[5] In May 1846, Governor Isaac Johnson appointed Lyons as an aide-de-camp to the commander-in-chief of the Louisiana militia during the Mexican–American War.

[12] Lyons left his family to travel to California during the Gold Rush, ultimately settling in the Sonora area.

[14] An experienced attorney, he came in second for the votes by the state Senate for the California Supreme Court (behind Justice Serranus Clinton Hastings).

[5][17] Lyons wrote a total of eleven opinions during his term on the Court: nine as an associate justice and two as Chief.

[5][19] In June 1852, Lyons served as a delegate from California to the Democratic National Convention held in Baltimore, Maryland.