Santos P. Amadeo
Encyclopedia
Phi Sigma Alpha
Phi Sigma Alpha Fraternity commonly known as La Sigma, is a Puerto Rican fraternity established originally as the Sigma Delta Alpha Fraternity on October 22, 1928 at the University of Puerto Rico by 12 students and a professor...
Fraternity.
Early Years and education
Amadeo Semidey was born in Salinas, Puerto RicoSalinas, Puerto Rico
Salinas is a small municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico located in the southern coast of the island, south of Aibonito and Cayey; southeast of Coamo, east of Santa Isabel; and west of Guayama...
and received his elementary education in his hometown of Salinas and in the towns of Patillas
Patillas, Puerto Rico
Patillas is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the southeastern coast, south of San Lorenzo; west of Yabucoa and Maunabo; and east of Guayama and Arroyo. It is spread over 15 wards and Patillas Pueblo...
and Fajardo. His family moved to Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
where he attended and in 1923 graduated from East Greenwich Academy a high school. He was accepted to the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, there he earned a bachelor degree in Arts and Sciences, specialized in Political Sciences. Later he studied law in Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
where he earned his "Juris Doctor" in 1935.
Educator
He earned his "Doctor in Law" while he taught as a professor in Columbia UniversityColumbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1938. His doctoral thesis was titled "Argentine Constitucional Law", it was published by the "Columbia University Press". From 1928 to 1969, Amadeo Semidey taught in the University of Puerto Rico. He taught anthropology in the Social Sciences Faculty of the University of Puerto Rico
University of Puerto Rico
The University of Puerto Rico is the state university system of Puerto Rico. The system consists of 11 campuses and has approximately 64,511 students and 5,300 faculty members...
and later he taught law in the University of Puerto Rico's Law School, where he was awarded the title of "Professor Emeritus". On October 22, 1928 he became a founding member of Phi Sigma Alpha
Phi Sigma Alpha
Phi Sigma Alpha Fraternity commonly known as La Sigma, is a Puerto Rican fraternity established originally as the Sigma Delta Alpha Fraternity on October 22, 1928 at the University of Puerto Rico by 12 students and a professor...
fraternity and served as its first president.
Lawyer
In 1939, Amadeo Semidey, besides teaching in the UPR, had his own private law practice. His contributions to the Law Sciences included numerous investigatory works such as: "Daños y Perjuicios por Muerte Ilegal"(1944); "Argentine Constitutional Law: The Judicial Function of the Federal System and the Preservation of Individual Rights"(1943); "La Revisión Judicial de la Comisión Industrial de Puerto Rico"(1946); "La Revisión Judicial de los Poderes del Gobernador de Puerto Rico"(1949); "Revisión Judicial de las Juntas Examinadoras"(1946); "El Habeas Corpus en Puerto Rico"(1948); "Los Poderes de los Tribunales de Puerto RIco para Castigar por Desacato"(1949); and "School of Penal Thought Reflected in Modern Penal Legislation"(1950).Amadeo Semidey served as legal counselor to the "Economic War Board" during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
; to various committees in the US Senate; to the delegation of the "Partido Estadista Republicano" (Republican Statehood Party) and to the Puerto Rican Status commission.
Amadeo Semidey confronted the government of Puerto Rico when the government approved and executed the so-called laws of "La Mordaza". The infamous "Ley de la Mordaza" (Gag Law) or Law 53 as it was officially known, was a law passed by the Puerto Rican legislature on June 10, 1948 which made it illegal to display the Puerto Rican Flag, sing a patriotic song, talk of independence and to fight for the liberation of the island. Amadeo Semidey, an expert in Constitutional Law, immediately used as a resource a "hábeas corpus" which questioned the constitutionality of the Law also known as Law Núm. 53. This resource was used in the Supreme Court in favor of Enrique Ayoroa Abreu, of Ponce. Amadeo Semidey was also a member of the group of lawyers who defended 15 members of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party
Puerto Rican Nationalist Party
The Puerto Rican Nationalist Party was founded on September 17, 1922. Its main objective is to work for Puerto Rican Independence.In 1919, José Coll y Cuchí, a member of the Union Party of Puerto Rico, felt that the Union Party was not doing enough for the cause of Puerto Rican independence and he...
who were accused of bracking the law of "La Mordaza".
For many years he was the lawyer and representative in Puerto Rico of the American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
.
Political career
In 1960, He ran for the position of Senator in the Senate of Puerto Rico in representation of his political party. He served in said position from 1961 to 1964 upon the successful outcome of the elections. During the period in which he served in the legislature, he was the author of various laws which defended the civil rights of every Puerto Rican. Amadeo Semidey created and was responsible of the approval of the Concurrent Resolution Num. 1 which resulted in the creation of Civil Rights Commission in both the Senate and the Camera of Representatives of Puerto Rico.He achieved that four out of five of his recommendations were incorporated onto the federal financial law of 1966. President Johnson gave Amadeo the pen which was used to sign the statute.
Later years
In 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, honored Amadeo Semidey was an "Honor Designation" for the contributions which he made to the fields of International Criminology and Criminal Justice.Amadeo Semidey died in San Juan on August 25, 1980.
Legacy
The government honored his memory commissioning a statue of his likeness and by renaming the Judicial Court of San Juan "Edificio Doctor Santos P. Amadeo". His hometown, Salinas, also honored his memory by naming a Street in his honor. In 2008 the government of Puerto RicoGovernment of Puerto Rico
The Government of Puerto Rico is a republican form of government subject to U.S. jurisdiction and sovereignty. Its current powers are all delegated by the United States Congress and lack full protection under the United States Constitution...
passed a law that June 9 was to be celebrated annually as "Doctor Santos P. Amadeo Birthday Commemoration". There is a sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
of him in the lobby of the Puerto Rico Bar Association
Puerto Rico Bar Association
The Puerto Rico Bar Association or Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico was founded in the 19th century and has evolved into an organization in which until 2009; all practicing attorneys must have been members in order to practice law in the United States territory of Puerto Rico...
headquarters.
Selected writings
- Argentine constitutional law: the judicial function in the maintenance of the federal system and the preservation of individual rights (1941)
- Acción civil de daños y perjuicios por muerte ilegal en Puerto Rico (1944)
- La revision judicial de las juntas examinadoras de Puerto Rico (1946)
- Acciones civiles de daños y perjuicios en el derecho puertorriqueño por el uso injustificado de los procedimientos legales (1945)
- El Tribunal de Contribuciones de Puerto Rico (1947)
- La revisión judicial de los poderes de la Comisión de Servicio Público de Puerto Rico (1947)
- El habeas corpus en Puerto Rico:1899-1948 (1948)
- Curso de derecho penal basado en el código penal de Puerto Rico (1960)
- El poder de los tribunales en Puerto Rico para castigar por desacato (1961)
- Recursos extraordinarios:disposiciones constitucionales, legislación, jurisprudencia y lecturas (1962)