| Larry Alan Burns | |
|---|---|
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office September 25, 2003 |
|
| Appointed by | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | New seat |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1954 (age 57–58) Pasadena, California |
| Alma mater | Point Loma College (B.A.) University of San Diego School of Law (J.D.) |
Larry Alan Burns (born 1954) is a United States federal judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of California.
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Born in Pasadena, California, Burns received a B.A. from Point Loma College in 1976 and a J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1979.[1] He was a Deputy district attorney of San Diego County, California from 1979 to 1985.[1] He was an assistant U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of California from 1985 to 1997.[2]
In 1997, Burns was appointed to serve as a magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of California.[3]
Burns was nominated by President George W. Bush on May 1, 2003, to a new seat on the Southern District of California created by 116 Stat. 1758.[1] He was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 24, 2003 by a vote of 91-0.[3] Burns received his commission on September 25, 2003.[1]
On January 12, 2011, Chief Judge Alex Kozinski of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit selected Burns to be the presiding judge for the trial of Jared Lee Loughner.[2][4] Burns was selected, in part, for his prior experience with cases involving the federal death penalty.[2] A judge from outside of Arizona was sought because federal judges within the jurisdiction of Tucson recused themselves from the case,[5] and the rest of federal judiciary of the state of Arizona also recused themselves because of their ties to the late John Roll, one of the victims of the shooting.[6]