Joseph Burton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Senator from Kansas | |
| In office March 4, 1901 – June 4, 1906 | |
| Preceded by | Lucien Baker |
| Succeeded by | Alfred W. Benson |
| Member of the Kansas House of Representatives | |
| In office 1882–1892 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Joseph Ralph Burton November 16, 1852 Mitchell, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | February 27, 1923 (aged 70) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | United States Naval Academy Franklin College, Indiana DePauw University |
Joseph Ralph Burton (November 16, 1852 – February 27, 1923) was a lawyer and United States Senator from the state of Kansas. He was the first Senator to be convicted of a crime. He served in the Kansas House of Representatives several times in the 1880s and was elected to the United States Senate in 1901, but he was convicted of accepting bribes in 1905. He appealed twice to the Supreme Court, but the judgment was eventually upheld and he resigned. He lived out his life as a lawyer and newspaperman.