List of justices of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

Following is a list of justices of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

Current Justices

Title Name Began active service Appointed by Reaches age 70
Chief Justice Kimberly S. Budd 2020 Charlie Baker 2036
Associate Justice Frank Gaziano 2016 2034
Associate Justice David A. Lowy 2016 2031
Associate Justice Elspeth B. Cypher 2017[1] 2029
Associate Justice Scott L. Kafker 2017 2029
Associate Justice Dalila Argaez Wendlandt 2020 2038
Associate Justice Serge Georges Jr. 2020 2038

List of Justices

Superior Court of Judicature (1692–1775)

Justice Position Succeeded Tenure Appointed by
1 William Stoughton
(1631–1701)
Chief
Justice
Inaugural[lower-alpha 1] 1692

July 7, 1701
(Died)

Sir William Phips
2 Thomas Danforth
(bapt. 1623–1699)
Associate
Justice
Inaugural[lower-alpha 1] 1692

November 5, 1699
(Died)

3 Wait Winthrop
(1642–1717)
Associate
Justice
Inaugural[lower-alpha 1] 1692

1701
(Continued as Chief Justice)

4 John Richards
(bef. 1630–1694)
Associate
Justice
Inaugural[lower-alpha 1] 1692

April 2, 1694
(Died)

5 Samuel Sewall
(1652–1730)
Associate
Justice
Inaugural[lower-alpha 1] 1692

1718
(Continued as Chief Justice)

6 Elisha Cooke Sr.
(1637–1715)
Associate
Justice
J. Richards 1695

1702
(Resigned)

William Stoughton
7 John Walley


(d. 1712)

Associate
Justice
T. Danforth 1700

1712
(Died)

2 Wait Winthrop
(1642–1717)
Chief
Justice
W. Stoughton 1701

1701
(Resigned)

Governor's Council
7 John Saffin
(bapt. 1626–1710)
Associate
Justice
W. Winthrop 1701

1702
(Appointment not renewed)

8 Isaac Addington
(1645–1719)
Chief
Justice
W. Winthrop 1702

1703
(Resigned)

Joseph Dudley
9 John Hathorne
(1641–1717)
Associate
Justice
E. Cooke 1702

1712
(Resigned)

10 John Leverett

the Younger
(1662–1724)

Associate
Justice
J. Saffin 1702

1708
(Resigned)

11 Jonathan Corwin
(1640–1718)
Associate
Justice
J. Leverett 1708

1717
(Appointment not renewed)

2 Wait Winthrop
(1642–1717)
Chief
Justice
I. Addington

(1702)

1708

November 7, 1717
(Died)

12 Benjamin Lynde Sr.
(1666–1749)
Associate
Justice
Lynde and Thomas were appointed to fill vacancies created by the death of John Whalley and the resignation of John Hathorne. 1712

1729
(Continued as Chief Justice)

13 Nathaniel Thomas
(1643–1718)
Associate
Justice
1712

October 22, 1718
(Died)

14 Addington Davenport
(1670–1736)
Associate
Justice
J. Corwin December 9, 1715

April 3, 1736
(Died)

William Tailer
5 Samuel Sewall
(1652–1730)
Chief
Justice
W. Winthrop 1718

1728
(Resigned)

Samuel Shute
15 Edmund Quincy III
(1681–1737)
Associate
Justice
Quincy and Dudley were appointed to fill vacancies created by the deaths of Wait Winthrop and Nathaniel Thomas. 1718

February 23, 1737
(Died)

16 Paul Dudley
(1666–1751)
Associate
Justice
1718

1751
(Continued as Chief Justice)

12 Benjamin Lynde Sr.
(1666–1749)
Chief
Justice
Sa. Sewall 1729

January 28, 1745
(Died)

William Burnet
17 John Cushing Associate
Justice
B. Lynde Sr. 1728

1733
(Resigned)

18 Jonathan Remington
(1677–1745)
Associate
Justice
J. Cushing 1733

September 20, 1745
(Died)

Jonathan Belcher
19 Richard Saltonstall Associate
Justice
A. Davenport 1736

1756
(Resigned)

