In 1854, Garoute was born on a ranch in Yolo County, California, to Jeremiah Monahan Garoutte (1825–1916) and Mary Jane Pedlar (1837–1913).

[1][4][6] On November 5, 1890, Garoute won election to the California Supreme Court on the Republican ticket, and took his seat on January 5, 1891.

[1][7][8][9] In 1896, his health worsened, he was confined to bed for five weeks with a case of "nervous prostration", and in February 1897 he traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii, to rest and recover.

[10][11] In 1902, Garoute campaigned for the Republican Party nomination for Chief Justice against the incumbent, William H.

In 1904, California Attorney General Ulysses S. Webb hired Garoute to pursue litigation concerning the state escheat fund.