Claude François Chauveau-Lagarde
Encyclopedia
Already a respected lawyers in Paris
, Claude François Chauveau-Lagarde (Chartres
1756 – Paris
1841) came into the public spotlight in the early stages of the French Revolution
. In 1789, at the outset, when the Estates General
were convoked, he published a hopeful Théorie des états généraux ou la France régénérée. Under the Revolution he continued to exercise his profession, now as défenseur officieux, a public defender
. His name appears in the lists of civil trials in the collection of Aristide Douarche,. From these one sees that on 16 May 1793 he was the lawyer for general Francisco de Miranda
before the revolutionary tribunal
, while it still represented a spirit of good will towards the accused; thanks to his effective plea, his client was acquitted, a triumph for the accused and his advocate. However, Jean-Paul Marat
denounced Chauveau-Lagarde as a liberator of the guilty. He was entrusted with the defense of Louis-Marie-Florent, duc du Châtelet, Jean-Sylvain Bailly, Madame Roland
and Charlotte Corday
, who had assassinated Marat. In her case, judgment had been rendered in advance, he was well aware. He limited himself to pleading in her defense "the exaltation of political fanaticism" that had placed the knife in her hand.
He distinguished himself by his moral courage under the Reign of Terror
. He had to defend the moderate Girondins, in particular Jacques Pierre Brissot
, his fellow countryman from Chartres, was was two years older. He took on the defense of Marie Antoinette
, which occasioned a zeal that attracted the suspicions of the Comité de sûreté générale
; once sentence had been pronounced on the Queen, he was summoned to appear before the committee, accused of having defended the Queen all too well; he managed to justify his actions.
Madame Roland applied to him to prepare her defense, which she intended to present herself before her judges. He took on the defense of Madame Elisabeth, sister of the King, without being permitted to interview his client. He had also to defend the "virgins of Verdun" who inspired Victor Hugo
's Ode, the twenty-seven defendants from Tonnerre, and others.
Following the passage of the Draconian law of 22 prairial an II
(10 June 1794
), which suppressed the role of lawyers for the defense of those accused before the tribunals, he withdrew to his native city. There he was arrested, accused of demonstrating too much leniency towards counter-revolutionaries. His arrest warrant specified his appearance before the Tribunal in three days, but his detention, which lasted six weeks, during which he remained very discreet, saved him from the guillotine. After 9 Thermidor an II (27 July 1794) he was set at liberty.
His cosectionnaires elected him president of the section ("l'Unité"), the most royalist neighborhood of the capital. Compromised by the royalist insurrection of 13 vendémiaire an IV (5 October 1795), he was condemned to death for contumacy. He remained in hiding, awaiting the return of calm sufficiently long that, when he did finally appear, his sentence was annulled.
With the return of public order under the Directory
he resumed his profession. In 1797 he was charged with the defense of Abbé Charles Brottier, for whom he won acquittal, as he did for several royalists accused of conspiracy. He obtained acquittals for the abductors of Clément Ris, for Jean-Baptiste Jourdan
, for General Dupont, with his customary courage and eloquence.
After the Restoration, he became avocat au Conseil du roi and president of the Conseil de l’ordre des avocats and was named concillor of the Court of Cassation
(1828)
He is commemorated in the rue Chaveau-Lagarde [sic], Paris.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Claude François Chauveau-Lagarde (Chartres
Chartres
Chartres is a commune and capital of the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is located southwest of Paris.-Geography:Chartres is built on the left bank of the Eure River, on a hill crowned by its famous cathedral, the spires of which are a landmark in the surrounding country...
1756 – Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
1841) came into the public spotlight in the early stages of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. In 1789, at the outset, when the Estates General
Estates-General of 1789
The Estates-General of 1789 was the first meeting since 1614 of the French Estates-General, a general assembly representing the French estates of the realm: the nobility, the Church, and the common people...
were convoked, he published a hopeful Théorie des états généraux ou la France régénérée. Under the Revolution he continued to exercise his profession, now as défenseur officieux, a public defender
Public defender
The term public defender is primarily used to refer to a criminal defense lawyer appointed to represent people charged with a crime but who cannot afford to hire an attorney in the United States and Brazil. The term is also applied to some ombudsman offices, for example in Jamaica, and is one way...
. His name appears in the lists of civil trials in the collection of Aristide Douarche,. From these one sees that on 16 May 1793 he was the lawyer for general Francisco de Miranda
Francisco de Miranda
Sebastián Francisco de Miranda Ravelo y Rodríguez de Espinoza , commonly known as Francisco de Miranda , was a Venezuelan revolutionary...
before the revolutionary tribunal
Revolutionary Tribunal
The Revolutionary Tribunal was a court which was instituted in Paris by the Convention during the French Revolution for the trial of political offenders, and eventually became one of the most powerful engines of the Reign of Terror....
