John Louis Coffey (April 15, 1922 – November 10, 2012) was a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court and later a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Education and career

Coffey was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and graduated from the Marquette University High School in 1939. Coffey received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Marquette University in 1943 and was in the United States Navy during World War II, from 1943 to 1946. He received a

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

from Marquette University Law School in 1948. He was an assistant city attorney for the city of Milwaukee from 1949 to 1954. He was a judge for

Milwaukee County Milwaukee County is located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2020 census, the population was 939,489, down from 947,735 in 2010. It is both the most populous and most densely populated county in Wisconsin, and the 45th most populous coun ...

, Wisconsin, first as a Civil Court judge from 1954 to 1960, then a Municipal Court judge from 1960 to 1962, and then as a Circuit Court judge, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin from 1962 to 1978. He was the senior judge of the Criminal Division from 1972 to 1975, and chief presiding judge of the Criminal Division in 1976, switching to the civil division from 1976 to 1978. He was a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court from 1978 to 1982.

Federal judicial service

On February 19, 1982, Coffey was nominated by President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit vacated by Judge

Thomas E. Fairchild Thomas Edward Fairchild (December 25, 1912 – February 12, 2007) was an American lawyer and judge. He served forty years as a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Earlier in his career he was a justice of the Wi ...

. Coffey was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 18, 1982, and received his commission the following day. He assumed senior status on July 2, 2004, and took inactive senior status on January 1, 2012. He died, aged 90, on November 10, 2012.

Notes

Sources

FJC Bio

External links

*
John Coffey, Wisconsin Historical Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coffey, John Louis 1922 births 2012 deaths Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit Marquette University alumni Marquette University Law School alumni Military personnel from Milwaukee Lawyers from Milwaukee United States court of appeals judges appointed by Ronald Reagan 20th-century American judges United States Navy personnel of World War II Wisconsin state court judges Justices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court Marquette University High School alumni