List of federal judges appointed by John Adams

Following is a list of all United States federal judges appointed by President John Adams during his presidency.[1] In total Adams appointed 23 judges, including three Justices to the Supreme Court of the United States (including one Chief Justice), sixteen judges to the United States circuit courts, and four judges to the United States district courts. Fourteen of the sixteen circuit court judges appointed by Adams were to positions created at the end of his tenure in office, in the Judiciary Act of 1801, 2 Stat. 89, which became known as the Midnight Judges Act. All of these offices were abolished by the repeal of this Act on July 1, 1802, by 2 Stat. 132. The remaining two were to judgeships for the District of Columbia, authorized under a different Act of Congress, not the Judiciary Act.

However, Adams made an indelible impact on the judiciary with the appointment of John Marshall as Chief Justice.

Contents

United States Supreme Court Justices

Justice Seat State Began active
service		 Ended active
service
Marshall, JohnJohn Marshall Chief Justice Virginia 01801-01-31 January 31, 1801 01835-07-06 July 6, 1835
Moore, AlfredAlfred Moore Seat 5 North Carolina 01799-12-10 December 10, 1799 01804-01-26 January 26, 1804
Washington, BushrodBushrod Washington Seat 1 Virginia 01798-09-29 September 29, 1798[Note 1] 01829-11-26 November 26, 1829

Also appointed, but declined: John Jay (Chief Justice).

Circuit courts

Judge Circuit Began active
service		 Ended active
service
Bassett, RichardRichard Bassett Third 01801-02-20 February 20, 1801 01802-07-01 July 1, 1802
Benson, EgbertEgbert Benson Second 01801-02-20 February 20, 1801 01802-07-01 July 1, 1802
Bourne, BenjaminBenjamin Bourne First 01801-02-20 February 20, 1801 01802-07-01 July 1, 1802
Clay, Jr., JosephJoseph Clay, Jr. Fifth 01801-02-24 February 24, 1801 01802-07-01 July 1, 1802
Cranch, WilliamWilliam Cranch D.C. 01801-03-03 March 3, 1801 01806-02-24 February 24, 1806[Note 2]
Griffith, WilliamWilliam Griffith Third 01801-02-20 February 20, 1801 01802-07-01 July 1, 1802
Hitchcock, SamuelSamuel Hitchcock Second 01801-02-20 February 20, 1801 01802-07-01 July 1, 1802
Key, Philip BartonPhilip Barton Key Fourth 01801-02-20 February 20, 1801 01802-07-01 July 1, 1802
Lowell, JohnJohn Lowell First 01801-02-20 February 20, 1801 01802-05-06 May 6, 1802
Magill, CharlesCharles Magill Fourth 01801-03-03 March 3, 1801 01802-07-01 July 1, 1802
Marshall, James MarkhamJames Markham Marshall D.C. 01801-03-03 March 3, 1801 01803-11-16 November 16, 1803
McClung, WilliamWilliam McClung Sixth 01801-02-24 February 24, 1801 01802-07-01 July 1, 1802
Smith, JeremiahJeremiah Smith First 01801-02-20 February 20, 1801 01802-07-01 July 1, 1802
Taylor, George KeithGeorge Keith Taylor Fourth 01801-02-20 February 20, 1801 01802-07-01 July 1, 1802
Tilghman, WilliamWilliam Tilghman Third 01801-03-03 March 3, 1801 01802-03-08 March 8, 1802
Wolcott, Jr., OliverOliver Wolcott, Jr. Second 01801-02-20 February 20, 1801 01802-07-01 July 1, 1802

Also appointed, but declined: Thomas Bee (5th circuit), Jared Ingersoll (3rd circuit), Thomas Johnson (D.C. circuit), Charles Lee (4th circuit), and John Sitgreaves (5th circuit).

District courts

Judge Court
[Note 3]		 Began active
service		 Ended active
service
Davis, JohnJohn Davis D. Mass. 01801-02-20 February 20, 1801 01841-07-10 July 10, 1841
Hobart, John SlossJohn Sloss Hobart D.N.Y. 01798-04-12 April 12, 1798 01805-02-04 February 4, 1805
Paine, ElijahElijah Paine D. Vt. 01801-03-03 March 3, 1801 01842-04-01 April 1, 1842
Winchester, JamesJames Winchester D. Md. 01799-10-31 October 31, 1799[Note 4] 01806-04-05 April 5, 1806

Notes

  1. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 19, 1798, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 20, 1798, and received commission on December 20, 1798.
  2. ^ Elevated to Chief Judges by Thomas Jefferson on February 24, 1806; thereafter served until September 1, 1855. Because of the unique structure of the United States Circuit Court for the District of Columbia, Thomas Jefferson's elevation of William Cranch to chief judge of the Court is considered a separate appointment.
  3. ^ See List of United States district and territorial courts
  4. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 8, 1799, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 10, 1799, and received commission on December 10, 1799.

References

  1. ^ Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, passim.

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