Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

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History

Functions

Landmark cases

• Rex v. Preston (1770) - Captain Thomas Preston
  Thomas Preston
  
  Thomas Preston may refer to:*Thomas Preston , English composer *Thomas Preston , master of Trinity Hall, Cambridge and possible author of King Cambyses...
  , the Officer of the Day during the Boston Massacre
  Boston Massacre
  
  The Boston Massacre refers to an incident involving the deaths of five civilians at the hands of British Army on March 5, 1770, the legal aftermath of which helped spark the rebellion in some of the British colonies in America, which culminated in the American Revolution....
  , was acquitted when the jury was unable to determine whether he had ordered the troops to fire. The defense counsel in the case was a young attorney named John Adams
  John Adams
  
  John Adams was an Politics of the United States and the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States , after being the List of Vice Presidents of the United States Vice President of the United States for two terms....
  , later the second President of the United States
  President of the United States
  
  The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
  .

• Rex v. Wemms, et al.
  Boston Massacre
  
  The Boston Massacre refers to an incident involving the deaths of five civilians at the hands of British Army on March 5, 1770, the legal aftermath of which helped spark the rebellion in some of the British colonies in America, which culminated in the American Revolution....
   (1770) - Six soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre
  Boston Massacre
  
  The Boston Massacre refers to an incident involving the deaths of five civilians at the hands of British Army on March 5, 1770, the legal aftermath of which helped spark the rebellion in some of the British colonies in America, which culminated in the American Revolution....
   were found not guilty, and two more the only two proven to have fired were found guilty of manslaughter.

• Commonwealth v. Jennison (1783) - The Court declared slavery
  Slavery
  
  Slavery is a form of forced labor where a person is compelled to Labor for another . Slaves are held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase, or birth, and are deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to receive Remuneration in return for their labor....
   unconstitutional
  Constitutionality
  
  Constitutionality is the status of a law, a procedure, or an act's accordance with the laws or guidelines set forth in the applicable constitution....
   in the state of Massachusetts by allowing slaves to sue
  Lawsuit
  
  In law, a lawsuit is a civil action brought before a court in which the party commencing the action, called the plaintiff, seeks a legal remedy or equitable remedy....
   their masters for freedom. Boston lawyer, and member of the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1779, John Lowell
  John Lowell
  
  Hon. John Lowell , born in Newburyport, Massachusetts; the son of Rev. John Lowell and Sarah Champney. John Lowell was a respected lawyer, selectman, jurist, delegate to Congress, and federal judge....
  , upon the adoption of Article I for inclusion in the Massachusetts Constitution
  Massachusetts Constitution
  
  The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the fundamental governing document of the United States Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It was drafted by John Adams, Samuel Adams, and James Bowdoin during the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention between September 1 and October 30, 1779....
  , exclaimed: "...I will render my services as a lawyer gratis to any slave suing for his freedom if it is withheld from him..." With this case, he fulfilled his promise. Slavery in Massachusetts was denied legal standing.

• Commonwealth v. Hunt
  Commonwealth v. Hunt
  
  Commonwealth v. Hunt was a landmark legal decision issued by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on the subject of labor unions....
   (1842) - The Court established that trade unions were not necessarily criminal or conspiring organizations if they did not advocate violence or illegal activities in their attempts to gain recognition through striking. This legalized the existence of non-socialist or non-violent trade organizations, though trade unions would continue to be harassed legally through anti-trust suits and injunctions.

• Roberts v. Boston
  Roberts v. Boston
  
  Roberts v. Boston, Case citation , was a lawsuit seeking to end racial discrimination in Boston public schools. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in favor of Boston, finding no constitutional basis for the suit....
   (1850) - The Court established the "separate but equal
  Separate but equal
  
  Separate but equal is a set phrase that systems of Racial segregation giving different "colored only" facilities or services with the declaration that the quality of each group's public facilities remain equal....
  " doctrine that would later be used in Plessy v. Ferguson
  Plessy v. Ferguson
  
  Plessy v. Ferguson, Case citation , is a landmark Supreme Court of the United States decision in the case law of the United States, upholding the constitutionality of racial segregation even in public accommodations , under the doctrine of "separate but equal"....
   by maintaining that the law gave school board
  School Board
  
  School Board may refer to the education arrangements in different parts of the United Kingdom:* School board * School board ...
  s complete authority in assigning students to schools and that they could do so along racial lines if they deemed it appropriate.

• Goodridge v. Department of Public Health
  Goodridge v. Department of Public Health
  
  Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health, Case citation , was a Precedent state appellate court case dealing with same-sex marriage in Massachusetts....
   (2003) - The Court ruled that the denial of marriage license
  Marriage license
  
  A marriage licence is a document issued, either by a Sacred Tradition or state authority, authorizing a couple to marriage. The procedure for obtaining a licence varies between countries and has changed over time....
  s to same-sex couples violated the Massachusetts Constitution.

Composition

Current composition

• Margaret H. Marshall
  Margaret H. Marshall
  
  Margaret Hilary Marshall is the 23rd Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and the first female to hold that position. She has been Chief Justice since 1999....
   (Chief)
• Roderick L. Ireland
• Francis X. Spina
• Judith A. Cowin
• Robert J. Cordy
• Margot Botsford
  Margot Botsford
  
  Margot Botsford is an United States lawyer and jurist from Massachusetts. She was appointed by Governor Deval Patrick in 2007 to serve as an Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court....
  
