Ward Hunt
Encyclopedia
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.
at the Oxford
and Geneva
Academies, and graduated from Union College in 1828, where he was an early member of the Kappa Alpha Society
. Then he studied law with Juge James Gould at Litchfield Law School
in Litchfield, Connecticut
and with Hiram Denio
in Utica, and was admitted to the bar
in 1831.
He was a Democratic member from Oneida County of the New York State Assembly
in 1839, and was Mayor of Utica in 1844. In 1848, he joined the Free Soil Party
, and in 1855 he was among the founders of the New York Republican
Party. He remained in private practice until 1865
, when he was elected to an eight-year term on the New York Court of Appeals
on the Republican ticket, to succeed to the seat held by his former law teacher and partner Hiram Denio
. Hunt became Chief Judge in 1868 after the sudden death of Chief Judge William B. Wright
. In 1870, he was legislated out of office, but was appointed one of the Commissioners of Appeals.
Hunt was a friend and patron of political boss Roscoe Conkling
, who was an associate of President Ulysses S. Grant
. When Samuel Nelson
retired from the Supreme Court, Conkling asked Grant to nominate Hunt for the vacancy. Hunt was nominated on December 3, 1872, confirmed by the U.S. Senate on December 11, and took his seat in January 1873.
Hunt had little impact on the court, siding with the majority in all but 22 cases in his ten years on the job and writing only four dissenting opinions. His most notable contribution came while riding circuit in New York
, where he presided over The United States v. Susan B. Anthony
. Anthony argued that she was constitutionally guaranteed the right to vote and had not broken the law when she voted in the 1872 election; Hunt found that Anthony had indeed broken the law, ordered the jury to deliver a guilty verdict, and fined Anthony $100 (which she refused to pay).
In 1878, Hunt suffered a severe paralyzing stroke, which prevented him from attending court sessions or rendering opinions. Nonetheless he did not retire, because at the time in order to retire with a full pension a person had to put in at least ten years of government service and a minimum age of 70. To encourage him to retire, Congress passed a special provision under which he could receive a pension if he would retire within 30 days. Hunt did so on January 27, 1882, and enjoyed his pension until his death in Washington, D.C., four years later. He was buried at the Forest Hill Cemetery
in Utica.
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
and politician. He was Chief Judge of 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...
from 1868 to 1869, and an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1873 to 1882.
Life
He was the son of Montgomery Hunt, long-time Cashier of the Bank of Utica. He was a classmate of Horatio SeymourHoratio Seymour
Horatio Seymour was an American politician. He was the 18th Governor of New York from 1853 to 1854 and from 1863 to 1864. He was the Democratic Party nominee for president of the United States in the presidential election of 1868, but lost the election to Republican and former Union General of...
at the Oxford
Oxford, New York
Oxford is a town in Chenango County, New York, United States. The town contains a village named Oxford. Oxford is an interior town in the south-central part of the county, southwest of the City of Norwich. At the 2000 census the town population was 3,992...
and Geneva
Geneva, New York
Geneva is a city in Ontario and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 13,617 at the 2000 census. Some claim it is named after the city and canton of Geneva in Switzerland. Others believe the name came from confusion over the letters in the word "Seneca" written in cursive...
Academies, and graduated from Union College in 1828, where he was an early member of the Kappa Alpha Society
Kappa Alpha Society
The Kappa Alpha Society , founded in 1825, was the progenitor of the modern fraternity system in North America. It was the first of the fraternities which would eventually become known as the Union Triad...
. Then he studied law with Juge James Gould at Litchfield Law School
Litchfield Law School
The Litchfield Law School of Litchfield, Connecticut, was the first formal school offering training for the legal profession in the United States. It was established in 1784 by Tapping Reeve, who would later became the Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court...
in Litchfield, Connecticut
Litchfield, Connecticut
Litchfield is a town in and former county seat of Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, and is known as an affluent summer resort. The population was 8,316 at the 2000 census. The boroughs of Bantam and Litchfield are located within the town...
and with Hiram Denio
Hiram Denio
Hiram Denio was an American lawyer and politician from New York...
in Utica, and was admitted to the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in 1831.
