The New York circuit courts were circuit courts created by the

New York State Constitution The Constitution of the State of New York establishes the structure of the government of the State of New York, and enumerates the basic rights of the citizens of New York. Like most state constitutions in the United States, New York's constituti ...

of 1821, and abolished by the Constitution of 1846.

History

Under the provisions of the Constitution of New York, 1777, the justices of the

New York Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in the New York State Unified Court System. (Its Appellate Division is also the highest intermediate appellate court.) It is vested with unlimited civ ...

had been holding traveling circuit courts. Under the Constitution of 1821, the state was divided in eight senatorial districts, so known because each district elected four senators, which were also used as judicial divisions. The circuit courts were organized by an act passed April 17, 1823. Laws of 1822
c. 182, p. 208
/ref> The circuit court judges were appointed by the

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

and confirmed by the

State Senate A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...

. The circuit courts ceased to exist on July 5, 1847, when the jurisdiction was taken over by the district benches of the

the justices of which had been elected at the special judicial election in May 1847.

List of judges

First Circuit

*1823–1841 Ogden Edwards *1841–1845

William Kent William Kent (c. 1685 – 12 April 1748) was an English architect, landscape architect, painter and furniture designer of the early 18th century. He began his career as a painter, and became Principal Painter in Ordinary or court painter, but ...

*1845–1847

John W. Edmonds John Worth Edmonds (March 13, 1799 – April 5, 1874) was an American lawyer and politician from New York, and co-founder of Children's Village with 23 others. Life He was the son of General Samuel Edmonds (1760–1825; assemblyman in 1803) and L ...

Second Circuit

*1823–1827

Samuel Betts Samuel Rossiter Betts (June 8, 1786 – November 3, 1868) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as a United States representative from New York and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the ...

*1827–1831

James Emott James Emott (March 9, 1771 – April 7, 1850) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. Life He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1790, and commenced practice in Ballston Center. He was land commissioner to settle disputes of ...

*1831–1846

Charles H. Ruggles Charles Herman Ruggles (February 10, 1789 – June 16, 1865) was an American lawyer and politician who was a U.S. Representative from New York and Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals. Early life Ruggles was born on February 10, 1789, ...

*1846 Selah B. Strong (declined) *1846–1847 Seward Barculo

Third Circuit

*1823–1830

William Alexander Duer William Alexander Duer (September 8, 1780 – May 30, 1858) was an American lawyer, jurist, and educator from New York City who served as the President of Columbia University from 1829 to 1842. He was also a slaveholder, owning numerous enslave ...

*1830–1838 James Vanderpoel *1838–1844

John P. Cushman John Paine Cushman (March 8, 1784 Plainfield, Windham County, Connecticut – September 16, 1848 Troy, Rensselaer County, New York) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. Early life Cushman attended the common schools and Plai ...

*1844–1847 Amasa J. Parker

Fourth Circuit

*1823–1828

Reuben H. Walworth Reuben Hyde Walworth (October 26, 1788 – November 27, 1867) was an American lawyer, jurist and politician. Although nominated three times to the United States Supreme Court by President John Tyler in 1844, the U.S. Senate never attempted a ...

*1828–1836 Esek Cowen *1838–1847

John Willard John Willard ( 1657 - August 19, 1692) was one of the people executed for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts, during the Salem witch trials. He was hanged on Gallows Hill, Salem on August 19, 1692. At the time of the first allegations of witchc ...

Fifth Circuit

*1823–1834 Nathan Williams *1834

Samuel Beardsley Samuel Beardsley (February 6, 1790 – May 6, 1860) was an American attorney, judge and legislator from New York. During his career he served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, New York Attorney General, United States ...

*1834–1838

Hiram Denio Hiram Denio (May 21, 1799 – November 5, 1871) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1856 to 1857; and from 1862 to 1865. Life He was born on May 21, 1799, in Rome, Oneid ...

*1838 Isaac H. Bronson *1838–1847 Philo Gridley

Sixth Circuit

*1823–1831

Samuel Nelson Samuel Nelson (November 10, 1792 – December 13, 1873) was an American attorney and appointed as judge of New York State courts. He was appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1872. He concu ...

*1831–1846

Robert Monell Robert Monell (April 25, 1787November 29, 1860) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. From 1829 to 1831, he served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Jacksonian. Life Monell was born in Columbia County, New Yor ...

*1846–1847

Hiram Gray Hiram Gray (July 10, 1801 in Salem, Washington County, New York – May 6, 1890 in Elmira, Chemung County, New York) was an American lawyer, jurist, and politician from New York who served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1837 ...

Seventh Circuit

*1823–1828

Enos Throop Enos Thompson Throop ( ; August 21, 1784 – November 1, 1874) was an American lawyer, politician, and diplomat who was the tenth Governor of New York from 1829 to 1832. Early life and career Throop was born in Johnstown, New York on August 21 ...

*1829–1844 Daniel Moseley *1844–1847 Bowen Whiting

Eighth Circuit

*1823–1826 William B. Rochester *1826

Albert H. Tracy Albert Haller Tracy (June 17, 1793 – September 19, 1859) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. Life Tracy pursued classical studies, and later studied medicine. In 1811, Tracy removed to New York, where he stopped studying m ...

(declined) *1826–1829 John Birdsall *1829–1838

Addison Gardiner Addison Gardiner (March 19, 1797 – June 5, 1883) was an American lawyer and politician who served as Lieutenant governor of New York from 1845 to 1847 and Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1854 to 1855. Early life and career ...

*1838 John B. Skinner *1838–1847 Nathan Dayton

References

* {{refend New York (state) state courts Legal history of New York (state) 1823 establishments in New York (state) 1847 disestablishments in New York (state) Courts and tribunals established in 1823 Courts and tribunals disestablished in 1847