Today in Supreme Court History: February 14, 1845

2/14/1845: Justice Samuel Nelson takes judicial oath.

Justice Samuel Nelson

Comments

[Dan Schiavetta]

Wrote the original "hands-off" decision in Dred Scott. And then Taney had a "senior moment" . . .

[DaivdBehar]

Concurred in Dred Scott. This Democrat helped to set off the Civil War.

[F.D. Wolf]

Chief Justice Taney initially assigned the majority opinion to Nelson, which would summarily dispose of the case by stating that Scott was not a citizen, so the Court had no jurisdiction to hear the case, but when Taney learned that the dissenters were writing broad attacks on slavery, he felt obliged to write the majority opinion himself, defending slavery. So, Nelson's majority opinion became Nelson's concurring opinion.

[bernard11]

Looks like a crotchety old bastard.

[Dan Schiavetta]

He’s glaring at somebody off camera.