George N. Leighton
| George N. Leighton | |
|---|---|
| Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois | |
|
In office February 27, 1986 – December 1, 1987 | |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois | |
|
In office February 4, 1976 – February 27, 1986 | |
| Appointed by | Gerald Ford |
| Preceded by | Abraham L. Marovitz |
| Succeeded by | James Henry Alesia |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
George Neves Leitão October 22, 1912 New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Alma mater |
Howard University Harvard Law School |
| Occupation | Retired judge; World War II veteran military officer |
George N. Leighton (né George Neves Leitão; born October 22, 1912) is a retired African-American jurist.
Personal life
George Neves Leitão was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts to Ana Silva Garcia and António Neves Leitão, both originally from Brava, Cape Verde.[1] His surname was anglicised as "Leighton" by a teacher who claimed she could not pronounce his last name "Leitão". His parents agreed.[2]
Leighton was married to the late Virginia Berry Quivers; the couple had two daughters, Virginia Anne and Barbara Elaine. As of 2015, Leighton has five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.[3][4] He was a tournament chess player.[5] He turned 103 in October 2015.[6]
Career
Leighton graduated from Howard University with an A.B. in 1940 and from Harvard Law School with an LL.B. in 1946. From 1942-1945 he had served in the United States army, raising to the rank of Captain. He was in private practice from 1946–64, aside from the period during which he served as Assistant State Attorney General of Illinois (1949–51). He was a Master in Chancery, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois from 1960–64.
Leighton was a judge with the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois from 1964–69, and was a judge with the First District Appellate Court of Illinois from 1969-76. Leighton was the first African-American to hold this position in the State of Illinois. In 1975 President Gerald Ford nominated Leighton to a seat on the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois. This was a seat being vacated by Abraham L. Marovitz. He was confirmed on February 2, 1976, and received commission on February 4, 1976. He retired from this position on November 30, 1987, and returned to the practice of law with the firm of Earl L. Neal & Associates.[7]
Leighton became a Life Member in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1964, having served the Chicago branch as president and general counsel for several years. On June 29, 2012, the Cook County Criminal Courthouse in Chicago was renamed in his honor as The Hon. George N. Leighton Criminal Court Building.
Quotes
| “ | The difference between God and prosecuting attorneys is that God doesn't think himself a prosecuting attorney....[8] | ” |
References
- ↑ "Juiz de origem cabo-verdiana homenageado nos EUA" (in Portuguese). A Semana online. January 11, 2009.
- ↑ Listing from the African-American Registry
- ↑ http://www.jonathanpollard.org/2001/100501c.htm
- ↑ http://www.chicagolawyermagazine.com/Archives/2010/07/01/profile-07-2010.aspx
- ↑ http://chicagochess.blogspot.com/2010/07/honorable-george-neves-leighton.html
- ↑ Manson, Patricia (2012-10-22). "Leighton reaches the century mark". Chicago Daily Law Bulletin. Retrieved 2012-10-31.
- ↑ http://www.nealandleroy.com/firm-history/
- ↑ Address to NAACP, November, 1964
External links
- Biographical Sketch of George N. Leighton
- Listing from American Inns of Court
- Listing from the History Makers
- Biographical profile
- George N. Leighton at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Abraham Lincoln Marovitz |
Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois 1976–1986 |
Succeeded by James Henry Alesia |