Bill Text: PA SR119 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Honoring the life and work of Chief Justice Ralph J. Cappy for his great and illustrious service to this Commonwealth and contributions to the law.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2009-05-06 - Introduced and adopted [SR119 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-SR119-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 1007
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No. 119 Session of2009
INTRODUCED BY COSTA, FONTANA, PIPPY, ORIE, LOGAN, FERLO, ALLOWAY, ARGALL, BAKER, BOSCOLA, BROWNE, BRUBAKER, CORMAN, DINNIMAN, EARLL, EICHELBERGER, ERICKSON, FARNESE, FOLMER, GORDNER, GREENLEAF, HUGHES, KASUNIC, KITCHEN, LEACH, McILHINNEY, MELLOW, MUSTO, O'PAKE, PICCOLA, PILEGGI, RAFFERTY, ROBBINS, SCARNATI, SMUCKER, STACK, STOUT, TARTAGLIONE, TOMLINSON, VANCE, VOGEL, WARD, WASHINGTON, WAUGH, D. WHITE, M. WHITE, WILLIAMS, WONDERLING, WOZNIAK AND YAW, MAY 6, 2009
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, MAY 6, 2009
A RESOLUTION
Honoring the life and work of Chief Justice Ralph J. Cappy for
his great and illustrious service to this Commonwealth and
contributions to the law.
WHEREAS, Ralph J. Cappy was born on August 25, 1943, to the
late Catherine Miljus Cappy and Joseph R. Cappy; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Cappy earned his bachelor's degree
from the University of Pittsburgh and his juris doctorate from
the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1965 and 1968,
respectively; and
WHEREAS, Upon graduating from the University of Pittsburgh
School of Law, Chief Justice Cappy served as law clerk to the
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas President Judge Henry
Ellebogen before entering the general practice of law, and he
later served as an Allegheny County public defender and was
elevated to chief public defender; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Cappy began what was to become a
30-year career on the bench in 1978, when Governor Milton J.
Shapp appointed him a judge of the Court of Common Pleas of
Allegheny County; and
WHEREAS, In 1979, Chief Justice Cappy was elected to serve a
full term as a judge of the court of common pleas, where he
served in the family, criminal and civil divisions; and
WHEREAS, In 1986, Chief Justice Cappy was appointed by the
Supreme Court as administrative judge of the Civil Division,
where he served until 1990; and
WHEREAS, In 1989, Chief Justice Cappy was elected to the
Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which is the highest court of the
Commonwealth, and he was retained to the position of justice of
the Supreme Court in 1999; and
WHEREAS, In January 2003, Chief Justice Cappy became the 56th
Chief Justice of Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, During his tenure on the Supreme Court, Chief
Justice Cappy worked to forge a cooperative working relationship
between the three branches of government, including the landmark
legislation and rules of court addressing the medical
malpractice crisis of 2000-2003; and
WHEREAS, This medical malpractice work between the
legislative, executive and judicial branches of government
produced a series of changes in the law and court rules that has
produced an immediate and positive result in this important area
of law; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Cappy served the University of
Pittsburgh as a member of its Board of Trustees for 17 years,
including chair of the board in 2003, which Chief Justice Cappy
served until his passing; and
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WHEREAS, Chief Justice Cappy was a member of the Board of
Visitors for the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and
served as its chair for 12 years; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Cappy served as the vice chairperson
for the Board of Directors of the University of Pittsburgh
Medical Center; and
WHEREAS, In recognition of his devotion to the University of
Pittsburgh and the rule of law, Chief Justice Cappy was named an
inaugural Pitt Legacy Laureate, received the School of Law's
Distinguished Alumnus Award and in 2008 was named a University
Distinguished Alumni Fellow; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Cappy's outstanding contributions
earned him many other awards, including the Harry Carrico Award
by the National Center for State Courts, one of only nine Bar
Medals of the Pennsylvania Bar Association awarded in its
114-year history; the Bar Medal, the highest honor from the
Philadelphia Bar; an Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree from
Widener University; the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Citation
of Merit; Pennsylvania State Police Man of the Year;
Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police Man of the Year; Italian
Heritage Foundation Man of the Year; the Allegheny County
Academy of Trial Lawyers Judicial Service Award; the Susan B.
Anthony Award from the Women's Bar Association of Western
Pennsylvania; the Allegheny County Bar Association Presidential
Award of Merit; and the Pennsylvania Association for Justice's
President's Award; and
WHEREAS, United States Supreme Court Justice William H.
Rehnquist appointed Chief Justice Cappy to the United States
Judicial Conference Committee on Federal-State Jurisdiction; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Cappy was a member of the Allegheny
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County Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the
American Bar Association, the American Judicature Society, the
Justinian Society, the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial
Court Judges, the Duquesne University Cyril H. Wecht Institute
of Forensic Science and Law, the Advisory Board of the
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Health Systems and the
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh; and
WHEREAS, In January 2008, Chief Justice Cappy retired from
the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and joined the law firm of
Buchanan, Ingersoll and Rooney, PC, where his practice focused
on commercial litigation and appellate law; and
WHEREAS, Chief Justice Cappy is survived by his wife, Janet
Fry Cappy, a son, Erick A. Fry, and a sister, Patricia Smith;
therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate honor the life and work of Chief
Justice Ralph J. Cappy for his great and illustrious service to
this Commonwealth and contributions to the law; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That the Senate extend condolences to the family of
Chief Justice Ralph J. Cappy upon his passing.
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