United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico

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Clemente Ruiz Nazario Courthouse, in Hato Rey, PR.
Clemente Ruiz Nazario Courthouse, in Hato Rey, PR.

The United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The court is based in San Juan. The main building is the Clemente Ruiz Nazario U.S. Courthouse located in the Hato Rey district of San Juan. The Magistrate Judges are located in the adjacent Federico Degetau Federal Building, and several senior district judges hold court at the old courthouse in Old San Juan. The old courthouse also houses the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Appeals from this court are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, which is headquartered in Boston but hears appeals at the Old San Juan courthouse for two sessions each year.


Contents

[edit] United States District Judges

There are seven authorized active judgeships in the Puerto Rico District Court. Seven active judges are currently sitting, together with four senior judges who may elect to supervise reduced caseloads.

[edit] Judges

# Title Judge Duty station Born Term of service Appointed by
Active Chief Senior
Chief Judge José A. Fusté Hato Rey, PR 1943 1985–present 2004-present (none) Reagan
District Judge Carmen Cerezo Vargas Hato Rey, PR 1940 1980–present 1993-1999 (none) Carter
District Judge Daniel R. Domínguez Hato Rey, PR 1945 1994-present (none) (none) Clinton
District Judge Jay A. García Gregory Hato Rey, PR 1944 2000-present (none) (none) Clinton
District Judge Aida M. Delgado Colón Hato Rey, PR 1955 2006-present (none) (none) G. W. Bush
District Judge Gustavo A. Gelpí Hato Rey, PR 1965 2006-present (none) (none) G. W. Bush
District Judge Francisco A. Besosa Hato Rey, PR 1949 2006-present (none) (none) G. W. Bush
Senior District Judge Jaime Pieras, Jr. San Juan, PR 1924 1982-1993 (none) 1993-present Reagan
Senior District Judge Raymond L. Acosta San Juan, PR 1925 1982-1994 (none) 1994-present Reagan
Senior District Judge Sálvador E. Casellas San Juan, PR 1935 1994-2005 (none) 2005-present Clinton
Senior District Judge Juan M. Pérez Giménez Hato Rey, PR 1941 1979-2006 1984-1991 2006-present Carter
U.S. Magistrate Judges Seal
U.S. Magistrate Judges Seal

[edit] United States Magistrate Judges

  • Chief Magistrate Judge Justo Arenas
  • Magistrate Judge Camille L. Velez-Rive
  • Magistrate Judge Bruce McGiverin
  • Magistrate Judge Marcos López

[edit] Former District Judges

  • Hiram Rafael Cancio (1967-1974)
  • Juan B. Fernández-Badillo (1967-1989)
  • Jose Víctor Toledo (1970-1980)
  • Hernan Gregorio Pesquera (1972-1982)
  • Juan R. Torruella* (1974-1984)
  • Gilberto Gierbolini-Ortíz (1980-2004)
  • Héctor M. Laffitte (1983-2007)

This list does not include the Judges who served on the Court from 1900 to 1966, before it became an Article III court whose judges enjoy life tenure.

* Elevated to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

[edit] External links

[edit] References

Guillermo A. Baralt, History of the Federal Court in Puerto Rico: 1899-1999 (2004) (also published in Spanish as Historia del Tribunal Federal de Puerto Rico)