20 Thomas Graves Associate
Justice
E. Quincy 1737

1738
(Resigned)

21 Stephen Sewall
(1702–1760)
Associate
Justice
T. Graves 1739

1745
(Continued as Chief Justice)

16 Paul Dudley
(1666–1751)
Chief
Justice
B. Lynde Sr. 1745

January 25, 1751
(Died)

William Shirley
22 Nathaniel Hubbard Associate
Justice
P. Dudley 1745

1746

23 Benjamin Lynde Jr. Associate
Justice
J. Remington 1747

1769
(Continued as Chief Justice)

24 John Cushing Jr. Associate
Justice
N. Hubbard 1747

1771
(Resigned)

21 Stephen Sewall
(1702–1760)
Chief
Justice
P. Dudley 1751

September 10, 1760
(Died)

25 Chambers Russell Associate
Justice
St. Sewall 1752

1766
(Died)

Spencer Phips
26 Peter Oliver
(1713–1791)
Associate
Justice
R. Saltonstall 1756

1772
(Continued as Chief Justice)

William Shirley
27 Thomas Hutchinson
(1711–1780)
Chief
Justice
St. Sewall 1761

1769
(Became Acting Governor)

Francis Bernard
28 Edmund Trowbridge
(1709–1793)
Associate
Justice
C. Russell 1767

1775
(Removed from office)

29 Benjamin Lynde Jr. Chief
Justice
T. Hutchinson 1769

1771
(Resigned)

Thomas Hutchinson
30 Foster Hutchinson
(1724–1799)
Associate
Justice
B. Lynde Jr. 1771

1775
(Removed from office)

31 Nathaniel Ropes


(d. 1774)

Associate
Justice
Ropes and Cushing were appointed to replace John Cushing and Benjamin Lynde Jr., both of whom resigned. Peter Oliver was named Chief Justice, replacing Lynde. 1772

1774
(Died)

32 William Cushing
(1732–1810)
Associate
Justice
1772

1775
(Reorganization of Court)

26 Peter Oliver
(1713–1791)
Chief
Justice
1772

1775
(Removed from office)

33 William Brown Associate
Justice
N. Ropes 1774

1775
(Removed from office)

  1. All judges appointed before 1695 were reappointed in that year (except John Richards, who had died) because the legislation creating the court was vetoed in that year by the Privy Council. Several further attempts to legislate the court's existence were vetoed, and it was not until 1699 that the provincial assembly enacted laws creating courts that satisfied the Privy Council.

Justices appointed by the Provincial Congress (1775–80)

Justice Position Succeeded Tenure Appointed by
1 John Adams
(1735–1826)
Chief
Justice
Inaugural 1775

1776
(Never presided, resigned)

2 William Cushing
(1732–1810)
Associate
Justice
Inaugural 1775

1776
(Continued as Chief Justice)

3 Nathaniel Sargent
(1731–1791)
Associate
Justice
Inaugural 1775

1780
(Constitution of 1780)

4 Jedediah Foster
(1726–1779)
Associate
Justice
Inaugural 1776

October 17, 1779
(Died)

5 James Sullivan
(1744–1808)
Associate
Justice
Inaugural March 1776

1780
(Constitution of 1780)

2 William Cushing
(1732–1810)
Chief
Justice
J. Adams 1777

1780
(Constitution of 1780)

Governor's Council
6 David Sewall
(1735–1825)
Associate
Justice
W. Cushing 1777

1780
(Constitution of 1780)

Three men declined appointment to the Court during this period: William Reed in 1775, Robert Treat Paine in 1776, and James Warren in 1777.

