Jay

Born: December 12, 1745 New York City, NY
Died: May 17, 1829 Bedford, NY
Education: boarding school in Rochelle, NY
               Graduated Kings College aka Columbia University in 1764 where he studied law
                Admitted to the bar in 1768
Employment: Partner of Rober R. Livingston
                    1774-1776 member of the 1st Continental Congress
                    1777 he helped form the New York State Constitution
                            he was appointed chief justice of the New York Court in May
                    1778-1779 member of the 2nd Continental Congress
                    1778 resigned his position on the New York Court to become President of the Continental                                      Congress from December 10, 1778 to September 28, 1779
                    1779 appointed Minister Plenipotentiary to Spain September 27, 1779
                    1781 appointed to be one of the ministers to negotiate peace with Great Britian on June 14th
                            Signed the Treaty of Paris
                    1783 appointed to negotiate treaties witht he European powers
                    1784 appointed Secretary of Foreign Affairs July 1st
                    1789 appointed the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court by President George                                 Washiton September 26th
                    1792 lost his bid for the governorship of New York
                    1795 resigned as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court
                    1795-1801 Governor of New York
                    1802 retired to Bedford, NY

     Chief Justice John Jay had a brand new court in front of him. He had seen the creation of a new government and had even participated in its creation. (supreme court, 2002) There were many problems that this new court ran into and the very first was transportation. The United States Supreme Court was suppose to assemble on February 1, 1790 in the Merchants Exchange Building in New York City, NY but because of some of the justices couldn�t get to New York because of transportation Jay was forced to postpone the first meeting of the Court until February 2nd. When the Court was finally able to convene the first issues of business was to organize. (2002) This was the first time any of the justices ever served on the federal court and they had to read the Constitution and interpret it as to what they were suppose to do. The Jay court didn�t hear its first case until its second year with the case Georgia v. Brailsford.
     The Court decided that they wanted to adopt the British form of court but where not going to adopt the wigs just the robes. This case also let the other justices give a dissent to the case if they didn�t agree with the outcome of the case. It wasn�t Chisholm v. Georgia in February 1793 that the Court handed down its first important decision. Georgia believed that it should be immune from being sued by a citizen. Wilson gave the opinion of the court where he declared, �if a free individual is amenable to the courts, the same should be true of the states. States are subject to the same rules of morality as individuals. If a dishonest state willfully refused to perform a contract, should it be permitted �to insult� justice� by being permitted to declare, �I am a sovereign state�?� (Schwartz, 1993)
       When Chief Justice Jay retired he made the statement: �placed in an office� which takes me from my Family half the Year, and obliges me to pass too considerable a part of my Time on the Road, in Lodging Houses, & Inns.� (1993) This was the same sentiment that most of the justices felt but they stayed because they felt they had an obligation to the county. The Jay court helped establish the court and find it a home in Washington D.C. but it wouldn�t be until John Marshall where the court would actually be seen as an institute not to be taken lightly.