Quick Facts
Biography
John Kilham Porter (January 12, 1819 – April 11, 1892) was an American lawyer and politician from New York.
Life
He was the son of Dr. Elijah Porter and Mary (Lawrence) Porter. He graduated from Union College in 1837, with Phi Beta Kappa honors and membership in The Kappa Alpha Society. He was a delegate to the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1846.
In early 1865, Porter was appointed to the New York Court of Appeals to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Henry R. Selden. In November 1865, he was elected on the Republican ticket to the remaining six years of Selden's term, but resigned on December 31, 1867, and returned to private practice in New York City. He helped to prosecute Charles Guiteau for the assassination of James Garfield in 1881.