Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals refers to the position of chief judge on the New York Court of Appeals

New York Court of Appeals

The New York Court of Appeals is the highest court in the U.S. state of New York. The Court of Appeals consists of seven judges: the Chief Judge and six associate judges who are appointed by the Governor to 14-year terms...

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The chief judge supervises the seven-judge Court of Appeals. 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

Judicial Conference of the State of New York

The Judicial Conference of the State of New York was created in 1955. Members include the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals and judges from the Appellate Divisions.-History:...

Chief Judges before 1870

Name	Took office	Left office	Party	Notes
Freeborn G. Jewett Freeborn G. Jewett Freeborn Garrettson Jewett was an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from New York and was the first Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals.-Life:He moved to Skaneateles in 1815, and was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1817...	July 5, 1847	December 31, 1849	Democratic
Greene C. Bronson Greene C. Bronson Greene Carrier Bronson was an American lawyer and politician from New York.-Life:...	January 1, 1850	April 1851	Democratic/Anti-Rent Anti-Rent War The Anti-Rent War was a tenants' revolt in upstate New York during the early 19th century, beginning with the death of Stephen Van Rensselaer III in 1839....	Resigned
Charles H. Ruggles Charles H. Ruggles Charles Herman Ruggles was an American lawyer and politician who was a U.S...	April 1851	December 31, 1853	Democratic
Addison Gardiner Addison Gardiner Addison Gardiner was an American lawyer and politician who was the Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1854 to 1855.-Early life and career:...	January 1, 1854	December 31, 1855	Democratic/Anti-Rent
Hiram Denio Hiram Denio Hiram Denio was an American lawyer and politician from New York...	January 1, 1856	December 31, 1857	Democratic
Alexander S. Johnson Alexander S. Johnson Alexander Smith Johnson was an American lawyer and politician from New York...	January 1, 1858	December 31, 1859	Democratic
George F. Comstock George F. Comstock George Franklin Comstock was an American lawyer and politician. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1860 to 1861.-Life:He graduated from Union College in 1834...	January 1, 1860	December 31, 1861	American Know Nothing The Know Nothing was a movement by the nativist American political faction of the 1840s and 1850s. It was empowered by popular fears that the country was being overwhelmed by German and Irish Catholic immigrants, who were often regarded as hostile to Anglo-Saxon Protestant values and controlled by...	Elected 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. Selden Samuel L. Selden Samuel Lee Selden was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals in 1862.-Life:...	January 1, 1862	July 1, 1862	Democratic	Resigned
Hiram Denio Hiram Denio Hiram Denio was an American lawyer and politician from New York...	July 1, 1862	December 31, 1865	Democratic
Henry E. Davies Henry E. Davies (judge) Henry Ebenezer Davies was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1866 to 1867....	January 1, 1866	December 31, 1867	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... /American Know Nothing The Know Nothing was a movement by the nativist American political faction of the 1840s and 1850s. It was empowered by popular fears that the country was being overwhelmed by German and Irish Catholic immigrants, who were often regarded as hostile to Anglo-Saxon Protestant values and controlled by...
William B. Wright William B. Wright William B. Wright was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals in 1868.-Life:He was the son of Samuel Wright....	January 1, 1868	January 12, 1868	Union National Union Party (United States) The National Union Party was the name used by the Republican Party for the national ticket in the 1864 presidential election, held during the Civil War. State Republican parties did not usually change their name....	Elected in 1861 on the Union ticket nominated by War Democrats War Democrats War Democrats in American politics of the 1860s were adherents of the Democratic Party who rejected the Copperheads/Peace Democrats who controlled the party...  and Republicans; died in office
Ward Hunt Ward Hunt Ward Hunt , was an American jurist and politician. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1868 to 1869, and an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1873 to 1882.-Life:...	January 12, 1868	December 31, 1869	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...	Subsequently served as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court
Robert Earl	January 1, 1870	July 4, 1870	Democratic	Legislated out of office by constitutional amendment of 1869