He was a Democratic member from Oneida County of the New York State Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
in 1839, and was Mayor of Utica in 1844. In 1848, he joined the Free Soil Party
Free Soil Party
The Free Soil Party was a short-lived political party in the United States active in the 1848 and 1852 presidential elections, and in some state elections. It was a third party and a single-issue party that largely appealed to and drew its greatest strength from New York State. The party leadership...
, and in 1855 he was among the founders of the New York 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...
Party. He remained in private practice until 1865
New York state election, 1865
The 1865 New York state election was held on November 7, 1865, to elect the Secretary of State, the State Comptroller, the Attorney General, the State Treasurer, the State Engineer, two Judges of the New York Court of Appeals, a Canal Commissioners, an Inspector of State Prisons and the Clerk of...
, when he was elected to an eight-year term 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...
on the Republican ticket, to succeed to the seat held by his former law teacher and partner Hiram Denio
Hiram Denio
Hiram Denio was an American lawyer and politician from New York...
. Hunt became Chief Judge in 1868 after the sudden death of Chief Judge 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....
. In 1870, he was legislated out of office, but was appointed one of the Commissioners of Appeals.
Hunt was a friend and patron of political boss Roscoe Conkling
Roscoe Conkling
Roscoe Conkling was a politician from New York who served both as a member of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He was the leader of the Stalwart faction of the Republican Party and the last person to refuse a U.S. Supreme Court appointment after he had...
, who was an associate of President Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
. When Samuel Nelson
Samuel Nelson
Samuel Nelson was an American attorney and an Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States....
retired from the Supreme Court, Conkling asked Grant to nominate Hunt for the vacancy. Hunt was nominated on December 3, 1872, confirmed by the U.S. Senate on December 11, and took his seat in January 1873.
Hunt had little impact on the court, siding with the majority in all but 22 cases in his ten years on the job and writing only four dissenting opinions. His most notable contribution came while riding circuit in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where he presided over The United States v. Susan B. Anthony
Susan B. Anthony
Susan Brownell Anthony was a prominent American civil rights leader who played a pivotal role in the 19th century women's rights movement to introduce women's suffrage into the United States. She was co-founder of the first Women's Temperance Movement with Elizabeth Cady Stanton as President...
. Anthony argued that she was constitutionally guaranteed the right to vote and had not broken the law when she voted in the 1872 election; Hunt found that Anthony had indeed broken the law, ordered the jury to deliver a guilty verdict, and fined Anthony $100 (which she refused to pay).
In 1878, Hunt suffered a severe paralyzing stroke, which prevented him from attending court sessions or rendering opinions. Nonetheless he did not retire, because at the time in order to retire with a full pension a person had to put in at least ten years of government service and a minimum age of 70. To encourage him to retire, Congress passed a special provision under which he could receive a pension if he would retire within 30 days. Hunt did so on January 27, 1882, and enjoyed his pension until his death in Washington, D.C., four years later. He was buried at the Forest Hill Cemetery
Forest Hill Cemetery, Utica
-Notable burials:*Ezekiel Bacon , represented Massachusetts's 12th congressional district from 1807 to 1813.*William J. Bacon , represented New York's 23rd congressional district from 1877 to 1879....
in Utica.
Sources
- http://www.supremecourthistory.org Supreme Court Historical Society
- http://www.oyez.org Oyez
- The New York Civil List compiled by Franklin Benjamin Hough (page 283; Weed, Parsons and Co., 1858)
- The Chase Court: Justices, Rulings, and Legacy by Jonathan Lurie, Salmon Portland Chase and Peter G. Renstrom (ABC-CLIO, 2004, ISBN 1576078213 , ISBN 9781576078211 , page 52)
- http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9D02E0D71330EF34BC4A52DFB4678389669FDE Senate confirmation, in NYT on December 12, 1872
- http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9B0DE5DA1330E533A25756C2A9659C94679FD7CF Obit in NYT on March 25, 1886