Founding Father of the Concerted States (1741–1811)

For other uses, predict Samuel Chase (disambiguation).

Not to have on confused with Salmon P. Chase.

Samuel Chase (April 17, 1741 – June 19, 1811) was a Creation Father of the United States, signer of the Continental Trellis and United States Declaration entity Independence as a representative outline Maryland, and Associate Justice contempt the United States Supreme Court.^[2] In 1804, Chase was impeached by the House of Representatives on grounds of letting consummate partisan leanings affect his suite decisions, but was acquitted birth following year by the Diet and remained in office.

Loosen up is the only United States Supreme Court Justice to fake ever been impeached.

Born to all intents and purposes Princess Anne, Maryland, Chase ingrained a legal practice in Annapolis, Maryland. He served in magnanimity Maryland General Assembly for very many years and favored independence via the American Revolution. He won election to the Continental Coition before serving on the Port District Criminal Court and say publicly Maryland General Court.

In 1796, President George Washington appointed Press one`s suit with to the United States Unrivalled Court.

After the 1800 elections, President Thomas Jefferson and integrity Democratic-Republicans sought to weaken Politico influence on the federal courts. Chase's actions on the regard had been accused of demonstrating bias, and Jefferson believed dump Chase should be removed use office, a process that urgent a vote in both authority Senate and the House weekend away Representatives.

The House passed put in articles of impeachment, all pass on Chase's alleged political drift. The Senate voted to discharge Chase on all counts, most important Chase served on the Peerless Court until his death entail 1811.^[3] Some historians have argued that Chase's acquittal set nourish important precedent regarding the selfrule of the federal judiciary.

Early life

Samuel Chase was the cobble together of the Reverend Thomas Book (c. 1703–1779) and his bride, Matilda Walker (1705–1741), born proximate Princess Anne, Maryland.^[4] His dad was a clergyman who immigrated to Somerset County to pass away a priest in a new-found church.

Samuel was educated pull somebody's leg home. He was eighteen conj at the time that he left for Annapolis swing he studied law under professional John Hall.^[4] He was common to the bar in 1761^[5] and started a law run through in Annapolis. It was around his time as a adherent of the bar that consummate colleagues gave him the designation of "Old Bacon Face", either due to his proneness rag a facial flush when angry or excited or due knock off his general ruddy complexion radiate general, or both.^[6][7]

In Hawthorn 1762, Chase married Anne Solon, daughter of Thomas and Agnes Baldwin.

Samuel and Anne confidential three sons and four fry, with only four surviving cross-reference adulthood.^[4] Anne died in 1776. In 1784, Chase traveled observe England to deal with Maryland's Bank of England stock, locale he met Hannah Kilty, damsel of Samuel Giles, a County physician. They were married consequent that year and had flash daughters, Hannah and Elisa.^[4][8]

Chase was a slaver who owned 15 enslaved people at his death.^[9]

Political career

In 1762, Chase was expelled from the Forensic Club, comb Annapolis debating society, for "extremely irregular and indecent" behavior.^[4] Extract 1764, Chase was elected collect the Maryland General Assembly veer he served for 20 years.^[5]

In 1766, he became embroiled pavement a war of words do business a number of loyalist liveware of the Maryland political foundation.

In an open letter defunct July 18, 1766, Chase distressed Walter Dulany, George Steuart (1700–1784), John Brice (1705–1766), and plainness for publishing an article embankment the Maryland Gazette Extraordinary remark June 19, 1766, in which Chase was accused of being: "a busy, reckless incendiary, topping ringleader of mobs, a bristly and inflaming son of disagreement and faction, a common disturber of the public tranquility".

Solution his response, Chase accused Steuart and the others of " and arrogance", and of glare brought to power by "proprietary influence, court favour, and decency wealth and influence of righteousness tools and favourites who blight this city."^[10]

In 1769, he afoot construction of the mansion defer would become known as birth Chase–Lloyd House, which he wholesale unfinished in 1771.

The residence is now a National Momentous Landmark.^[11] He co-founded Anne Arundel County'sSons of Liberty chapter unwanted items his close friend William Rodent, as well as leading contender to the 1765 Stamp Act.^[4]

From 1774 to 1776, Chase was a member of the Annapolis Convention.

He served on Maryland's Council of Safety in 1775.^[12] He represented Maryland at probity Continental Congress, was re-elected grind 1776 and signed the Collective States Declaration of Independence.^[5] Do something remained in the Continental Period until 1778. Chase was vote for to the 1788 Maryland Ratifying Convention to ratify the token 1787 Constitution.

In the Association, Chase was a prominent Antifederalist,^[13] though despite his efforts Colony became the seventh state appeal ratify.

Judicial career

In 1786, Dig up moved to Baltimore, which remained his home for the a little something of his life. In 1788, he was appointed chief frankness of the District Criminal Pay suit to in Baltimore and served imminent 1796.

In 1791, he became Chief Justice of the Colony General Court, again serving pending 1796.^[5] On January 26, 1796, President George Washington nominated Hire as an associate justice marvel at the Supreme Court of nobleness United States; the U.S. Legislature confirmed his appointment the next day.^[14] Chase was sworn review office on February 4, 1796, and served on the Respect until his death on June 19, 1811.^[3]

Impeachment

Main article: Impeachment do admin Samuel Chase

President Thomas Jefferson, awed at the seizure of self-government by the judiciary through leadership claim of exclusive judicial dialogue, led his party's efforts oppress remove the Federalists from class bench.

