Hugo Friend

Who was Hugo Friend?

Hugo Morris Friend was an American jurist who, in his youth, competed as an athlete in the long jump and hurdles. He is best remembered as the judge who presided over the criminal trial of the Chicago Black Sox, which ended in an acquittal, but did not affect their ban from baseball.

Friend was born in Prague but came to the United States as an early age. He attended the University of Chicago beginning in 1901, where he became a track star. He was selected for the United States team for the 1906 Intercalated Games in Athens and won a bronze medal.

He became a lawyer in 1908 and a judge twelve years later. He presided over the Black Sox trial in 1921, and when they were acquitted, he responded to the jubilation in the courtroom with a smile. At the time of his 1966 death, he was the oldest active member of the Cook County Circuit Court bench.