On May 13, 1902, Hale was nominated by President
Theodore Roosevelt to a seat on the
United States District Court for the District of Maine vacated by Judge
Nathan Webb. Hale was confirmed by the
United States Senate on May 19, 1902, and received his commission the same day. He assumed
senior status on January 1, 1922, serving in that capacity until his death on April 9, 1934, in Portland. ==References==