David G. Estudillo
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2021 - Present
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David G. Estudillo is the chief judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. He was nominated to the court by President Joe Biden (D) on April 29, 2021, and confirmed by the United States Senate on September 14, 2021, by a vote of 54-41.[1][2] To see a full list of judges appointed by Joe Biden, click here. In 2022, Estudillo became the chief judge of the court.
The United States District Court for the Western District of Washington is one of 94 U.S. District Courts. They are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. To learn more about the court, click here.
Estudillo was a judge of the Grant Superior Court in Washington. He was appointed by Democratic Governor Jay Inslee on August 19, 2015, for a term commencing on September 1.[3] At the time of his appointment to the court, Estudillo was the only Latino judge in Eastern Washington serving in a superior, district, or municipal court.[3] Estudillo won election to the seat in 2016 and re-election in 2020.
Judicial nominations and appointments
United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
- See also: Federal judges nominated by Joe Biden
On April 29, 2021, President Joe Biden (D) nominated Estudillo to the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. He was confirmed by a 54-41 vote of the U.S. Senate on September 14, 2021. Estudillo received commission on October 7, 2021.[1] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
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| Nominee Information |
| Name: David G. Estudillo |
| Court: United States District Court for the Western District of Washington |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 138 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: April 29, 2021
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| ABA Rating: Majority Qualified/Minority Well Qualified
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| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| Hearing: June 9, 2021
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| QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: July 15, 2021
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| Confirmed: September 14, 2021
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| Vote: 54-41
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Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed Estudillo by a vote of 54-41 on September 14, 2021.[1] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.
| Estudillo confirmation vote (September 14, 2021) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
 Democratic |
47 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
 Republican |
5 | 41 | 4 | ||||||
 Independent |
2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 54 | 41 | 5 | ||||||
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
The Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Estudillo's nomination on June 9, 2021. The committee voted to advance Estudillo's nomination to the full Senate on July 15, 2021.
Nomination
On April 29, 2021, President Joe Biden (D) nominated Estudillo to the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington.[1] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
Estudillo was nominated to replace Judge Ronald Leighton, who assumed senior status on February 28, 2019.[4]
The American Bar Association rated Estudillo Qualified by a substantial majority and Well Qualified by a minority.[5] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.
Biography
Education
Estudillo earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Washington in 1996 and a J.D. from the University of Washinton Law School in 1999.[2]
Professional career
The following is a summary of Estudillo's professional career:[2]
- 2015-2021: Judge, Grant County Superior Court, Ephrata, Washington
- 2005-2015: Solo practitioner, Estudillo Law Firm PLLC
- 2002-2005: Attorney, Scheer and Zehnder LLP
About the court
| Western District of Washington |
|---|
| Ninth Circuit |
|
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 7 |
| Judges: 7 |
| Vacancies: 0 |
| Judges |
| Chief: David G. Estudillo |
| Active judges: Tiffany Cartwright, John Chun, David G. Estudillo, Kymberly Evanson, Lauren King, Tana Lin, Jamal Whitehead Senior judges: |
The United States District Court for the Western District of Washington is one of 94 United States district courts. The district operates out of courthouses in Seattle and Tacoma, Wash. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit based in downtown San Francisco at the James R. Browning Federal Courthouse, but hears initial appeals at the Pioneer Federal Courthouse in Portland, Oregon.
The Western District of Washington has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
The geographic jurisdiction of the Western District of Washington consists of all the following counties in the western part of the state of Washington. The court's headquarters are in Seattle, with a courthouse in Tacoma.
The federal nomination process
Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:
- The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
- The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
- As part of this process, the committee sends a blue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
- After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
- If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
- If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
- The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
- If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
- If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.
Elections
2020
Estudillo was unopposed in the election for Grant Superior Court, Position 1. He won re-election with 27,504 votes; 443 votes went to write-in candidates.[6]
2016
Washington held general elections for local judicial offices on November 8, 2016. Candidates for district and superior court seats had to file for election by May 20, 2016. Primary elections were held on August 2, 2016, for six seats where more than two candidates filed for election. Incumbent David Estudillo defeated Nick Wallace in the Grant Superior Court nonpartisan general election for Position 1.[7]
| Grant Superior Court, Position 1 General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 David Estudillo Incumbent |
51.63% | 13,859 |
| Nick Wallace | 48.37% | 12,982 |
| Total Votes | 26,841 | |
| Source: Washington Secretary of State, "November 8, 2016 General Election Results," accessed November 13, 2016 | ||
Selection method
For more information about judicial selection processes in each state, click here.
