10. James Wilson, one of the original six Supreme Court Justices, was twice imprisoned during his time on the bench and once attacked by an angry mob in Philadelphia.
James Wilson, a signatory of the Declaration of Independence and one of the original six Justices appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States, enjoyed a notably turbulent life. Representing Pennsylvania at the Continental Congress, Wilson’s political leanings sharply shifted from radical republicanism towards the preservation of an aristocratic conservative social order leading to his departure from the Congress. After the relief of Philadelphia in 1779, Wilson defended 23 people who had collaborated with the British from property seizures. In response, with the city suffering from food shortages and believing the elite were hoarding, a mob marched on Wilson’s home to demand justice.
Barricading himself inside with 35 of his colleagues “Fort Wilson” held off the mob, killing at least six and wounding 17 before the cavalry arrived and dispersed the crowd. Responsible for the infamous three-fifths clause in the Constitution, Wilson, previously enjoying substantial profits via land speculation, would suffer financial ruin during the Panic of 1796-97. The only Supreme Court Justice to languish behind bars, Wilson was briefly imprisoned due to his debts before fleeing to North Carolina in an attempt to escape his creditors. Nonetheless, he was imprisoned again, before dying of a stroke at the age of just 55.