List of chief judges of the New York Court of Appeals explained

The Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, also known as the Chief Judge of New York, supervises the seven-judge New York Court of Appeals.[1] In addition, the chief judge oversees the work of the state's Unified Court system, which as of 2009, had a $2.5 billion annual budget and more than 16,000 employees. The chief judge is also a member of the Judicial Conference of the State of New York.

Chief judges before 1870

NameTook officeLeft officeParty[2] Notes
Freeborn G. JewettJuly 5, 1847December 31, 1849Democratic
Greene C. BronsonJanuary 1, 1850April 1851Democratic/Anti-RentResigned
Charles H. RugglesApril 1851December 31, 1853Democratic
Addison GardinerJanuary 1, 1854December 31, 1855Democratic/Anti-Rent
Hiram DenioJanuary 1, 1856December 31, 1857Democratic
Alexander S. JohnsonJanuary 1, 1858December 31, 1859Democratic
George F. ComstockJanuary 1, 1860December 31, 1861AmericanElected an associate judge on the American Party ticket, by the time his term as Chief Judge began this party had disbanded, and Comstock had become a Democrat.
Samuel L. SeldenJanuary 1, 1862July 1, 1862DemocraticResigned
Hiram DenioJuly 1, 1862December 31, 1865Democratic
Henry E. DaviesJanuary 1, 1866December 31, 1867Republican/American
William B. WrightJanuary 1, 1868January 12, 1868UnionElected in 1861 on the Union ticket nominated by War Democrats and Republicans; died in office
Ward HuntJanuary 12, 1868December 31, 1869RepublicanSubsequently served as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court
Robert EarlJanuary 1, 1870July 4, 1870DemocraticLegislated out of office by constitutional amendment of 1869

Chief judges between 1870 and 1974

NameTook officeLeft officePartyNotes
Sanford E. ChurchJuly 4, 1870May 13, 1880DemocraticDied in office
Charles J. FolgerMay 20, 1880November 14, 1881RepublicanAppointed to fill vacancy, then elected, then resigned to become U.S. Secretary of the Treasury
Charles AndrewsDecember 19, 1881December 31, 1882RepublicanAppointed to fill vacancy
William C. RugerJanuary 1, 1883January 14, 1892DemocraticDied in office
Robert EarlJanuary 19, 1892December 31, 1892Dem./Rep.Appointed to fill vacancy
Charles AndrewsJanuary 1, 1893December 31, 1897Rep./Dem.Age-limited[3]
Alton B. ParkerJanuary 1, 1898August 5, 1904DemocraticResigned to run on the Democratic ticket for U.S. President
Edgar M. CullenSeptember 2, 1904December 31, 1913Dem./Rep.Appointed to fill vacancy, then elected, then age-limited
Willard BartlettJanuary 1, 1914December 31, 1916DemocraticAge-limited
Frank H. HiscockJanuary 1, 1917December 31, 1926Rep./Progr.Age-limited
Benjamin N. CardozoJanuary 1, 1927March 7, 1932Dem./Rep.Resigned to become an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court
Cuthbert W. PoundMarch 8, 1932December 31, 1934Rep./Dem.Appointed to fill vacancy, then elected, then age-limited
Frederick E. CraneJanuary 1, 1935December 31, 1939Rep./Dem.Age-limited
Irving LehmanJanuary 1, 1940September 22, 1945Dem./Rep./Am. LaborDied in office
John T. LoughranSeptember 28, 1945March 31, 1953Dem./Rep./Am. Labor/Lib.Appointed to fill vacancy, then elected, then died in office
Edmund H. LewisApril 22, 1953December 31, 1954Rep./Dem./Lib.Appointed to fill vacancy, then elected, then age-limited
Albert ConwayJanuary 1, 1955December 31, 1959Dem./Rep.Age-limited
Charles S. DesmondJanuary 1, 1960December 31, 1966Dem./Rep.Age-limited
Stanley H. FuldJanuary 1, 1967December 31, 1973Rep./Dem.Age-limited
Charles D. BreitelJanuary 1, 1974December 31, 1978Rep./Lib.Last elected Chief Judge; age-limited

Chief judges since 1974

After 1974, judges of the New York Court of Appeals were no longer elected, following reforms to the New York Constitution. Instead, an appointment process was created.[4]

NameTook officeLeft officeAppointed byNotes
Lawrence H. Cookedata-sort-value="1979-01-23" January 23, 1979[5] data-sort-value="1984-12-31" December 31, 1984Hugh CareyFirst Chief Judge appointed by the Governor under constitutional amendment of 1977; age-limited
Sol Wachtlerdata-sort-value="1985-01-02" January 2, 1985data-sort-value="1992-11-11" November 11, 1992Mario CuomoResigned[6]
Richard D. Simons (acting)data-sort-value="1992-11-17"November 17, 1992data-sort-value="1993-03-22" March 22, 1993n/aActed until the appointment of a successor
Judith S. Kayedata-sort-value="1993-3-23" March 23, 1993data-sort-value="2008-12-31" December 31, 2008Mario CuomoReached mandatory retirement age; Chief Judge with the longest tenure (more than 15 years), only Chief Judge to complete a 14-year term
Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick (acting)data-sort-value="2009-01-01"January 1, 2009data-sort-value="2009-02-10" February 10, 2009[7] n/aActed until the appointment of a successor
Jonathan Lippmandata-sort-value="2009-2-11" February 11, 2009[8] data-sort-value="2015-12-31" December 31, 2015[9] David Paterson
Eugene F. Pigott Jr. (acting)data-sort-value="2016-01-01" January 1, 2016data-sort-value="2016-1-21" January 21, 2016[10] n/a
Janet DiFioredata-sort-value="2016-01-21" January 21, 2016data-sort-value="2017-09-27" August 31, 2022Andrew Cuomo
Anthony Cannataro (acting)data-sort-value="2022-09-01" September 1, 2022data-sort-value="2023-04-18" April 18, 2023n/aActed until the appointment of a successor
Rowan D. Wilsondata-sort-value="2023-04-19" April 19, 2023incumbentKathy Hochul

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Lippman Is Pick for Chief Judge. Stashenko. Joel. 2009-01-14. New York Law Journal. 2009-01-14.
  2. This is the party on which ticket the Chief Judge had been elected. Where multiple parties are mentioned, the first one is the party of which the judge was a member.
  3. The Chief Judge was elected to a 14-year term, but reached the constitutional age limit on December 31 of the calendar year in which he completed 70 years. A successor was then elected at the State election in November of that year. None of the elected Chief Judges (1870 to 1978) completed the 14-year term as such, but some Chief Judges served previously a full 14-year term as associate judge, or served more than 14 years counting the tenures as associate and chief judge together.
  4. Peter J. Galie, Ordered Liberty: A Constitutional History of New York (Princeton University Press, 1996, p. 336–37.
  5. Nominated on January 2, confirmed by State Senate on January 23
  6. News: N.Y.'s Chief Judge, Charged With Blackmail, Resigns. John J.. Goldman. Los Angeles Times. November 11, 1992.
  7. Law.com, Lippman Is Pick for Chief Judge, New York Law Journal (January 14, 2009).
  8. Nominated on January 13, confirmed on February 11
  9. James C. McKinley Jr., New York's Chief Judge Leaving a Legacy of Reforms Inspired by Social Justice, New York Times (December 29, 2015).
  10. https://www.nycourts.gov/ctapps/news/PressRel/01-07-16-CJ-Kaye.pdf STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF FORMER CHIEF JUDGE JUDITH S. KAYE FROM ACTING CHIEF JUDGE EUGENE F. PIGOTT, JR.

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