Eugene F. Pigott Jr. (born September 1946) is an American jurist who served as an Associate Judge of the

New York Court of Appeals The New York Court of Appeals is the highest court in the Unified Court System of the 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 and confirmed by t ...

from 2006 until 2016. He was appointed by Republican Governor George Pataki, and his term expired when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 70.

Early life and education

Pigott grew up in Rush, New York, a suburb of Rochester, and graduated from

McQuaid Jesuit High School McQuaid Jesuit High School is an all-male, Catholic, Jesuit, college preparatory school run by the USA Northeast Jesuit province of the Society of Jesus in the metropolitan area of Rochester, New York. The school is named Named after Bernard J. M ...

. He graduated with a B.A. from LeMoyne College in 1968. Judge Pigott served on active duty in the United States Army from 1968 to 1970. He was stationed in the Republic of Vietnam, serving as a Vietnamese interpreter. He graduated with a J.D. from SUNY at Buffalo School of Law in 1973.

Legal experience

Judge Pigott was in private practice from 1974 to 1982 at the small but elite Buffalo firm of Offermann, Fallon, Mahoney & Adner. In 1982 he was appointed Erie County Attorney and served in that position until 1986. In 1986 he returned to private practice as chief trial counsel at his former firm, now renamed Offermann, Cassano, Pigott & Greco. On February 4, 1997, he was appointed to the New York State Supreme Court by Governor George E. Pataki and thereafter was elected to a full 14-year term. In 1998, Governor Pataki appointed Pigott to the Appellate Division for the Fourth Judicial Department. He served as Presiding Justice from February 16, 2000, until his appointment to the Court of Appeals. His selection for a 14-year term to New York State's Court of Appeals, also by Governor Pataki, was confirmed by the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan com ...

in 2006. In his first years on the court, Pigott dissented relatively frequently. Compared to his colleagues he was slightly more likely to favor plaintiffs in civil cases and the prosecution in criminal cases. Pigott became known for repealing the

Sugary drinks portion cap rule The sugary drinks portion cap rule, also known as the soda ban, was a proposed limit on soft drink size in New York City intended to prohibit the sale of many sweetened drinks more than 16 fluid ounces (0.47 liters) in volume to have taken effect ...

in New York City, arguing the New York City Board of Health exceeded its powers. He retired from the Court of Appeals effective December 31, 2016, the end of the year in which he reached age 70, as required by the New York State Constitution.

Personal life

He and his wife Peggy live in Grand Island, New York. They have two children, David and Martha.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pigott, Eugene F. 1946 births Living people Judges of the New York Court of Appeals New York (state) lawyers Le Moyne College alumni University at Buffalo Law School alumni United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War Politicians from Rochester, New York Lawyers from Rochester, New York United States Army soldiers Presiding Justices of the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Fourth Department