John Thomas Marten
- See also John Marten (academic) (died 1473), Master of University College, Oxford, England.
John Thomas Marten (born 1951) is a United States federal judge.
Born in Topeka, Kansas, Marten received a B.A. from Washburn University in 1973 and a J.D. from Washburn University School of Law in 1976. He was a law clerk to former Associate Justice Tom C. Clark of the Supreme Court of the United States while Clark had senior status and was a visiting judge on several U.S. Courts of Appeals from 1976 to 1977.[1] He was in private practice in Omaha, Nebraska from 1977 to 1980, then in Minneapolis, Minnesota until 1981, and then in McPherson, Kansas until 1996.
On October 18, 1995, Marten was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Kansas vacated by Patrick F. Kelly. Marten was confirmed by the United States Senate on January 2, 1996, and received his commission on January 4, 1996.
On August 15, 2013 Judge Marten ruled[2] that "an abortion opponent’s letter to a Wichita doctor saying someone might place an explosive under her car is constitutionally protected speech and not a “true threat” under existing law.
U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten summarily found in favor of Angel Dillard in the 2011 civil lawsuit brought by the Justice Department under a law aimed at protecting access to abortion services. The 25-page decision handed down comes after a flurry of sealed filings seeking summary judgment.
The judge wrote that the government supplied no evidence that actual violence against Dr. Mila Means was likely or imminent, especially since after receiving the letter the doctor changed plans to provide abortion services in Kansas.[3]
Sources
- John Thomas Marten at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
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References
- ↑ "Tom C. Clark Wikipedia page". Retrieved 19 August 2013.
- ↑ "Judge Marten's ruling in Civil Case No. 11-1098 United States of America v. Dillard".
- ↑ "Judge sides with abortion opponent over alleged threat - Ruling says no evidence of real threat provided". Topeka Capital Journal. 15 August 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2013.