Hector Gonzalez (judge) explained

Hector Gonzalez
Office:Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Appointer:Joe Biden
Term Start:April 18, 2022
Predecessor:Brian Cogan
Birth Place:Havana, Cuba
Education:Manhattan College (BS)
University of Pennsylvania (JD)

Hector Gonzalez (born 1964)[1] is an American lawyer who is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Education

Gonzalez earned his Bachelor of Science from Manhattan College in 1985 and his Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1988, where he was an editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review.[2] He subsequently earned his Master of Arts in criminal justice from City University of New York in 1995.[3]

Legal career

From 1990 to 1994, Gonzalez served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, and from 1994 to 1999, Gonzalez served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, where he was Chief of the Narcotics Unit. From 1999 to 2011, he was a partner at the law firm of Mayer Brown in their New York City office.[4]

In 2002, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg named Gonzalez as Chairman of the Civilian Complaint Review Board, an agency that investigates charges of police misconduct.[5] During his time as chairman, the review board recommended increased training for police officers in order to prevent inappropriate strip searches.[6] From 2011 to 2022, he was a partner at Dechert, LLP in New York City where he served as chair of the firm's Global Litigation Group.

In 2014, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo considered nominating Gonzalez to be a judge on the New York Court of Appeals, but nominated Eugene M. Fahey instead.

Federal judicial service

Expired nomination to district court under Trump

On August 12, 2020, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Gonzalez to serve as a United States district judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York as part of a bipartisan package of nominees that included Ryan McAllister. On September 8, 2020, his nomination was sent to the U.S. Senate. President Trump nominated Gonzalez to the seat vacated by Judge Brian Cogan, who assumed senior status on June 12, 2020.[7] On January 3, 2021, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate.[8]

Renomination to district court under Biden

On December 15, 2021, President Joe Biden renominated Gonzalez to the same seat.[9] [10] On January 12, 2022, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[11] On February 10, 2022, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 13–9 vote.[12] On March 16, 2022, the United States Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 52–44 vote.[13] On March 23, 2022, his nomination was confirmed by a 52–45 vote.[14] He received his judicial commission on April 18, 2022.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees. United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. January 11, 2022.
  2. Web site: President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees. August 12, 2020. National Archives. whitehouse.gov. en-US.
  3. Web site: Hector Gonzalez. Dechert LLP. September 12, 2020.
  4. Web site: Voruganti . Harsh . September 11, 2020 . Hector Gonzalez – Nominee to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York . September 13, 2020 . The Vetting Room . en.
  5. News: Bloomberg Fills Gaps, Naming Four to Posts in His Administration. The New York Times. April 5, 2002. Cardwell. Diane.
  6. News: Police Complaint Board Finds Some Strip Searches Improper. The New York Times. May 13, 2004. Rashbaum. William K..
  7. https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/eleven-nominations-three-withdrawals-sent-senate/ "Eleven Nominations and Three Withdrawals Sent to the Senate", White House, September 8, 2020
  8. Web site: January 3, 2021 . PN2206 - Nomination of Hector Gonzalez for The Judiciary, 116th Congress (2019–2020) . January 5, 2021 . www.congress.gov.
  9. President Biden Names Eleventh Round of Judicial Nominees . December 15, 2021 . The White House . Washington, D.C. . December 15, 2021.
  10. Nominations Sent to the Senate. December 15, 2021. The White House. Washington, D.C.. December 15, 2021.
  11. Web site: Nominations. January 11, 2022. United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Washington, D.C..
  12. Web site: Results of Executive Business Meeting – February 10, 2022. United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. February 24, 2022.
  13. Web site: March 16, 2022. On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Hector Gonzalez to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of New York). March 17, 2022. United States Senate.
  14. Web site: On the Nomination (Confirmation: Hector Gonzalez, of New York, to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of New York). March 23, 2022. United States Senate. March 23, 2022.