At the regular spring election, Byron Paine was chosen associate justice of the supreme court.

The evidence

• “The twelfth regular session of the Wisconsin legislature commenced on the twelfth of January, 1859, with a republican majority in both houses, William P. Lyon was elected speaker of the assembly. The legislature adjourned sine die on the twenty-first of March, 1859, after a session of sixty-nine days. At the regular spring election, Byron Paine was chosen associate justice of the supreme court, for a full term of six years, as the successor of Associate Justice Smith. As it was a question when the term of the latter ended — whether on the 31st day of May, 1859, or on the first Monday in January, i860 — he went through with the formality of resigning his office, and the governor of appointing Paine as his successor, on the 20th of June, 1859. On the twelfth of April, 1859, Edward V. Whiton, chief justice of the supreme court, died at his residence in Janesville.”

  1879-history-of-rock-county/02-wisconsin-as-a-state.md, PDF p. 63 / book p. 67

  Butterfield, C. W., et al. The History of Rock County, Wisconsin: its early settlement, growth, development, resources, etc. Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1879. Cornell University Library via the Internet Archive, archive.org/details/cu31924028871585.

  Grade A: Found on a page of one of our sources