The Judge Who Redeemed His Family Name - Remembering Justice Benjamin Cardozo On His Birth Anniversary
Justice Cardozo in his judicial robes. Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States To the legal fraternity, the name “Cardozo” today globally means Benjamin Cardozo, who in the words of Andrew Kaufman, “stands for the supreme exposition of the progressive common-law tradition in American law.” However, in the nineteenth century, it meant Albert Cardozo and this name stood for political corruption and its effect on law. On May 1, 1872, Albert Cardozo resigned from his position as a judge of the New York State Supreme Court. The New York City Bar Association had come out with a report that called for his impeachment trial along with that of his fellow judges George Barnard and John McCunn for their involvement in corruption conduct in office, and for high crimes and misdemeanours. Barnard and McCunn were summarily impeached and removed from office and had he not resigned, Cardozo would have met the same fate. Albert Cardozo’s resignation shattered his reputation in the whole Jew