Samuel Chase (April 17, 1741 – June 19, 1811) was an
Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court and earlier was a signatory to the
United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of
Maryland. Early in life, Chase was a "firebrand" states-righter and revolutionary. His political views changed over his lifetime, and, in the last decades of his career, he became well known as a staunch
Federalist and was impeached on grounds of letting his partisan leanings affect his court decisions. He was acquitted by the Senate and remained in office.