Campaign themes
2016
Estudillo provided the following statement for the Washington general election voters pamphlet:
| “ |
Judge David Estudillo is guided by faith, family, hard work, education and community -- Eastern Washington values he learned from his parents growing up in Sunnyside. His parents began as immigrant farm laborers and became small business owners and U.S. citizens. They were great role models. Nearly all of their ten children earned university degrees. Relying on these values every day, Judge Estudillo faithfully follows the Constitution and applies the law in a fair and thoughtful manner. Recalling his own humble beginnings, Judge Estudillo treats everyone with respect. He has earned a reputation for his calm, judicial temperament and articulate decision-making. Judge Estudillo’s appointment to the Superior Court was based on his professional credentials, statewide litigation experience, personal background, and integrity. He has proven himself to be an outstanding judge – the kind of judge Grant County deserves.[8][9] |
” |
| —David Estudillo (2016) | ||
See also
- United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
- United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- Grant County, Washington
- Washington Superior Courts
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
- Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Congress.gov, "PN562 — David G. Estudillo — The Judiciary," accessed April 30, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The White House, "President Biden Announces Second Slate of Judicial Nominees," April 29, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Washington Governor Jay Inslee, "Inslee appoints David. G. Estudillo to Grant County Superior Court," August 19, 2015
- ↑ The White House, "Nominations Sent to the Senate," April 29, 2021
- ↑ American Bar Association, "RATINGS OF ARTICLE III AND ARTICLE IV JUDICIAL NOMINEES 117TH CONGRESS," last updated June 22, 2021
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "November 3, 2020 General Election Results," accessed April 30, 2021
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "2016 Candidates Who Have Filed," accessed May 21, 2016
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "2016 General Election Voters Pamphlet," accessed October 24, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
United States District Court for the Western District of Washington 2021-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Grant County Superior Court 2015-2021 |
Succeeded by Anna Gigliotti |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Commissioned in 2024 |
John Kazen • John Russell • Margaret Garnett • Cristal Brisco • Jacquelyn Austin • Gretchen Hess Lund • Micah Smith • Joshua Kolar • Karoline Mehalchick • Kirk Sherriff • Lisa Wang • David Leibowitz • Jacqueline Becerra • Julie Sneed • Melissa Damian • Kelly H. Rankin • Nicole Berner • Sunil Harjani • Leon Schydlower • Ernesto Gonzalez • Susan Bazis • Robert White • Ann Marie McIff Allen • Eumi Lee • Krissa Lanham • Eric Schulte • Camela Theeler • Angela Martinez • Jasmine Yoon • Nancy Maldonado • Meredith Vacca • Georgia Alexakis | ||
| Commissioned in 2023 |
Kai Scott • Tamika Montgomery-Reeves • Margaret R. Guzman • Daniel Calabretta • Matthew Garcia • DeAndrea G. Benjamin • Cindy Chung • Adrienne Nelson • Lindsay Jenkins • Gina Méndez-Miró • Araceli Martínez-Olguín • Jamar Walker • Ana Reyes • Jamal Whitehead • Gordon Gallagher • Matthew Brookman• Maria Araujo Kahn• James Simmons • Robert Ballou• Andrew Schopler • Jonathan Grey• Colleen Lawless • Arun Subramanian • Jessica Clarke • Robert Kirsch • Michael Farbiarz • Anthony Johnstone • Orelia Merchant • Wesley Hsu • Bradley Garcia • LaShonda A. Hunt • Nancy Gbana Abudu • Amanda Brailsford • Darrel Papillion • Jeremy Daniel • Hernan D. Vera • Julie Rikelman • Nusrat Choudhury • P. Casey Pitts • Myong Joun • Kymberly Evanson • Tiffany Cartwright • Rachel Bloomekatz • Natasha Merle • Dale Ho • Philip Hadji • Rita Lin • Brendan Hurson • Vernon D. Oliver • Matthew Maddox • Julia Munley • Brandy McMillion • Susan DeClercq • Julia Kobick • Ramon Reyes, Jr. • Ana de Alba • Kenly Kiya Kato • Mónica Ramírez Almadani • Jeffrey M. Bryan • Jamel Semper • Irma Ramirez • Richard Federico • Loren AliKhan • Brandon Long • Jerry Edwards Jr.• Sara Hill • Joseph Laroski | ||
| Commissioned in 2022 | David Herrera Urias • Gabriel Sanchez • Holly Thomas • Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong • David Ruiz • Charles Fleming • Bridget Brennan • Leonard Stark • Alison J. Nathan • John Chun • Julie Rubin • Jacqueline Scott Corley • Ruth Bermudez Montenegro • Victoria Calvert • Georgette Castner • Anne Traum • Cristina Silva • Ketanji Brown Jackson (Supreme Court) • Sarah Geraghty • Hector Gonzalez • Fred Slaughter • Jennifer Rochon • Robert Huie • Sunshine S. Sykes • Stephanie Dawkins Davis • Evelyn Padin • Sherilyn P. Garnett • Ana de Alba • J. Michelle Childs • Trina Thompson • Elizabeth Hanes • Nancy Maldonado • Nina Morrison • Gregory Williams • John Z. Lee • Sal Mendoza, Jr. • Lara Montecalvo • Florence Pan • Andre Mathis • Sarah A.L. Merriam • Jennifer Rearden • Roopali Desai • María Antongiorgi-Jordán • Camille Vélez-Rivé • Doris Pryor • Frances Kay Behm • Dana Douglas • Mia Roberts Perez • Anne Nardacci • Jeffery P. Hopkins | ||
| Commissioned in 2021 |
Ketanji Brown Jackson • Zahid Quraishi • Julien Xavier Neals • Deborah Boardman • Regina Rodriguez • Candace Jackson-Akiwumi • Lydia Kay Griggsby • Tiffany Cunningham • Eunice Lee • Angel Kelley • Florence Pan • Veronica Rossman • David G. Estudillo • Sarah A.L. Merriam • Gustavo Gelpí • Christine O'Hearn • Margaret Strickland • Karen McGlashan Williams • Patricia Tolliver Giles • Toby Heytens • Michael Nachmanoff • Sarala Nagala • Beth Robinson • Omar A. Williams • Myrna Pérez • Jia Cobb • Tana Lin • Lauren King • Lucy H. Koh • Jennifer Sung • Samantha Elliott • Katherine Menendez • Mary Dimke • Linda Lopez • Shalina Kumar • Jane Beckering • Jinsook Ohta • Jennifer L. Thurston • Stephen Locher • Charlotte Sweeney • Nina Nin-Yuen Wang • Arianna Freeman • Jerry Blackwell | ||
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