Thomas Cooley
25th Justice Thomas Cooley
Thomas Cooley, born January 6th, 1824, was the 25th Justice and a Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court. He was born in Attica, New York and lived 74 years until his death in 1898. He published a treatise known as the General Principles of Constitutional Law in 1880. This document provided a further look at the Second Amendment and provided Cooley's insight on the way he thought the Second Amendment was originally intended to be interpreted. Cooley said the right was intended to provide a strong, moral check against tyranny in the country, but also looked at the fact that the right may only have been meant to include the militia. Cooley went further to explain that the militia included all persons liable to perform military duty. He also discussed the fact that the right was only meant to include firearms suitable for general defense against invasion or oppression from the government.
"Professor Cooley was not a contemporary of the Framers but he was one of the most respected--if not most respected--legal scholars of the late nineteenth century." -David Hardy
"Professor Cooley was not a contemporary of the Framers but he was one of the most respected--if not most respected--legal scholars of the late nineteenth century." -David Hardy