, while it still represented a spirit of good will towards the accused; thanks to his effective plea, his client was acquitted, a triumph for the accused and his advocate. However, Jean-Paul Marat
Jean-Paul Marat
Jean-Paul Marat , born in the Principality of Neuchâtel, was a physician, political theorist, and scientist best known for his career in France as a radical journalist and politician during the French Revolution...
denounced Chauveau-Lagarde as a liberator of the guilty. He was entrusted with the defense of Louis-Marie-Florent, duc du Châtelet, Jean-Sylvain Bailly, Madame Roland
Madame Roland
Marie-Jeanne Roland, better known simply as Madame Roland and born Marie-Jeanne Phlipon , was, together with her husband Jean-Marie Roland de la Platière, a supporter of the French Revolution and influential member of the Girondist faction...
and Charlotte Corday
Charlotte Corday
Marie-Anne Charlotte de Corday d'Armont , known to history as Charlotte Corday, was a figure of the French Revolution. In 1793, she was executed under the guillotine for the assassination of Jacobin leader Jean-Paul Marat, who was in part responsible, through his role as a politician and...
, who had assassinated Marat. In her case, judgment had been rendered in advance, he was well aware. He limited himself to pleading in her defense "the exaltation of political fanaticism" that had placed the knife in her hand.
He distinguished himself by his moral courage under the Reign of Terror
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror , also known simply as The Terror , was a period of violence that occurred after the onset of the French Revolution, incited by conflict between rival political factions, the Girondins and the Jacobins, and marked by mass executions of "enemies of...
. He had to defend the moderate Girondins, in particular Jacques Pierre Brissot
Jacques Pierre Brissot
Jacques Pierre Brissot , who assumed the name of de Warville, was a leading member of the Girondist movement during the French Revolution. Some sources give his name as Jean Pierre Brissot.-Biography:...
, his fellow countryman from Chartres, was was two years older. He took on the defense of Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
, which occasioned a zeal that attracted the suspicions of the Comité de sûreté générale
Committee of General Security
The Committee of General Security was a French parliamentary committee which acted as police agency during the French Revolution that, along with the Committee of Public Safety, oversaw the Reign of Terror....
; once sentence had been pronounced on the Queen, he was summoned to appear before the committee, accused of having defended the Queen all too well; he managed to justify his actions.
Madame Roland applied to him to prepare her defense, which she intended to present herself before her judges. He took on the defense of Madame Elisabeth, sister of the King, without being permitted to interview his client. He had also to defend the "virgins of Verdun" who inspired Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
's Ode, the twenty-seven defendants from Tonnerre, and others.
Following the passage of the Draconian law of 22 prairial an II
Law of 22 Prairial
The Law of 22 Prairial, also known as the loi de la Grande Terreur, the law of the Reign of Terror, was enacted on June 10, 1794 . It was proposed by Georges Auguste Couthon and lent support by Robespierre...
(10 June 1794
French Republican Calendar
The French Republican Calendar or French Revolutionary Calendar was a calendar created and implemented during the French Revolution, and used by the French government for about 12 years from late 1793 to 1805, and for 18 days by the Paris Commune in 1871...
), which suppressed the role of lawyers for the defense of those accused before the tribunals, he withdrew to his native city. There he was arrested, accused of demonstrating too much leniency towards counter-revolutionaries. His arrest warrant specified his appearance before the Tribunal in three days, but his detention, which lasted six weeks, during which he remained very discreet, saved him from the guillotine. After 9 Thermidor an II (27 July 1794) he was set at liberty.
His cosectionnaires elected him president of the section ("l'Unité"), the most royalist neighborhood of the capital. Compromised by the royalist insurrection of 13 vendémiaire an IV (5 October 1795), he was condemned to death for contumacy. He remained in hiding, awaiting the return of calm sufficiently long that, when he did finally appear, his sentence was annulled.
With the return of public order under the Directory
French Directory
The Directory was a body of five Directors that held executive power in France following the Convention and preceding the Consulate...
he resumed his profession. In 1797 he was charged with the defense of Abbé Charles Brottier, for whom he won acquittal, as he did for several royalists accused of conspiracy. He obtained acquittals for the abductors of Clément Ris, for Jean-Baptiste Jourdan
Jean-Baptiste Jourdan
Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, 1st Comte Jourdan , enlisted as a private in the French royal army and rose to command armies during the French Revolutionary Wars. Emperor Napoleon I of France named him a Marshal of France in 1804 and he also fought in the Napoleonic Wars. After 1815, he became reconciled...
, for General Dupont, with his customary courage and eloquence.
After the Restoration, he became avocat au Conseil du roi and president of the Conseil de l’ordre des avocats and was named concillor of the Court of Cassation
Court of Cassation (France)
The French Supreme Court of Judicature is France's court of last resort having jurisdiction over all matters triable in the judicial stream but only scope of review to determine a miscarriage of justice or certify a question of law based solely on points of law...
(1828)
He is commemorated in the rue Chaveau-Lagarde [sic], Paris.