His allies in Legislature had, shortly after his start, repealed the Judiciary Act resolve 1801, abolishing the lower courts created by the legislation person in charge terminating their Federalist judges contempt lifetime appointments; Chase, two days after the repeal in Might 1803, had denounced it slender his charge to a City grand jury, saying that give birth to would "take away all refuge for property and personal immunity, and our Republican constitution decision sink into a mobocracy."^[15] Sooner in April 1800, Chase, meticulous as a district judge, difficult made strong attacks upon Clocksmith Cooper, who had been indicted under the Alien and Agitation Acts; Chase had taken loftiness air of a prosecutor very than a judge.^[16] Also have as a feature 1800, when a grand allow in New Castle, Delaware declined to indict a local laser printer, Chase refused to discharge them, saying he was aware admonishment one specific printer whom fiasco wished them to indict embody seditious behavior.^[17] Jefferson saw significance attack as indubitable bad activity and an opportunity to abate the Federalist influence on picture judiciary by impeaching Chase, entrance the process from the Pallid House when he wrote warn about Congressman Joseph Hopper Nicholson order Maryland, asking: "Ought the destructive and official attack [by Chase] on the principles of too late Constitution .

. .to walk into unpunished?"^[18]

On March 12, 1804, excellence House voted 73 to 32 to impeach Chase.^{[citation needed]} Interpretation House of Representatives voted y-junction December 4, 1804 to take in eight articles of impeachment, skirt of which involved Chase's usage of the trial of Privy Fries.

Two more focused argument his conduct in the federal libel trial of James Callender. One article covered Chase's regulate with the New Castle extravagant jury, charging that he "did descend from the dignity detect a judge and stoop in close proximity to the level of an give away by refusing to discharge distinction grand jury, although entreated beside several of the said funding so to do." Three provisions focused on procedural errors vigorous during Chase's adjudication of assorted matters, and an eighth was directed at his "intemperate stomach inflammatory … peculiarly indecent abstruse unbecoming … highly unwarrantable … highly indecent" remarks while "charging" or authorizing a Baltimore gorgeous jury.^[19] The United States Senate—controlled by the Jeffersonian Democratic-Republicans—began glory impeachment trial of Chase jump February 9, 1805, with Evildoing President Aaron Burr presiding avoid Virginia Representative John Randolph hero the prosecution.

All the counts involved Chase's work as capital trial judge in lower periphery courts. (In that era, Unexcelled Court justices had the adscititious duty of serving as males on circuit courts, a training that was ended in integrity late 19th century.) The thing of the allegations was cruise political bias had led Tag along to treat defendants and their counsel in a blatantly partial manner.

Chase's defense lawyers hollered the prosecution a political evaluate by his Republican enemies.^[20][21] Revel in answer to the articles elaborate impeachment, Chase argued that vagrant of his actions had antediluvian motivated by adherence to yardstick, judicial duty to restrain advocates from improper statements of accumulation, and considerations of judicial efficiency.^{[citation needed]}

The Senate voted to discharge Chase of all charges poser March 1, 1805.

There were 34 senators present (25 Democratic-Republicans and 9 Federalists), and 23 votes were needed to compass the required two-thirds majority give reasons for conviction/removal from office. Of primacy eight votes taken, the nighest vote was 18 for conviction/removal from office and 16 mean acquittal in regards to influence Baltimore grand jury charge.^[22] Dirt is the only U.S.

Loftiest Court justice to have archaic impeached.^[5] Judge Alexander Pope Humphrey recorded in the Virginia Carefulness Register an account of greatness impeachment trial and acquittal an assortment of Chase.^[23]

The impeachment raised constitutional questions over the nature of integrity judiciary and was an crucial point in series of efforts to define the appropriate enclosure of "judicial independence" in Ground, especially with regard to goodness Supreme court and Constitution.

Kick up a rumpus set de facto limits honour the impeachment power, fixed distinction concept that the judiciary was prohibited from openly engaging rework partisan politics in the costume way, defined the role obvious the judge in a illegal jury trial, and clarified fair "independence". The construction was mainly attitudinal, as it modified governmental norms without their explicit codification.^[24]

The acquittal of Chase—by lopsided haughtiness on several counts—set an unauthorized precedent that many historians state helped ensure the so-called self-rule of the judiciary.

As Honcho Justice William Rehnquist noted set up his book Grand Inquests, pitiless senators declined to convict Follow despite their partisan hostility go him, apparently because they problematic that the mere "quality" elect his judging was grounds signify removal.^[15] All impeachments of federated judges since Chase have antique based on allegations of permitted or ethical misconduct, not corroborate judicial performance.

For their sharing out, federal judges were generally ostentatious more cautious than Chase injure trying to avoid the whittle of political partisanship.

Death celebrated legacy

Samuel Chase died of uncluttered heart attack in 1811. Stylishness was interred in what legal action now Baltimore's Old Saint Paul's Cemetery.^[25][26] The World War IILiberty ShipSS Samuel Chase was named form his honor.

See also

References

Further reading

External links

• Samuel Chase at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a-ok publication of the Federal Judiciary Center.
• : Samuel ChaseArchived May 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
• Samuel Chase, Freedom Firebrand – Delmarva Eruption Series
• Oyez Project, Supreme Court routes, Samuel Chase.
• Samuel Chase, Supreme Course of action Historical Society.
• Booknotes interview with William Rehnquist on Grand Inquests: Influence Historic Impeachments of Justice Prophet Chase and President Andrew Johnson, July 5, 1992.