Charles Proctor Sifton
Charles Proctor Sifton | |
|---|---|
| Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York | |
| In office March 18, 2000 – November 9, 2009 | |
| Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York | |
| In office 1995–2000 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Collier Platt Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Edward R. Korman |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York | |
| In office October 12, 1977 – March 18, 2000 | |
| Appointed by | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | John Francis Dooling Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Nicholas Garaufis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Charles Proctor Sifton March 18, 1935 New York City, New York |
| Died | November 9, 2009 (aged 74) Brooklyn, New York |
| Education | Harvard College (BA) Columbia Law School (LLB) |
Charles Proctor Sifton (March 18, 1935 – November 9, 2009) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York from 1977 to 2009 and its Chief Judge from 1995 to 2000.
Education and career
Born in
Federal judicial service
On August 16, 1977, President Jimmy Carter nominated Sifton to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York that had been vacated by Judge John Francis Dooling Jr. Sifton was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 12, 1977 and received his commission the same day.[1] He served as Chief Judge from 1995 to 2000, assuming senior status on March 18, 2000, and served in that status until his death from sarcoidosis on the morning of November 9, 2009.[2]
Notable cases
During his more than 30 years on the bench, he issued thousands of decisions in both civil and criminal cases. A few of his most publicized cases are listed below:
- In a 1982 opinion, Sifton held that the New York City firefighter eligibility test discriminated against female applicants. See NYFD.[3]
- In a 1987 case, Judge Sifton found for the Joseph I. Schneersohn to recover a collection of books from the Rebbe's library. See Agudas Chasidei Chabad v. Gourary, CV-85-2909, 650 F. Supp. 1463 (E.D.N.Y. 1987), aff’d 833 F.2d 431 (2d Cir. 1987). The Lubavitch community continue to celebrate the favorable decision in an annual holiday named "Hey Teves", meaning the fifth day of the Hebrew month of Teves, the Hebrew date on which the opinion was issued (corresponding to Jan. 6, 1987).[4][5]
- In another well known case, in 1992, Sifton found illegal the United States' seizure of RU-486 abortion pills that a pregnant woman had bought in France. The Supreme Court reversed his decision, but the publicity helped build support for the drug's U.S. approval in 2000. See Leona Benten v. David Kessler, Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, CV-92-3161, 799 F. Supp. 281 (E.D.N.Y. 1992), order stayed by USCA No. 92-6170., aff’d, 505 U.S. 1084, 112 S.Ct. 2929 (1992).[6][2]
- In 2009, Sifton rejected an attempt to overturn the legislation that cleared the way for Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and most other city elected officials to seek a third term.[7]
Personal
Sifton's first marriage was to Elisabeth Sifton, a prominent book editor and author who is the daughter of theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. He was survived by his wife, the artist Susan Rowland, children: Sam Sifton, the food editor of The New York Times and two other sons, Toby and John; and four grandchildren.[2]
References
- ^ a b Charles Proctor Sifton at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- ^ a b c Martin, Douglas (9 November 2009). "Charles P. Sifton, Judge in City Case on Term Limits, Dies at 74" – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ Douglas Martin (November 13, 2009). "US Judge Charles Sifton, 74; ruled on NYC term limits". New York Times. Retrieved May 20, 2019 – via The Boston Globe.
- Wikispaces.com. Archived from the original(PDF) on April 2, 2012.
- ^ Judge Sifton (November 17, 1987). "833 F2d 431 Agudas Chasidei Chabad of United States v. Gourary". OpenJurist. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
- ^ Sifton, Charles Proctor (July 14, 1992). "Benten v. Kessler, 799 F. Supp. 281 (E.D.N.Y 1992)". District Court, E.D. New York. CourtListener.com, Free Law Project. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
- ^ Santos, Fernanda (January 14, 2009). "Judge Rejects Suit Over Term Limits". The New York Times.
Sources
- Charles Proctor Sifton at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- Sarcoidosis United