Michael Mukasey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Mukasey
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| 81st United States Attorney General | |
| In office November 9, 2007 – January 20, 2009 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Alberto Gonzales |
| Succeeded by | Eric Holder |
| Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York | |
| In office August 1, 2006 – September 9, 2006 |
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| Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York | |
| In office March 12, 2000 – August 1, 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas P. Griesa |
| Succeeded by | Kimba Wood |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York | |
| In office November 9, 1987 – August 1, 2006 |
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| Appointed by | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | Abraham David Sofaer |
| Succeeded by | Richard J. Sullivan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Michael Bernard Mukasey
July 28, 1941 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Susan Mukasey |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Columbia University (BA) Yale University (LLB) |
Michael Bernard Mukasey (born July 28, 1941) is an American lawyer and former judge. He served as the 81st Attorney General of the United States from 2007 to 2009. Before that, he was a U.S. district judge for the Southern District of New York from 1987 to 2006.
Mukasey earned his history degree from Columbia University. He then studied law at Yale Law School. For two decades, he worked as a private lawyer. He also spent four years as an Assistant United States Attorney. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan chose him to be a judge. He became the Chief Judge in 2000 and retired in 2006.
President George W. Bush nominated Mukasey to be Attorney General. This happened after the previous Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales, resigned. Michael Mukasey was the second Jewish person to hold this important position. He left office when President Bush's term ended. Today, he works as a lawyer at an international law firm.
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Early Life and Education
Michael Mukasey was born in New York City on July 28, 1941. His father came to the U.S. in 1921 from a place near Baranavichy in Belarus. Michael went to the Ramaz School in Manhattan, New York City. This is a Modern Orthodox Jewish prep school. Both of his children also attended Ramaz. His wife, Susan, later taught there and was a headmistress.
After high school, Mukasey studied history at Columbia University. He wrote for the Columbia Daily Spectator newspaper. He graduated in 1963 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Then, he went to Yale Law School. There, he was an editor for the Yale Law Journal. He earned his law degree in 1967.
Early Career in Law
Mukasey practiced law in New York City for 20 years. For four of those years, he was an Assistant United States Attorney. He worked in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. During this time, he worked with Rudolph Giuliani.
From 1967 to 1972, he was an associate at a law firm. In 1976, he joined another New York law firm, Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler. He returned to this firm after he retired from being a judge. Since 1993, Mukasey has also taught at Columbia Law School every spring.
Mukasey's adopted son, Marc L. Mukasey, is also a lawyer. He is a founding partner at a law firm in New York City. The Mukaseys have a professional connection with Rudy Giuliani. Both Michael and Marc Mukasey advised Rudy Giuliani during his presidential campaign. Michael Mukasey also gave the oath of office to Giuliani when he became Mayor of New York City in 1994 and 1998.
Becoming a Judge
On July 27, 1987, President Ronald Reagan nominated Mukasey to be a United States District Judge. This was for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan. The United States Senate approved his nomination on November 6, 1987. He officially became a judge on November 9, 1987. He served in this role for 18 years. From March 2000 to July 2006, he was the Chief Judge.
Important Cases as a Judge
As a judge, Mukasey oversaw many important cases. He presided over the trial of Omar Abdel Rahman. This case involved a plot to bomb landmarks in New York City. Mukasey sentenced him to life in prison. During this case, Mukasey spoke out against information being leaked to the public. He worried that these leaks might unfairly influence potential jurors.
He also handled the case of Jose Padilla. Padilla was a U.S. citizen accused of terrorism. Mukasey ruled that Padilla could be held as an enemy combatant. However, he also said Padilla had the right to see his lawyers. Mukasey was also the judge in a big case involving the destruction of the World Trade Center. This case was between developer Larry Silverstein and several insurance companies.
In 2003, he stopped the Motion Picture Association of America from banning "screener" copies of films. These copies are used for awards season. He believed the ban was unfair to independent filmmakers. In 2004, Mukasey dismissed a case where people sued an Italian insurance company. They sought money for policies bought by Holocaust victims. He decided that the U.S. government preferred a voluntary way to solve these claims.
