27 Facts About Thomas Meskill

Thomas Meskill is noted as having served in all three branches of government and at the local, state and federal levels of government during his career of public service.

Thomas Joseph Meskill was born on January 30,1928, in New Britain, Connecticut.

Thomas Meskill then attended Bloomfield's St Thomas Seminary, although his original intention had been to pursue pre-medical studies.

Thomas Meskill earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Trinity College in Hartford in 1950.

Thomas Meskill was honorably discharged in 1953 with the rank of first lieutenant.

Thomas Meskill studied at the New York University School of Law and the University of Connecticut Law School, where he was editor of the Law Review, earning a Bachelor of Laws from the latter institution in 1956, later being admitted to the bar and practicing in New Britain that year.

In 1958, Thomas Meskill made a failed bid for the Connecticut Senate.

Thomas Meskill served for two years as New Britain's assistant corporation counsel starting in 1960.

Thomas Meskill then won election and served a term as New Britain's mayor from 1962 to 1964.

Thomas Meskill was defeated for re-election and failed in an attempt to win a campaign for Congress that same year.

Thomas Meskill served as New Britain's corporation counsel from 1965 to 1966.

Thomas Meskill served in the 90th and 91st Congresses, from January 3,1967, to January 3,1971.

Thomas Meskill became the first Republican elected to the position since John Davis Lodge in 1950.

Thomas Meskill served from January 6,1971, to January 8,1975.

Thomas Meskill was the only Republican party nominee to win an election for governor in Connecticut between 1950 and 1994.

Thomas Meskill was involved in the founding of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and of the Connecticut Lottery.

In 1974, with the ongoing Watergate scandal in the background and following severe criticism of his not returning from a Vermont skiing trip during a severe ice storm in Connecticut, Thomas Meskill decided not to run for re-election.

On January 16,1975, President Gerald Ford renominated Meskill to be the 38th judge of the Second Circuit court, succeeding to the seat vacated by Judge J Joseph Smith.

Thomas Meskill was commissioned to his seat the next day.

Thomas Meskill served as the Second Circuit's Chief Judge from 1992 to 1993.

Thomas Meskill assumed senior status on June 30,1993, which he retained until his death some 32 years after he took the bench.

Thomas Meskill participated in many influential rulings during his tenure on the Court, including several adopted by the United States Supreme Court.

The United States Supreme Court agreed with Thomas Meskill and reversed the Second Circuit majority, holding that an indigent defendant did not have a constitutional right to compel appointed counsel to press non-frivolous points, where, as a matter of professional judgment, counsel chose not to do so.

Thomas Meskill predicted the Supreme Court's rejection of the majority's "new constitutional privilege"; the Supreme Court reversed the Second Circuit, affording no absolute privilege to the editorial process of a media defendant in a libel case.

The Supreme Court disagreed and again sided with Thomas Meskill, concluding that the fact that excerpts were newsworthy did not alone shield the publisher from copyright liability.

Thomas Meskill died in Boynton Beach, Florida on October 29,2007, at the age of 79.

At the time of his passing, Thomas Meskill had homes in Berlin, Connecticut and Delray Beach, Florida.