William Orville Douglas was born on October 16, 1898, and died on January 19, 1980, and served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1939 to 1975, the longest tenure of any justice in the Courts history at thirty six years and two hundred nine days. Nominated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to succeed Justice Louis Brandeis, he was confirmed at age forty, one of the youngest justices ever appointed, after having chaired the Securities and Exchange Commission. Known for strong progressive and civil libertarian views often described as the most liberal in the Courts history, he wrote the majority opinion in Griswold v. Connecticut, which established a constitutional right to privacy that later decisions such as Roe v. Wade and Obergefell v. Hodges built upon, joined the unanimous Brown v. Board of Education ruling outlawing school segregation, and was an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War and advocate for environmentalism.
Facts
RoleAssociate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (1939-1975) 1 Nationality / Jurisdiction BirthplaceMaine Township, Minnesota 1 Place of Death Classification
Field of LawLegal Philosophy and Jurisprudence 1 Field of Law Role
Role (category) William O. Douglas
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FAQs
Why did William O. Douglas stay the Rosenbergs' execution in 1953, and what happened next?
He stayed the Rosenbergs' execution because a jury had not consented to the death sentence; the Court reconvened and set the stay aside.
On June 17, 1953, Douglas granted a temporary stay of execution to Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. His basis was that Judge Irving Kaufman had sentenced them to death without the consent of the jury. That was permissible under the Espionage Act of 1917, under which they were tried, but the later Atomic Energy Act of 1946 held that only a jury could pronounce the death penalty. Because the Court was out of session, the stay meant a wait of at least six months. Attorney General Herbert Brownell took his objection to Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson, who reconvened the Court early and set the stay aside. The same day, Representative William M. Wheeler introduced a resolution to impeach Douglas, and on July 7, 1953, the committee voted to end the investigation.
What is William O. Douglas's record on the Supreme Court, and what was his best-known opinion?
The longest-serving justice in history, 1939 to 1975, best known for Griswold v. Connecticut and the right to privacy.
Douglas served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1939 to 1975, the longest-serving justice in history at 36 years and 209 days. He was nominated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and confirmed at the age of 40, one of the youngest justices appointed to the court. One of his most notable opinions was Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), which established the constitutional right to privacy and was foundational to later cases such as Eisenstadt v. Baird, Roe v. Wade, Lawrence v. Texas and Obergefell v. Hodges.
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Source Wikidata: William O. Douglas
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Source William O. Douglas (Wikipedia)
Works Attributed
Source Griswold v. Connecticut (Wikipedia)
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Source William O. Douglas (Wikipedia)Lead sentence 1tier 2Quote, Lead sentence 1
William Orville Douglas (October 16, 1898 – January 19, 1980) was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1939 to 1975.
Sources
1. William O. Douglas (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributorsLead section, opening sentence
was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1939 to 1975.
Infobox, Born
born October 16, 1898 in Maine Township, Minnesota
Infobox, Died
died January 19, 1980 in Washington, D.C.
- Member Of: United States Supreme Court, lead states served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1939 to 1975
View the Source Wikidata: William O. Douglas
Wikidata Q1391996 self-citation (QID resolved for a previously unsourced jurist)
P31 (instance of): human; QID resolved and verified for this jurist (William O. Douglas)
- In Legal System: Law of the United States, William Orville Douglas (October 16, 1898, January 19, 1980) was an American jurist who served as an associate justice
View the SourceGriswold v. Connecticut (Wikipedia)
Works Attributed: Griswold v. Connecticut, Article textQuote, Works Attributed: Griswold v. Connecticut, Article text
Justice William O. Douglas wrote for the majority
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