Retirement from the Bench
Federal judges usually serve for life. However, in June 2006, Mukasey announced he would retire as a judge. He wanted to return to working as a private lawyer. On August 1, 2006, Judge Kimba Wood took over as Chief Judge. Mukasey officially retired on September 9, 2006. Three days later, he rejoined his old law firm, Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler, as a partner.
In March 2007, Senator Chuck Schumer suggested Mukasey as a good choice for Attorney General. Schumer said Mukasey's reputation showed he put the "rule of law first." After retiring, Mukasey also gave money to political campaigns. He supported Giuliani for president and Joe Lieberman for Senate. He also received the Learned Hand Medal, a notable award.
Views on Law and Terrorism
In 2004, while still a judge, Mukasey wrote an article for The Wall Street Journal. In it, he defended the USA PATRIOT Act. This law was created to help fight terrorism. He also questioned if the FBI was unfairly targeting Arab people. He criticized the American Library Association for speaking out against the Patriot Act.
In August 2007, he wrote another article for The Wall Street Journal. He argued that current laws and systems were not well-suited to fight Islamic terrorism. Mukasey suggested that Congress should create new courts. He believed these courts could better handle cases related to national security.
Serving as U.S. Attorney General
On September 17, 2007, President Bush nominated Mukasey to be the new U.S. Attorney General. He would replace Alberto Gonzales. At his nomination event, Mukasey said his job would be to help protect national security. He also said the Justice Department must protect children, support business, and defend the rights and freedoms of Americans.
The White House hoped Mukasey would be quickly approved by the Senate. Senator Patrick Leahy, a Democrat, was happy that Mukasey promised to reduce political influence on Justice Department investigations. This was important because of past issues with the dismissal of U.S. Attorneys.
However, during his confirmation hearings, some senators had concerns. They asked Mukasey questions about certain interrogation methods. By November 1, 2007, several senators said they would vote against him. Despite this, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved his nomination on November 6. Two days later, the full Senate confirmed Mukasey by a vote of 53 to 40. This was a very close vote for an Attorney General. He was sworn in on November 9, 2007.
Notable Issues and Comments
Relationship with Rudy Giuliani
Mukasey and Rudy Giuliani have been friends since the early 1970s. They worked at the same law firm. Mukasey promised not to handle any cases involving Giuliani as Attorney General. He was also expected to avoid cases involving Bernard Kerik. Kerik was a former police commissioner under Giuliani who was under federal investigation.
During Giuliani's 2008 presidential campaign, Mukasey's stepson, Marc, worked to protect Giuliani. In 2017, Mukasey also met with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. He asked for the release of Reza Zarrab, a Turkish-Iranian gold trader who had been charged with crimes.
Comments on 9/11 Terrorist Punishment
In March 2008, Mukasey spoke in London. He said he hoped the people charged with the September 11 attacks would not be executed if found guilty. He mentioned this to avoid making them "martyrs." However, in March 2012, he clarified his comments. He said his "martyr" comment was a humorous reason. He then stated that if the detainees were found guilty, they should indeed be executed.
Comments on Pre-9/11 Phone Call
Mukasey made comments about an alleged phone call before 9/11. The Electronic Frontier Foundation said his comments were "a gross distortion of the facts." They pointed out that the government had ways to legally intercept such a call. Some commentators also questioned Mukasey's honesty. This was because the alleged phone call was not known to the 9/11 Commission.
Defending Attorney-Client Privilege
On April 18, 2018, Mukasey wrote an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal. The article was titled "Trump, Cohen and Attorney-Client Privilege." In it, he criticized the government's use of a search warrant. This warrant was used to search the legal records of Michael Cohen, a lawyer. He also criticized the past actions of former FBI directors Robert Mueller and James Comey.
See also
In Spanish: Michael Mukasey para niños
- List of Jewish American jurists
- List of Jewish United States Cabinet members
