John Pickering (judge)
| John Pickering | |
|---|---|
| Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire | |
|
In office 1795–1804 |
|
| Preceded by | John Sullivan |
| Succeeded by | John Samuel Sherburne |
| Judge of the New Hampshire Superior Court | |
|
In office 1790–1795 |
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| Member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives | |
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In office 1783–1787 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
September 22, 1737 Newington, New Hampshire |
| Died | April 11, 1805 (aged 67) Portsmouth, New Hampshire |
| Resting place | North Cemetery, Portsmouth, New Hampshire |
| Alma mater | Harvard College |
| Profession | Attorney |
John Pickering (September 22, 1737 – April 11, 1805) served as chief justice of the New Hampshire Superior Court of Judicature, and as judge for the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire. He was the first federal official to be removed from office upon conviction by impeachment.
Born in Newington, New Hampshire, Pickering studied law at Harvard College and was admitted to the bar after graduating in 1761. He was in private practice in Greenland, New Hampshire and Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Pickering served as a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives from 1783 to 1787. In 1787 he was elected to the New Hampshire delegation to the Constitutional Convention, but he declined to serve, instead continuing to practice law in Portsmouth.
In 1790, Pickering was appointed to the New Hampshire Superior Court, where he eventually served as Chief Justice. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1791.
In 1795, an attempt to remove Pickering from the New Hampshire Superior Court due to illness became bogged down in political problems, and therefore the state convinced President George Washington to appoint him to the relatively low workload post of the Federal District Court. On February 10, 1795, Washington nominated Pickering to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire vacated by John Sullivan. The following day, Pickering was confirmed by the United States Senate and received his commission. Pickering assumed the office in April 1795.
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Wikipedia