Joseph Casey (December 17, 1814 – February 10, 1879) was a

United States Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

and a

judge A judge is a person who wiktionary:preside, presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a judicial panel. In an adversarial system, the judge hears all the witnesses and any other Evidence (law), evidence presented by the barris ...

and chief justice of the Court of Claims.

Education and career

Born on December 17, 1814, at Ringgold Manor in the unincorporated community of Ringgold, Washington County,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, Casey

read law Reading law was the primary method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship un ...

with Charles B. Penrose of

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...

in 1838. He was admitted to the bar and entered private practice in Bloomfield, Pennsylvania from 1838 to 1845. He continued private practice in New Berlin, Pennsylvania from 1845 to 1849.

Congressional service

Casey was elected as a Whig from

Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district The 13th congressional district of Pennsylvania is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The district contains all of Adams, Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin, and Perry counties. ...

to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

of the

31st United States Congress The 31st United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from March 4, 1849, ...

, serving from March 4, 1849, to March 3, 1851. He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1850.

Later career

Following his departure from Congress, Casey resumed private practice in New Berlin from 1851 to 1855, and in

Harrisburg Harrisburg ( ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat, seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50, ...

, Pennsylvania from 1855 to 1861. He was a Commissioner for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1855. He was the reporter of decisions for the

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the highest court in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Judiciary of Pennsylvania, Unified Judicial System. It began in 1684 as the Provincial Court, and casual references to it as ...

from 1856 to 1861.

Federal judicial service

Casey received a

recess appointment In the United States, a recess appointment is an appointment by the President of the United States, president of a Officer of the United States, federal official when the United States Senate, U.S. Senate is in Recess (motion), recess. Under the ...

from President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

on May 23, 1861, to a Judge seat on the Court of Claims (later the

United States Court of Claims The Court of Claims was a federal court that heard claims against the United States government. It was established in 1855, renamed in 1948 to the United States Court of Claims (), and abolished in 1982. Then, its jurisdiction was assumed by the n ...

) vacated by Judge George Parker Scarburgh. He was nominated to the same position by President Lincoln on July 9, 1861. He was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

on July 22, 1861, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on March 13, 1863, due to his elevation to be Chief Justice of the same court. Casey was nominated by President Lincoln on March 12, 1863, to the Court of Claims, to the new Chief Justice seat authorized by 12 Stat. 765. He was confirmed by the Senate on March 13, 1863, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on December 1, 1870, due to his resignation.

Later career and death

Following his resignation from the federal bench, Casey resumed private practice in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

from 1871 to 1879. He was a professor at National University (now

George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally-chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Originally named Columbian College, it was chartered in 1821 by ...

) from 1871 to 1879. He died on February 10, 1879, in Washington, D.C. He was interred in Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

References

Sources

*
The Political Graveyard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Casey, Joseph Judges of the United States Court of Claims Pennsylvania state court judges Pennsylvania lawyers 1814 births 1879 deaths Burials at Oak Hill Cemetery (Washington, D.C.) United States Article I federal judges appointed by Abraham Lincoln 19th-century Pennsylvania state court judges Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania 19th-century people from Pennsylvania 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives