Victoria A. Roberts Explained

Victoria A. Roberts
Office:Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
Term Start:February 25, 2021
Term End:September 1, 2023
Office1:Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
Term Start1:June 29, 1998
Term End1:February 25, 2021
Appointer1:Bill Clinton
Predecessor1:George La Plata
Successor1:Shalina D. Kumar
Birth Name:Victoria Ann Roberts
Birth Date:25 November 1951[1]
Birth Place:Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Education:University of Michigan (BA)
Northeastern University (JD)

Victoria Ann Roberts (born November 25, 1951) is a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Education and career

Roberts was born in Detroit, Michigan. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan in 1973, and her Juris Doctor from Northeastern University School of Law in 1977. Roberts was a research attorney for the Michigan Court of Appeals from 1976 to 1977, and was a legal research and writing teaching fellow at the Detroit College of Law from 1977 to 1978. She was in private practice in Michigan from 1977 to 1985. Roberts was an assistant United States attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan from 1985 to 1988, returning to private practice in Detroit from 1988 to 1998. She was general counsel for Mayor-elect Dennis Archer's transition team from 1993 to 1994.

Federal judicial service

On July 31, 1997, Roberts was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan vacated by George La Plata who retired on August 3, 1996. She was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate on June 26, 1998, and received her commission on June 29, 1998.[2] She assumed senior status on February 25, 2021.[3] [4] Roberts retired from active service on September 1, 2023.[5]

Notable rulings

On February 3, 2017, Roberts ordered the U.S. government to halt enforcement of Donald Trump's 90-day restriction on travel by people from seven Muslim-majority countries if they are lawful, permanent residents of the U.S.[6]

Roberts was a judge in the Arab American Civil Rights League v. Trump lawsuit filed in response to Trump's travel ban. On May 11, 2017, she ordered the Trump administration to turn over a memo by adviser Rudy Giuliani—allegedly written to make the travel order appear that it was not specifically aimed at Muslims—by May 19, 2017.[7]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Judiciary, United States Congress Senate Committee on the. Confirmation Hearings on Federal Appointments: Hearings Before the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, One Hundred Fifth Congress, First Session, on Confirmation of Appointees to the Federal Judiciary. February 24, 1997. U.S. Government Printing Office. 9780160385940 . Google Books.
  2. Web site: Judge Victoria A. Roberts . https://web.archive.org/web/20221129003513/https://www.mied.uscourts.gov/index.cfm?pageFunction=chambers&judgeid=19 . November 29, 2022 . February 3, 2023 . www.mied.uscourts.gov.
  3. Shepardson . David . davidshepardson . Judge Victoria Roberts of U.S District Court in Detroit writes @JoeBiden to inform him she is taking senior status . 1351960347498999810 . 20 January 2021.
  4. LeBlanc, Beth (January 20, 2021). "Detroit federal judge to step down, creating one of first vacancies for Biden". The Detroit News. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  5. Web site: January 23, 2023 . Re: My Retirement . February 1, 2023.
  6. Svoboda, Sandra (February 3, 2017). "Federal Judge Halts Enforcement of Trump’s Immigration Order". wdet. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  7. News: Mehrotra. Kartikay. Trump Ordered to Turn Over Giuliani Memo in Travel Ban Suit. May 23, 2017. Bloomberg News. May 11, 2017.