Justices under the State Constitution (1780–present)

Justice Position Succeeded Tenure Appointed by
William Cushing
(1732–1810)
Chief
Justice
Inaugural 1780

1789
(Appointed to Supreme Court of the United States)

Nathaniel Sargent
(1731–1791)
Associate
Justice
Inaugural 1780

1791
(Continued as Chief Justice)

David Sewall
(1735–1825)
Associate
Justice
Inaugural 1780

1789
(Appointed to U.S. District Court)

James Sullivan
(1744–1808)
Associate
Justice
Inaugural 1780

1782
(Resigned)

Francis Dana
(1743–1811)
Associate
Justice
J. Foster

(1779)

1785

1806
(Continued as Chief Justice)

Increase Sumner
(1746–1799)
Associate
Justice
J. Sullivan 1782

1787
(Resigned to become Governor)

John Hancock
Nathaniel Sargent
(1731–1791)
Chief
Justice
W. Cushing 1790

October 2, 1791
(Died)

Robert Treat Paine
(1731–1814)
Associate
Justice
D. Sewall 1790

1804
(Resigned)

Nathan Cushing Associate
Justice
N. Sargent
(as Associate Justice)
1790

1800
(Resigned)

Francis Dana
(1743–1811)
Chief
Justice
N. Sargent
(as Chief Justice)
1791

1806
(Resigned)

Thomas Dawes
(1731–1809)
Associate
Justice
F. Dana 1792

1802
(Resigned)

Theophilus Bradbury
(1739–1803)
Associate
Justice
I. Sumner 1797

July 1803
(Removed due to poor health)

Samuel Sewall
(1750–1814)
Associate
Justice
N. Cushing 1800

1814
(Continued as Chief Justice)

Caleb Strong
Theodore Sedgwick
(1746–1813)
Associate
Justice
T. Dawes 1802

January 24, 1813
(Died)

Simeon Strong
(1735–1805)
Associate
Justice
Inaugural 1801

1805
(Died)

George Thatcher
(1754–1824)
Associate
Justice
Inaugural 1801

January 1824
(Resigned)

Theophilus Parsons
(1750–1813)
Chief
Justice
F. Dana 1806

October 13, 1813
(Died)

Isaac Parker
(1768–1830)
Associate
Justice
S. Strong 1806

1814
(Continued as Chief Justice)

Charles Jackson
(1768–1830)
Associate
Justice
T. Sedgwick 1813

1823
(Resigned)

Samuel Sewall
(1750–1814)
Chief
Justice
T. Parsons 1814

June 8, 1814
(Died)

Daniel Dewey
(1766–1815)
Associate
Justice
S. Sewall 1814

May 26, 1815
(Died)

Samuel Putnam Associate
Justice
I. Parker
(as Associate Justice)
1814

1842
(Resigned)

Isaac Parker
(1768–1830)
Chief
Justice
S. Sewall 1814

July 25, 1830
(Died)

Samuel Wilde
(1771–1855)
Associate
Justice
D. Dewey 1815

1850
(Resigned)

Levi Lincoln Jr.
(1782–1868)
Associate
Justice
G. Thatcher 1824

1825
(Elected Governor)

William Eustis
Marcus Morton
(1784–1864)
Associate
Justice
L. Lincoln Jr. 1825

1840
(Elected Governor)

Levi Lincoln Jr.
Lemuel Shaw
(1781–1861)
Chief
Justice
I. Parker August 30, 1830

August 21, 1860
(Resigned)

Charles Augustus Dewey
(d. 1866)
Associate
Justice
Inaugural 1837

1866
(Died)

Edward Everett
Samuel Hubbard
(d. 1847)
Associate
Justice
S. Putnam 1842

1847
(Died)

John Davis
Theron Metcalf
(1784–1875)
Associate
Justice
M. Morton I

(1840)

1848

1865
(Resigned)

George N. Briggs
Charles Forbes Associate
Justice
1848

1848
(Resigned)

Richard Fletcher
(1788–1869)
Associate
Justice
C. Forbes 1848

1853
(Resigned)

George Tyler Bigelow Associate
Justice
1850

1860
(Continued as Chief Justice)

Caleb Cushing
(1800–1879)
Associate
Justice
Inaugural 1852

1853
(Appointed U.S. Attorney General)

George S. Boutwell
Benjamin Thomas
(1813–1878)
Associate
Justice
R. Fletcher 1853

1859
(Resigned)

John H. Clifford
Pliny Merrick
(1794–1867)
Associate
Justice
1853

1864
(Resigned)

Ebenezer R. Hoar
(1801–1873)
Associate
Justice
J. Nolan 1859

1869
(Appointed U.S. Attorney General)