• Ralph Gants

Notable members

• William Cushing
  William Cushing
  
  William Cushing was an early associate justice of the United States United States Supreme Court, from its inception to his death. He was the longest-serving of the Court's original members, sitting on the bench for 21 years....
  , Horace Gray
  Horace Gray
  
  Horace Gray was an United States of America jurist who ultimately served on the United States Supreme Court. He was an active in public service and a great philanthropist to the City of Boston....
  , and Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
  Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
  
  Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. was an United States jurist who served on the Supreme Court of the United States from 1902 to 1932. Noted for his long service, his concise and pithy opinions, and his deference to the decisions of elected legislatures, he is one of the most widely cited United States Supreme Court justices in history, particularly...
   served on the Supreme Court of the United States
  Supreme Court of the United States
  
  The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States, and leads the federal United States federal courts. It consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, who are nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed with th...
   after leaving the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
• Charles Fried
  Charles Fried
  
  Charles Fried is a prominent American jurist and lawyer. He served as United States Solicitor General from 1985 to 1989. He is currently a professor at Harvard Law School....
   served as United States Solicitor General
  United States Solicitor General
  
  The United States Solicitor General is the person appointed to argue for the Government of the United States in front of the Supreme Court of the United States whenever the government is party to a case....
   from 1985 to 1989 under Ronald Reagan
  Ronald Reagan
  
  Ronald Wilson Reagan was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States and the 33rd Governor of California . Born in Illinois, Reagan moved to Los Angeles, California in the 1930s, where he was an actor, president of the Screen Actors Guild , and a spokesman for General Electric ....
  

List of Chief Justices

#	Chief Justice		Took office	Left office
1	William Cushing William Cushing William Cushing was an early associate justice of the United States United States Supreme Court, from its inception to his death. He was the longest-serving of the Court's original members, sitting on the bench for 21 years....		1782	1789
2	Nathaniel Peaslee Sargent		1790	1791
3	Francis Dana Francis Dana Francis Dana was an United States lawyer, jurist, and statesman from Massachusetts. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1777-1778 and 1784....		1791	1806
4	Theophilus Parsons Theophilus Parsons Theophilus Parsons was an American jurist.The son of a clergyman, he graduated from Harvard College in 1769, was a schoolmaster in Falmouth from 1770-1773; he studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1774....		1806	1813
5	Samuel Sewall Samuel Sewall (congressman) Samuel Sewall was an United States lawyer.He graduated from Harvard College , and set up practice as a lawyer in Marblehead. He served as a member of the state legislature in 1783 and from 1788 to 1796....		1814	1814
6	Isaac Parker Isaac Parker (congressman) Isaac Parker , Massachusetts Member of Congress and jurist, was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Daniel Parker, a goldsmith, and Margaret Parker....		August 24, 1814	July 25, 1830
7	Lemuel Shaw Lemuel Shaw Lemuel Shaw , United States jurist, was born in Barnstable, Massachusetts, the second son of Oakes Shaw and his second wife Susanna, who was a daughter of John H....		August 30, 1830	August 21, 1860
8	George Tyler Bigelow		September 7, 1860	December 31, 1867
9	Reuben Atwater Chapman		February 7, 1868	June 28, 1873
10	Horace Gray Horace Gray Horace Gray was an United States of America jurist who ultimately served on the United States Supreme Court. He was an active in public service and a great philanthropist to the City of Boston....		September 5, 1873	January 9, 1882
11	Marcus Morton Marcus Morton (jurist) Marcus Morton , United States lawyer and jurist who served as Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, was born in Taunton, Massachusetts, the son of future Governor of Massachusetts Marcus Morton and his wife Charlotte ....		January 16, 1882	August 27, 1890
12	Walbridge A. Field Walbridge A. Field Walbridge Abner Field was an American lawyer, jurist and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts, and as the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court....		September 4, 1890	July 15, 1899
13	Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. was an United States jurist who served on the Supreme Court of the United States from 1902 to 1932. Noted for his long service, his concise and pithy opinions, and his deference to the decisions of elected legislatures, he is one of the most widely cited United States Supreme Court justices in history, particularly...		August 2, 1899	December 8, 1902
14	Marcus Perrin Knowlton		December 17, 1902	September 7, 1911
15	Arthur Prentice Rugg		September 20, 1911	June 12, 1938
16	Fred Tarbell Field		June 30, 1938	July 24, 1947
17	Stanley Elroy Qua		August 6, 1947	September 6, 1956
18	Raymond Sanger Wilkins		September 13, 1956	September 1, 1970
19	G. Joseph Tauro G. Joseph Tauro G. Joseph Tauro was the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court from 1970 to 1976.Tauro was born in Lynn, Massachusetts to an Italy immigrant cobbler and his wife....		1970	1976
20	Edward F. Hennessey Edward F. Hennessey Edward F. Hennessey was the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court from 1976 to 1989....		1976	April 19, 1989
21	Paul J. Liacos Paul J. Liacos Paul Julian Liacos was the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court from 1989 to 1996.He was born in Peabody, Massachusetts to James and Pitsa Liacos, Greeks immigrants....		June 20, 1989	September 30, 1996
22	Herbert P. Wilkins		October 1, 1996	August 31, 1999
23	Margaret H. Marshall Margaret H. Marshall Margaret Hilary Marshall is the 23rd Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and the first female to hold that position. She has been Chief Justice since 1999....		October 14, 1999	Incumbent (faces mandatory retirement on September 1, 2014)

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