Jawn Sandifer facts for kids

Jawn Ardin Sandifer (born June 6, 1914 – died September 1, 2006) was an important American lawyer and judge. He worked hard to protect civil rights for all people. He was even a judge on the New York State Supreme Court. Sandifer led the New York branch of the NAACP. This group works for equal rights. He helped with many important cases, including those about school segregation. He even argued a big case called Henderson v. United States (1950) in front of the highest court in the U.S., the Supreme Court.

Jawn Sandifer's Early Life

Jawn Sandifer was born on June 6, 1914. His birthplace was Greensboro, North Carolina. He was one of nine children. His parents were Charles and Nettie Sandifer. When he was in college, he changed his first name from John to Jawn. Sandifer finished college at Johnson C. Smith University in 1935. In 1938, he earned his law degree. He studied law at the Howard University School of Law.

Jawn Sandifer's Career

Early in his career, Sandifer fought against Jim Crow laws. These laws created unfair rules that separated people based on race. During World War II, he worked in the Army's crime investigation unit. In 1949, he moved to New York City. He started his own law office in Harlem.

That same year, he was chosen to be a lawyer for the New York branch of the NAACP. He worked with another famous lawyer, Thurgood Marshall. In 1950, he got to argue a very important case. It was about unfair treatment and was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. The case was called Henderson v. United States.

Becoming a Judge

Jawn Sandifer became a judge in 1964. The mayor of New York City, Robert F. Wagner, appointed him to the civil court. In 1982, Sandifer won an election. He became a judge for the State Supreme Court in Manhattan. He retired from being a judge in 1992.

New York City Sanitation Case

In 1986, Judge Sandifer handled a case about a new test. This test was for people who wanted to work for the City Sanitation Department. The workers' union said the new test was too easy. They thought it did not properly check if people could do the job. An older test from 1974 had tough obstacle courses. These included climbing eight-foot walls. But these obstacles were not really part of collecting garbage.

About 45,000 people took the 1986 test. A huge number, 44,000, got the highest score. Among them, 1,710 were women. Judge Sandifer decided that the new test was fair. He sided with the City Sanitation Department. His decision allowed the department to hire women for the first time.

Case About Medical Decisions

In 1987, Judge Sandifer heard a case about medical treatment. A patient named Thomas Wirth had a serious illness. He had written a special document. It said that if he could not get better, he did not want extreme medical care.

The hospital, Bellevue Hospital, was giving him treatment. Judge Sandifer decided that the hospital could continue treatment. This was because it was not clear if the patient's condition could be treated or not. Thomas Wirth passed away later that year.

Jawn Sandifer's Personal Life

Jawn Sandifer was married to Laura Sandifer. They had a son named Floyd. Laura passed away in 1993. Later, Sandifer married Elsa Krueger–Sandifer.

Jawn Sandifer died on September 1, 2006. He was 92 years old. He is buried in Oakland Cemetery in Sag Harbor, New York.