Irving Ben Cooper
Encyclopedia
Irving Ben Cooper was a U. S. District Court
Judge of the Federal District Court of the Southern District of New York from 1962 to 1996, having received a recess appointment from John F. Kennedy
on October 5, 1961. In 1970, he presided over a claim that organized baseball
exerted a monopolistic hold on all major and minor league
teams, and in 1982, a complaint filed by Jacqueline Onassis that a photographer was harassing her and her daughter, Caroline Kennedy
. He also held the position of Chief Justice
in the New York
Court of Special Sessions from 1951 to 1960, during which time he wrote yearly reports on the problems regarding the treatment of young offenders in the criminal justice
system, asserting "It is not impossible for a sentence to be a greater injustice than the criminal act: equivalent to putting a child with a common cold into a smallpox ward for treatment."
Cooper received his LL.B. from Washington University School of Law in 1925. His professional career included a private practice in New York City
from 1927 to 1938, the position of Special counsel in the New York City Department of Investigation from 1934 to 1937. He was a New York City
magistrate from 1938 to 1939, and an Associate Justice in the New York
Court of Special Sessions from 1939 to 1951. From 1960 to 1961, he was a lecturer for the Menninger Foundation
.
Cooper's nomination to the Federal Bench was controversial. Attorney General Herbert Brownell spoke out and said, "If there was ever a justice who was not deserving of this appointment, I submit it is Irving Ben Cooper."
United States district court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
Judge of the Federal District Court of the Southern District of New York from 1962 to 1996, having received a recess appointment from John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
on October 5, 1961. In 1970, he presided over a claim that organized baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
exerted a monopolistic hold on all major and minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
teams, and in 1982, a complaint filed by Jacqueline Onassis that a photographer was harassing her and her daughter, Caroline Kennedy
Caroline Kennedy
Caroline Bouvier Kennedy is an American author and attorney. She is a member of the influential Kennedy family and the only surviving child of U.S. President John F...
. He also held the position of Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
in the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Court of Special Sessions from 1951 to 1960, during which time he wrote yearly reports on the problems regarding the treatment of young offenders in the criminal justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
system, asserting "It is not impossible for a sentence to be a greater injustice than the criminal act: equivalent to putting a child with a common cold into a smallpox ward for treatment."
Cooper received his LL.B. from Washington University School of Law in 1925. His professional career included a private practice in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
from 1927 to 1938, the position of Special counsel in the New York City Department of Investigation from 1934 to 1937. He was a New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
magistrate from 1938 to 1939, and an Associate Justice in the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Court of Special Sessions from 1939 to 1951. From 1960 to 1961, he was a lecturer for the Menninger Foundation
Menninger Foundation
The Menninger Foundation was founded in 1919 by the Menninger family in Topeka, Kansas, and consists of a clinic, a sanatorium, and a school of psychiatry, all of which bear the Menninger name. In 2003, the Menninger Clinic moved to Houston. The foundation was started by Drs. Karl, Will, and...
.
Cooper's nomination to the Federal Bench was controversial. Attorney General Herbert Brownell spoke out and said, "If there was ever a justice who was not deserving of this appointment, I submit it is Irving Ben Cooper."
External links
- Elanor Roosevelt's letter about Judge Cooper's 1953 Report on 'Youthful Offenders'
- Photographer Cited for Contempt in annoying Jacqueline Onassis
- The Courts and Baseball
- Curt Flood Trial and Appeals: 1970-72 - The Playoffs
- ' The Case of the Albuquerque Eights' Is Closed; Or White-Collar Crime Is Easy
- Time article from 1962