Nathaniel Prentice Banks
George Tyler Bigelow Chief
Justice
L. Shaw 1860

1867
(Resigned)

Reuben Atwater Chapman
(1801–1873)
Associate
Justice
1860

1868
(Continued as Chief Justice)

Horace Gray
(1828–1902)
Associate
Justice
N. Clifford 1864

September 15, 1873
(Continued as Chief Justice)

John Albion Andrew
James Denison Colt
(1819–1881)
Associate
Justice
T. Metcalf 1865

1866
(Resigned)

Dwight Foster
(1828–1884)
Associate
Justice
C. A. Dewey 1866

1869
(Resigned)

Alexander H. Bullock
John Wells
(d. 1875)
Associate
Justice
1866

1875
(Died)

Reuben Atwater Chapman
(1801–1873)
Chief
Justice
G. T. Bigelow 1868

June 28, 1873
(Died)

James Denison Colt
(1819–1881)
Associate
Justice
R. A. Chapman 1868

1881
(Died)

Marcus Morton II
(1819–1891)
Associate
Justice
E. Hoar 1869

1882
(Continued as Chief Justice)

William Claflin
Seth Ames Associate
Justice
1869

1881
(Resigned)

Horace Gray
(1828–1902)
Chief
Justice
R. A. Chapman September 15, 1873

January 9, 1882
(Appointed to Supreme Court of the United States)

William B. Washburn
Charles Devens
(1820–1891)
Associate
Justice
H. Gray 1873

1877
(Appointed U.S. Attorney General)

William Endicott
(1826–1900)
Associate
Justice
Inaugural 1873

1882
(Resigned)

Otis Lord
(1812–1884)
Associate
Justice
J. Wells 1875

1882
(Resigned)

William Gaston
Augustus Soule
(1827–1887)
Associate
Justice
March 27, 1877

April 11, 1881
(Resigned)
Alexander H. Rice
Walbridge A. Field
(1833–1899)
Associate
Justice
S. Ames 1881

September 4, 1890
(Continued as Chief Justice)

John D. Long
William Allen Associate
Justice
1881

1891
(Died)

Charles Devens
(1820–1891)
Associate
Justice
A. Soule 1881

1891
(Died)

Marcus Morton II
(1819–1891)
Chief
Justice
H. Gray 1882

1890
(Resigned)

Waldo Colburn
(1824–1885)
Associate
Justice
W. C. Endicott November 10, 1882

September 26, 1885
(Died)

Charles Allen
(1819–1891)
Associate
Justice
M. Morton II 1882

1898
(Resigned)

Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
(1833–1899)
Associate
Justice
O. Lord 1882

1899
(Continued as Chief Justice)

William Gardner Associate
Justice
1885

1887
(Resigned)

George D. Robinson
Marcus Perrin Knowlton
(1839–1918)
Associate
Justice
W. Gardner 1887

1902
(Continued as Chief Justice)

Oliver Ames
Walbridge A. Field
(1833–1899)
Chief
Justice
M. Morton September 4, 1890

July 15, 1899
(Died)

John Q. A. Brackett
James Madison Morton Sr. Associate
Justice
1890

1913
(Resigned)

James Barker
(1839–1905)
Associate
Justice
W. Allen 1891

October 2, 1905
(Died)

William Russell
John Lathrop Associate
Justice
1891

1906
(Resigned)

John Hammond Associate
Justice
1898}}

1914
(Resigned)

Roger Wolcott
Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
(1833–1899)
Chief
Justice
W. A. Field August 2, 1899

December 4, 1902
(Appointed to Supreme Court of the United States)

William Loring
(1851–1930)
Associate
Justice
O. W. Holmes September 7, 1899

September 16, 1919
(Resigned)
Henry Braley Associate
Justice
1902

1929
(Died)

Winthrop M. Crane
Marcus Perrin Knowlton
(1839–1918)
Chief
Justice
O. W. Holmes 1902

September 7, 1911
(Resigned)

Henry Sheldon Associate
Justice
Barker 1905

1915
(Resigned)

William Lewis Douglas
Arthur Prentice Rugg
(1862–1938)
Associate
Justice
J. Lathrop 1906

