MA Supreme Judicial Court Justice Ralph Gants Dies

LEXINGTON, MA — Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants died, according to associate justices of the court.

The details of Gants death are unclear, but he announced last week that he had suffered a heart attack and had two stents inserted. In his announcement he said he expected to be back to his full duties.

"It is with deep sadness that the Associate Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court announce the death of Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants. Our hearts and prayers are with his family. We have no further information at this time," the justices said.

Gov. Charlie Baker and state Senate President Karen Spilka said in a statement that Gants kept the public good in his heart and worked to make a more just Commonwealth.

Baker said Gants "led the Supreme Judicial Court with intelligence, integrity and distinction."

Spilka called Gants "An important voice in reforming our criminal justice system."

U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling made a statement as well, saying, "We are saddened by the passing of Chief Justice Gants. He was an outstanding jurist and a good man. He will be missed."

Gants became the 37th Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court in July 2014 when he was sworn in by Governor Deval Patrick. Before joining the SJC, he served for more than eleven years as an Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court, and was Administrative Justice of the Superior Court's Business Litigation Session in 2008, according to his court biography.

Born in New Rochelle, Gants moved to Massachusetts and graduated from Harvard College in 1976 and Harvard Law School in 1980 and later settled settled in Lexington.

Among his awards and honors are the 2017 Massachusetts Bar Foundation Great Friend of Justice Award, the 2016 Haskell Cohn Award for Distinguished Judicial Service, the Boston Bar Association Citation of Judicial Excellence, and the Suffolk Law School Public Service Award.