Sol Wachtler
Sol Wachtler | |
|---|---|
| Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals | |
| In office January 2, 1985 – November 10, 1992 | |
| Appointed by | Mario Cuomo |
| Preceded by | Lawrence H. Cooke |
| Succeeded by |
|
| Associate Judge of the New York Court of Appeals | |
| In office 1973–1985 | |
| Justice of the New York Supreme Court | |
| In office 1968–1972 | |
| Appointed by | Nelson Rockefeller |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Solomon Wachtler April 29, 1930 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Joan Wolosoff
(m. 1952; died 2022) |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Washington and Lee University (BA, LLB) |
| Occupation | Attorney, judge |
Solomon "Sol" Wachtler (born April 29, 1930) is an American former jurist, Republican politician, attorney, and author from the state of New York. He served as Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1985 to 1992. Wachtler's most famous quote, made shortly after his appointment as Chief Judge, is that district attorneys could get grand juries to "indict a ham sandwich".
A graduate of Washington and Lee University, Wachtler served as a councilman and then a town supervisor of the Town of North Hempstead, New York. In 1968, he was appointed as a state trial court judge. Four years later, Wachtler was elected to the New York Court of Appeals, where he served for nearly 20 years and authored nearly 400 opinions. Gov. Mario Cuomo appointed him to the position of chief judge of the Court of Appeals in 1985.
In 1992, Wachtler was charged with various crimes stemming from threats he made against a former lover, Joy Silverman, and her daughter. After resigning his judgeship, Wachtler pleaded guilty to the charges and served thirteen months in prison and a halfway house. Following his release, Wachtler became an author and critic, as well as an advocate for the mentally ill.