1911
(Continued as Chief Justice)

Curtis Guild Jr.
Arthur Prentice Rugg
(1862–1938)
Chief
Justice
M. P. Knowlton 1911

June 12, 1938
(Died)

Eugene Foss
Charles Decourcy


(d. 1924)

Associate
Justice
1911

1924
(Died)

John C. Crosby
(1859–1943)
Associate
Justice
J. Morton December 31, 1913

October 1, 1937
(Resigned)

David I. Walsh
Edward Pierce Associate
Justice
1914

1937
(Resigned)

James Carroll


(d. 1932)

Associate
Justice
Sheldon 1915

1932
(Died)

Charles Jenney
(1860–1923)
Associate
Justice
W. Loring 1919

November 29, 1923
(Died)

Calvin Coolidge
William Wait Associate
Justice
1923

1934
(Resigned)

Channing H. Cox
George Sanderson


(d. 1932)

Associate
Justice
1924

1932
(Died)

Fred Tarbell Field
(1876–1950)
Associate
Justice
January 30, 1929

June 30, 1938
(Continued as Chief Justice)

Frank G. Allen
Charles Donahue
(1877–1952)
Associate
Justice
March 17, 1932

April 26, 1944
(Resigned)

Joseph B. Ely
Henry Lummus Associate
Justice
1932

1955

Stanley Elroy Qua
(1880–1965)
Associate
Justice
1934

1947
(Continued as Chief Justice)

Arthur Dolan
(1876–1949)
Associate
Justice
J. C. Crosby 1937

August 20, 1949
(Resigned)

Charles F. Hurley
Louis Cox Associate
Justice
Edward Pierce 1937

1944

Fred Tarbell Field
(1876–1950)
Chief
Justice
A. P. Rugg June 30, 1938

July 24, 1947
(Resigned)

James Ronan Associate
Justice
F. T. Field 1938

1959
(Died)

Raymond Sanger Wilkins Associate
Justice
L. Cox 1944

1956
(Continued as Chief Justice)

Leverett Saltonstall
John Spalding Associate
Justice
Donahue 1944

1971

Stanley Elroy Qua
(1880–1965)
Chief
Justice
F. T. Field 1947

1956
(Resigned)

Robert F. Bradford
Harold P. Williams
(1882–1963)
Associate
Justice
S. Qua 1947

1962
(Resigned)

Edward Counihan Associate
Justice
Dolan 1949

1960

Paul A. Dever
Arthur Whittemore
(1896–1969)
Associate
Justice
H. Lummus October 1955

October 1, 1969
(Died)

Christian Herter
Raymond Sanger Wilkins Chief
Justice
S. E. Qua 1956

1970
(Resigned)

R. Ammi Cutter Associate
Justice
1956

1972

Paul G. Kirk Sr.
(1905–1981)
Associate
Justice
E. Counihan November 23, 1960

December 15, 1970
(Resigned)
Foster Furcolo
Jacob Spiegel Associate
Justice
Ronan 1960

1972

G. Joseph Tauro
(1906–1994)
Associate
Justice
1961

1970
(Continued as Chief Justice)

John Volpe
Paul Reardon Associate
Justice
1962

1977

G. Joseph Tauro
(1906–1994)
Chief
Justice
R. S. Wilkins 1970

1976
(Mandatory retirement)

Francis Quirico Associate
Justice
1969

1981

Francis W. Sargent
Robert Braucher
(1916–1981)
Associate
Justice
P. Kirk January 18, 1971

August 26, 1981
(Died)

Edward F. Hennessey
(1919–2007)
Associate
Justice
J. Spalding 1971

1976
(Continued as Chief Justice)

Benjamin Kaplan
(1911–2010)
Associate
Justice
R. A. Cutter 1972

1981
(Mandatory retirement)

Herbert P. Wilkins Associate
Justice
J. Spiegel 1972

1996
(Continued as Chief Justice)

Edward F. Hennessey
(1919–2007)
Chief
Justice
G. J. Tauro 1976

1989
(Mandatory retirement)

