Norman Buck (April 13, 1833 – August 20, 1909) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as Associate Justice of the Idaho Territorial Supreme Court from 1880 to 1888.

[2] A year later, Hayes nominated Buck on May 19, 1879, to be Associate Justice of the Idaho Territorial Supreme Court.

[5][6] After his four-year term expired, President Chester A. Arthur renominated Buck on March 3, 1884, and he was confirmed by the senate eight days later.

Buck overruled the jury in the case, finding that this entitled the donkey's owners to a large share in the resulting mining claims.

A settlement was reached awarding the donkey's owners $76,000, the equivalent of over $2 million as of 2023[update], before an appeal went to the full territorial supreme court, where much higher sums were potentially in play.