Chief Judges between 1870 and 1974

Name	Took office	Left office	Party	Notes
Sanford E. Church Sanford E. Church Sanford Elias Church was an American lawyer and Democratic politician...	July 4, 1870	May 13, 1880	Democratic	Died in office
Charles J. Folger Charles J. Folger Charles James Folger was an American lawyer and politician. He was U.S. Secretary of the Treasury from 1881 until his death.-Early life:...	May 20, 1880	November 14, 1881	Republican	Appointed to fill vacancy, then elected, then resigned to become U.S. Secretary of the Treasury
Charles Andrews Charles Andrews (judge) Charles Andrews was an American Lawyer and politician. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1881 to 1882 and from 1892 to 1897....	December 19, 1881	December 31, 1882	Republican	Appointed to fill vacancy
William C. Ruger William C. Ruger William Crawford Ruger was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1883 until his death.-Life:He was the son of Sophia Ruger and John Ruger William Crawford Ruger (January 30, 1824 Bridgewater, Oneida County, New York - January 14,...	January 1, 1883	January 14, 1892	Democratic	Died in office
Robert Earl	January 19, 1892	December 31, 1892	Dem./Rep.	Appointed to fill vacancy
Charles Andrews Charles Andrews (judge) Charles Andrews was an American Lawyer and politician. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1881 to 1882 and from 1892 to 1897....	January 1, 1893	December 31, 1897	Rep./Dem.	Age-limited
Alton B. Parker Alton B. Parker Alton Brooks Parker was an American lawyer, judge and the Democratic nominee for U.S. president in the 1904 elections.-Life:...	January 1, 1898	August 5, 1904	Democratic	Resigned to run on the Democratic ticket for U.S. President
Edgar M. Cullen Edgar M. Cullen Edgar Montgomery Cullen was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1904 to 1913.-Biography:...	September 2, 1904	December 31, 1913	Dem./Rep.	Appointed to fill vacancy, then elected, then age-limited
Willard Bartlett Willard Bartlett Willard Bartlett was an American jurist. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals.-Biography:...	January 1, 1914	December 31, 1916	Democratic	Age-limited
Frank H. Hiscock Frank H. Hiscock Frank Harris Hiscock was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1917 to 1926.- Biography :...	January 1, 1917	December 31, 1926	Rep./Progr. Progressive Party (United States, 1912) The Progressive Party of 1912 was an American political party. It was formed after a split in the Republican Party between President William Howard Taft and former President Theodore Roosevelt....	Age-limited
Benjamin N. Cardozo Benjamin N. Cardozo Benjamin Nathan Cardozo was a well-known American lawyer and associate Supreme Court Justice. Cardozo is remembered for his significant influence on the development of American common law in the 20th century, in addition to his modesty, philosophy, and vivid prose style...	January 1, 1927	March 7, 1932	Dem./Rep.	Resigned to become an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court
Cuthbert W. Pound Cuthbert W. Pound Cuthbert Winfred Pound was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1932 to 1934.-Life:...	March 8, 1932	December 31, 1934	Rep./Dem.	Appointed to fill vacancy, then elected, then age-limited
Frederick E. Crane Frederick E. Crane Frederick Evan Crane was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1935 to 1939.-Life:...	January 1, 1935	December 31, 1939	Rep./Dem.	Age-limited
Irving Lehman Irving Lehman Irving Lehman was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1940 until his death in 1945.- Biography:...	January 1, 1940	September 22, 1945	Dem./Rep./Am. Labor American Labor Party The American Labor Party was a political party in the United States established in 1936 which was active almost exclusively in the state of New York. The organization was founded by labor leaders and former members of the Socialist Party who had established themselves as the Social Democratic...	Died in office
John T. Loughran John T. Loughran John Thomas Loughran was an American lawyer and politician...	September 28, 1945	March 31, 1953	Dem./Rep./Am. Labor/Lib. Liberal Party of New York The Liberal Party of New York is a minor American political party that has been active only in the state of New York. Its platform supports a standard set of social liberal policies: it supports right to abortion, increased spending on education, and universal health care.As of 2007, the Liberal...	Appointed to fill vacancy, then elected, then died in office
Edmund H. Lewis Edmund H. Lewis Edmund Harris Lewis was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1953 to 1954.-Life:...	April 22, 1953	December 31, 1954	Rep./Dem./Lib.	Appointed to fill vacancy, then elected, then age-limited
Albert Conway Albert Conway Albert Conway was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1955 to 1959.-Life:...	January 1, 1955	December 31, 1959	Dem./Rep.	Age-limited
Charles S. Desmond Charles S. Desmond Charles Stewart Desmond , was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1960 to 1966.-Life:...	January 1, 1960	December 31, 1966	Dem./Rep.	Age-limited
Stanley H. Fuld	January 1, 1967	December 31, 1973	Rep./Dem.	Age-limited
Charles D. Breitel Charles D. Breitel Charles David Breitel was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1974 to 1978.-Life:...	January 1, 1974	December 31, 1978	Rep./Lib.	Last elected Chief Judge; age-limited

Chief Judges since 1974

Name	Took office	Left office	Party	Notes
Lawrence H. Cooke Lawrence H. Cooke Lawrence Henry Cooke was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1979 to 1984.-Life:...	January 23, 1979	December 31, 1984	Democratic	First Chief Judge appointed by the Governor under constitutional amendment of 1977; age-limited
Sol Wachtler Sol Wachtler Solomon Wachtler, born , is a lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1985 to 1993. Known for the remark, "A marriage license should not be viewed as a license for a husband to forcibly rape his wife with impunity" , Wachtler was a key figure in...	January 2, 1985	November 11, 1993	Republican	Resigned
Richard D. Simons Richard D. Simons Richard Duncan Simons is an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Acting Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1992 to 1993-Life:...	November 17, 1993	March 22, 1994		Acted until the appointment of a successor
Judith S. Kaye	March 23, 1994	December 31, 2008	Democratic	Age-limited; Chief Judge with the longest tenure (more than 15 years), only Chief Judge to complete a 14-year term
Jonathan Lippman Jonathan Lippman Jonathan Lippman is an American jurist and currently Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals.-Early life and education:Lippman is a Manhattan native...	February 11, 2009	(incumbent)	Democratic