Ricardo S. Martinez Explained

Office:Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
Term Start:September 5, 2022
Office1:Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
Term Start1:February 6, 2016
Term End1:September 3, 2022
Predecessor1:Marsha J. Pechman
Successor1:David Estudillo
Office2:Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
Term Start2:June 16, 2004
Term End2:September 5, 2022
Appointer2:George W. Bush
Predecessor2:Seat established by 104 Stat. 5089
Successor2:Kymberly Evanson
Office3:Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
Term Start3:1998
Term End3:2004
Office4:Judge of the King County Superior Court
Term Start4:1990
Term End4:1998
Birth Name:Ricardo Salazar Martinez
Birth Date:23 June 1951[1]
Birth Place:Mercedes, Texas, U.S.
Alma Mater:University of Washington (BS, JD)

Ricardo Salazar Martinez (born June 23, 1951) is an American attorney serving as the Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington.

Early life and education

Martinez was born in Mercedes, Texas, and raised in Whatcom County, Washington, where he graduated from Lynden High School.[2] He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Washington in 1975 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Washington School of Law in 1980. He was an Assistant Prosecutor with the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office in King County, Washington, from 1980 to 1990.

Career

Martinez was a judge on the King County Superior Court from 1990 to 1998.

Federal judicial service

From 1998 to 2004, he served as a United States magistrate judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington.

On October 14, 2003, Martinez was nominated by President George W. Bush to a new seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington established by 104 Stat. 5089 following the appointment of Barbara Jacobs Rothstein as Director of the Federal Judicial Center. Martinez was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 15, 2004, receiving his commission on June 16, 2004. He is the first Latino judge in the Western District of Washington. He served as the Chief Judge from February 6, 2016 to September 3, 2022. He assumed senior status on September 5, 2022.

Notable cases

Backpage, a classified advertising website specializing in online escort services, filed a lawsuit against the state of Washington to prevent a law that would require companies to verify the ages of people in sex-related advertisements. The online escort service claimed, "Backpage and Internet Archive argue the new law violates the Communications Decency Act of 1996, as well as the First, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments and the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution."[3] On 28 July 2012, Judge Martinez granted an injunction preventing the law from taking effect. In his ruling, Martinez found merit in some of Backpage.com's arguments that the state law would conflict with existing federal law.[4]

See also

External links

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Notes and References

  1. https://books.google.com/books?id=qUzlrWbxoNYC&pg=PA30 Hearing Before the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, One Hundred Eighth Congress, First [-second] Session, Part 6
  2. Web site: Lynden High School . 2009-11-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100109130936/http://www.lynden.wednet.edu/lhs/site/default.asp . 2010-01-09 . dead .
  3. Web site: Judge Blocks Law Checking Ages of People in Sex Ads . . 2012-07-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120731060009/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/28/backpage-com-lawsuit-judge-stops-age-verification_n_1713201.html . 2012-07-31 . dead .
  4. Web site: 3 Washington teens sue Backpage.com, accuse site of enabling sexual exploitation. . 29 July 2012.