
• Members of the Georgia House of Representatives
• Justices of the Supreme Court of Georgia (U.S. state)
• People from Gainesville, Georgia
• 20th-century members of the Georgia General Assembly