David Cooper

David Cooper (1821–1877) was an American lawyer and jurist. He served from 1850 to 1853 as an associate justice of the Minnesota (Territory) Supreme Court.

Biography Cooper was born on July 22, 1821, in Frederick County, Maryland.

When the Mdewakanton uprising broke Governor Alexander Ramsey asked him to go to Gull Lake and ascertain Chippewa Chief Hole in the Day's position. Judge Cooper was Hole-in-the-Day's legal advisor. When he arrived at Hole in the Day's village, he learned the Sioux had attacked the Chippewa at Otter tail lakes. He also informed Gov. Ramsey that the Chippewa were dancing with Sioux scalps when he arrived.

Criticism by legal profession and newspapers Along with Chief Justice Aaron Goodrich, Cooper was frequently criticized by members of the legal profession as unfit and incompetent. However, no charge of corruption or malfeasance was ever made against either of them. After an unfavorable editorial regarding Justice Cooper appeared in the St. Paul Pioneer newspaper in 1851, Justice Cooper's brother, Joseph Cooper, assaulted the newspaper editor, James M. Goodhue, with a knife and inflicted two wounds. Goodhue responded by firing a pistol at Cooper, who received a shot in his groin. Joseph Cooper died approximately two months later, and it was said that the pistol wound had hastened his death.