Robert N. Chatigny

Last updated
Robert N. Chatigny
Robert N Chatigny.png
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut
Assumed office
December 31, 2016

He gained national attention in 2005 when he delayed the execution of Michael Bruce Ross in order to determine if he was competent to waive challenges to his death sentence and potentially prevent a violation of the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. Ross was subsequently found competent to waive his rights and was executed. The prosecution filed a complaint against Judge Chatigny that was dismissed by the Second Circuit Judicial Council in a 24-page decision on July 26, 2006.

In its 2006 dismissal of charges in the Ross case, the Second Circuit Judicial Council found that Judge Chatigny's actions "were not motivated by any bias in favor of Ross [the prisoner] or against the death penalty, but only by the judge's reasonable perception that the discharge of his own judicial duty...required that he take forceful steps on Ross's behalf.... While the judge used strong language, there was no misconduct....[I]n the judge's reasonable view, the circumstances thrust on him called for unusual action in discharge of judicial duty to ensure the fair resolution of the important proceeding before him." [8]

Chatigny has yet to rule on the appeal of former Yale professor James Van de Velde, who had sued the city of New Haven in 2001, [9] then Yale in 2003, for allowing his name to be leaked at the inception of the investigation into the death of Yale student Suzanne Jovin in December, 1998. [10] Chatigny dismissed the federal fourth amendment claims in March 2004, but left alone the state claims relating to the ruination of Van de Velde's career. [11] By not allowing the case to proceed, Van de Velde claims his efforts to "shed light on the cold case and pressure the authorities try to solve the case" have been stonewalled. [12]

Of the 440-some opinions Judge Chatigny has issued as a federal court judge since 1994, 16 have been reversed. An analysis by the Sentencing Commission for Fiscal Years 2005-9, provided by Judge Chatigny, place his departure rate "in line with the average for the District of Connecticut as a whole." [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denny Chin</span> American judge (born 1954)

Denny Chin is a senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, based in New York City. He was a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York before joining the federal appeals bench. President Bill Clinton nominated Chin to the district court on March 24, 1994, and Chin was confirmed August 9 of that same year. On October 6, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Chin to the Second Circuit. He was confirmed on April 22, 2010, by the United States Senate, filling the vacancy created by Judge Robert D. Sack who assumed senior status. Chin was the first Asian American appointed as a United States District Judge outside of the Ninth Circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard J. Sullivan</span> American judge (born 1964)

Richard Joseph Sullivan is an American lawyer who serves as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He was formerly a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York from 2007 to 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julie E. Carnes</span> American judge (born 1950)

Julie Elizabeth Carnes is a senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gustavo Gelpí</span> American judge (born 1965)

Gustavo Antonio Gelpí Jr. is an American lawyer who serves as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. He is a former chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico.

U.S. President Barack Obama nominated over 400 individuals for federal judgeships during his presidency. Of these nominations, Congress confirmed 329 judgeships, 173 during the 111th & 112th Congresses and 156 during the 113th and 114th Congresses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alison Nathan</span> American judge (born 1972)

Alison Julie Nathan is an American lawyer who has served as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit since 2022. She served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York from 2011 to 2022. She previously served as associate White House counsel for President Barack Obama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patty Shwartz</span> American judge (born 1961)

Patty Shwartz is a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael P. Shea</span> American judge (born 1967)

Michael P. Shea is the Chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">L. Felipe Restrepo</span> American judge (born 1959)

Luis Felipe Restrepo, known commonly as L. Felipe Restrepo, is a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the United States Sentencing Commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salvador Mendoza Jr.</span> American judge (born 1971)

Salvador Mendoza Jr. is an American lawyer serving as United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He previously served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington from 2014 to 2022 and as a Washington state court judge from 2002 to 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Wesley Hendrix</span> American judge (born 1977)

James Wesley Hendrix is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas and former assistant United States attorney for the same district. He presides over the Northern District's Lubbock, Abilene, and San Angelo Divisions, which account for 47 of the Northern District's 100 counties, and span an area larger than Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael B. Brennan</span> American judge (born 1963)

Michael Brian Brennan is a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He was first nominated on August 3, 2017, by President Donald Trump, and was re-nominated in 2018. He was confirmed May 10, 2018. He was previously a partner in the Milwaukee law firm Gass Weber Mullins LLC, and served 8 years as a Wisconsin Circuit Court judge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kari A. Dooley</span> American judge (born 1963)

Kari Anne Dooley is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Altman</span> American judge (born 1982)

Roy Kalman Altman is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julius N. Richardson</span> American judge (born 1976)

Julius Ness "Jay" Richardson is an American judge and lawyer who serves as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He was formerly an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan A. Kobes</span> American judge (born 1974)

Jonathan Allen Kobes is a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter D. Welte</span> American judge (born 1965)

Peter David Welte is the Chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William J. Nardini</span> American judge (born 1969)

William Joseph Nardini is an American lawyer who serves as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah A. L. Merriam</span> American judge (born 1971)

Sarah Ann Leilani Merriam is an American attorney serving as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. She is a former United States magistrate judge of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut and former district judge of the same court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Bloomekatz</span> American judge (born 1982)

Rachel Sarah Bloomekatz is an American lawyer from Ohio who serves as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

References

  1. Confirmation hearings on federal appointments: hearings before the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, One Hundred Third Congress, first session on confirmations of appointees to the federal judiciary.
  2. "President Obama Nominates Goodwin Liu for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Judge Robert N. Chatigny for the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit". whitehouse.gov . 24 February 2010. Retrieved 1 July 2015 via National Archives.
  3. Mayko, Michael. "Three state Republican lawyers support Democratic judge." The Connecticut Post. 2010-04-22.
  4. "Leahy, Patrick. U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Statement. 2010-04-28".
  5. "United States Senator Orrin Hatch". senate.gov. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  6. http://pdfserver.amlaw.com/nlj/O%27Hare%20letter.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  7. "Editorial: Sexual sadism, unleaded". The Washington Times . 2010-05-26. Retrieved 2010-05-26.
  8. "Quoted by Leahy, Patrick. U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Statement. 2010-04-28".
  9. http://siliconinvestor.advfn.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=16763835 [ dead link ]
  10. "SI - readmsg.aspx msgid=16764579". Archived from the original on 2008-02-26. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
  11. "SI - readmsg.aspx msgid=19965859". Archived from the original on 2008-02-26. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
  12. "Van de Velde pushes lawsuit: Judge regrets delay in ex-Yale teacher's battle over 'branding' in Jovin slaying". nhregister.com. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  13. "Chatigny, Public Questionnaire" (PDF).

News Accounts

Legal offices
Preceded byJudge of United States District Court for the District of Connecticut
1994–2016
Succeeded by
Preceded byChief Judge of United States District Court for the District of Connecticut
2003–2009
Succeeded by