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Writer's pictureVenesia

So you think the Trump Justices are young?

Who was the youngest justice to serve on the SCOTUS bench?


(Image from Wikipedia)


Justice Joseph Story. Justice Story was just 32 years old when he was appointed by President James Madison in 1812 and he served until 1845. Law students may remember Justice Story from Civ. Pro. or Con. Law by one of his most notable cases: Martin v. Hunter’s lessee (the right to assert SCOTUS authority over state courts in civil matters of Federal law). However, legal enthusiasts (or CT history-buffs) may recall Justice Story's name from a different famous case: United States v. The Amistad. The Amistad was a slaver ship used in the business of selling African captives into slavery in Cuba. A group of captives from Sierra Leone managed to escape their shackles and kill the captain. The captives demanded the crew members to return to West Africa and release them. The crew feigned compliance, but actually sailed the ship up the coast of the North America. The ship was stopped near New London, CT and the African captives were detained. A New York City merchant, Lewis Tappan, lead an abolitionist movement dubbed the "Amistad Committee," which raised funding to provide a defense for the captives. Their case was first heard at the district court in CT in 1840. The court ruled in favor of the African captives, dismissing all claims and allegations that the captives were property. The U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut appealed the decision to the circuit court in Hartford, which affirmed the lower court's decision. The case was then granted certiorari at the US Supreme Court. Justice Story delivered the opinion of the 7-1 majority, holding that the African captives had been free men at the time they were taken and therefore they were victims of kidnapping - not property. The Court ordered the captives be immediately released from custody and returned home. The freed men were temporarily housed by supporters in Farmington, Connecticut, until 1842 when they were transported by ship back to Sierra Leone.

Another fun fact: The 1997 film adaptation of this event - Amistad, directed by Steven Spielberg - featured Justice Harry Blackmun in the role of Justice Story during the reading of the 1841 SCOTUS opinion. It was the first time (that I know of) that a SCOTUS Justice played the role of a different Justice in a mainstream film!


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