Michael Dukakis
Paul J. Liacos
(1929–1999)
Associate
Justice
E. Hennessey 1976

June 20, 1986
(Continued as Chief Justice)

Ruth Abrams
(1930–2019)
Associate
Justice
P. Reardon 1978

2000
(Mandatory retirement)

Joseph R. Nolan
(1925–2013)
Associate
Justice
Quirico 1981

1995
(Mandatory retirement)

Edward J. King
Neil L. Lynch Associate
Justice
Kaplan 1981

2000

Francis Patrick O'Connor
(1927–2007)
Associate
Justice
R. Braucher 1981

1997
(Mandatory retirement)

Paul J. Liacos
(1929–1999)
Chief
Justice
E. Hennessey June 20, 1986

September 30, 1996
(Resigned)

Michael Dukakis
John M. Greaney
(1939–)
Associate
Justice
P. Liacos 1989

2008
(Resigned)

Charles Fried
(1944–)
Associate
Justice
J. Nolan September 1995

June 1999
(Resigned)

William Weld
Margaret H. Marshall
(1944–)
Associate
Justice
1996

October 14, 1999
(Continued as Chief Justice)

Herbert P. Wilkins Chief
Justice
P. Liacos 1996

October 13, 1999
(Resigned)

Roderick L. Ireland
(1944–)
Associate
Justice
1997

December 20, 2010
(Continued as Chief Justice)

Margaret H. Marshall
(1944–)
Chief
Justice
H. Wilkins October 14, 1999

October 31, 2010
(Resigned)

Paul Cellucci
Judith Cowin
(1942–)
Associate
Justice
C. Fried 1999

2011
(Resigned)

Francis X. Spina
(1946–)
Associate
Justice
M. Marshall 1999

August 12, 2016
(Mandatory retirement)

Martha B. Sosman
(1950–2007)
Associate
Justice
N. Lynch 2000

March 10, 2007
(Died)

Robert J. Cordy
(1949–)
Associate
Justice
R. Abrams 2001

August 12, 2016
(Resigned)

Margot Botsford
(1947–)
Associate
Justice
M. Sosman September 4, 2007

March 15, 2017
(Mandatory retirement)

Deval Patrick
Ralph Gants
(1954–2020)
Associate
Justice
J. Greaney January 29, 2009

July 28, 2014
(Continued as Chief Justice)

Roderick L. Ireland
(1944–)
Chief
Justice
M. Marshall December 20, 2010

July 25, 2014
(Mandatory retirement)

Barbara Lenk
(1950–)
Associate
Justice
J. Cowin June 8, 2011

December 1, 2020
(Mandatory retirement)

Fernande R.V. Duffly
(1949–)
Associate
Justice
R. Ireland February 1, 2011

July 12, 2016
(Resigned)

Ralph Gants
(1954–2020)
Chief
Justice
R. Ireland July 28, 2014

September 14, 2020[2][3]
(Died)
Geraldine Hines
(1947–)
Associate
Justice
R. Gants July 31, 2014

August 18, 2017
(Mandatory retirement)
Frank Gaziano
(1963–)
Associate
Justice
F. Spina August 18, 2016

Incumbent
Charlie Baker
Kimberly S. Budd
(1966–)
Associate
Justice
F. Duffly August 24, 2016

December 1, 2020

(Continued as Chief Justice)
David A. Lowy Associate
Justice
R. Cordy August 24, 2016

Incumbent
Elspeth B. Cypher
(1959–)
Associate
Justice
M. Botsford March 31, 2017

Incumbent
Scott Kafker
(1959–)
Associate
Justice
G. Hines August 21, 2017

Incumbent
Kimberly S. Budd
(1966–)
Chief
Justice
R. Gants December 1, 2020

Incumbent
Dalila Argaez Wendlandt Associate
Justice
B. Lenk December 4, 2020

Incumbent

Notes

  1. "Justice Margot Botsford retires from SJC – The Boston Globe". Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  2. Becker, Deborah. "Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph Gants Dies At 65". www.wbur.org. Retrieved 2020-09-14.
  3. Marquard, Bryan. "SJC Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants has died - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2020-09-14.

Sources

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.