John Gleeson
John Gleeson is a former federal judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. He joined the court in 1994 after being nominated by President Bill Clinton. At the time of appointment, he was an assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York. Gleeson announced in January 2016, that he would leave the court on March 9, 2016.[1][2]
Diane Gujarati was nominated by President Donald Trump (R) to replace Gleeson on the Eastern District of New York. She was confirmed in 2020.
Education
Born in Bronx, New York, Gleeson graduated from Georgetown University with his B.A. in 1975, and later from the University of Virginia School of Law with his J.D. in 1980.[1]
Professional career
- 1985-1994: Assistant U.S. attorney, Eastern District of New York
- 1981-1985: Attorney in private practice, New York City, New York
- 1980-1981: Law clerk, Honorable Boyce Martin, Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals[1]
Judicial nominations and appointments
Eastern District of New York
On the recommendation of U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-N.Y.), Gleeson was nominated to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York by President Bill Clinton on July 22, 1994, to the seat vacated by Jack Weinstein. The U.S. Senate confirmed him on September 28, 1994, on a voice vote and he was commissioned the next day. Gleeson resigned from the bench on March 9, 2016.[3][2]
Diane Gujarati was nominated by President Donald Trump (R) to replace Gleeson on the Eastern District of New York. She was confirmed in 2020.
Noteworthy cases
Judge works to undo a mandatory sentence out of sense of fairness (2014)
In 1996, Judge Gleeson was required to sentence Francois Holloway to 57 years in prison because Holloway used a gun to commit carjackings. Judge Gleeson found the sentence to be harsh, however, as it was twice the average sentence for murder in his district at the time. He began his own campaign to help Holloway and others like him. It appears he was successful, as he has re-sentenced Holloway to time served. Holloway, who served nearly 20 years, is 57-years-old and will be a free man sometime in 2015. He must first serve time on a drug conviction in state prison. Experts in the field of sentencing are calling Judge Gleeson exceptional and a model for other judges who feel legally mandated sentences are too harsh and want to take action.
Articles:
Rhino horn trafficking case (2014)
On January 10, 2014, Judge Gleeson sentenced Michael Slattery, Jr. to 14 months in prison for his role in a rhinoceros horn trafficking ring. In the underlying case, Slattery, an Irish national, was arrested in 2013, three years after he sold two sets of rhinoceros horns to a collector in New York for $50,000. The horns were later sold to a third party for $108,000. Slattery procured one of the sets after asking a homeless man to purchase a mounted black rhino head for him at a taxidermy auction in Texas. It is illegal for nonresidents to make such purchases, and Slattery was criminally charged accordingly. On November 5, 2013, Slattery pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wildlife trafficking. The prosecution requested a two-year sentence, and Slattery's defense attorney requested that his client be released, as he had already served four months while awaiting trial. Slattery claimed that he "didn't understand that this was going to end up with other animals getting killed," but Judge Gleeson didn't believe him, and sentenced him to 14 months. Gleeson noted that he'd been on the bench for a long time, but that he'd "never seen a rhino horn case before."[4][5][6][7]
See also
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit
External links
- Federal Judicial Center, "Biography of John Gleeson"
- Eastern District of New York, "Judge John Gleeson"
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Federal Judicial Center, "Biography of John Gleeson," accessed October 4, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 New York Law Journal, "Gleeson to Leave Eastern District Bench," January 5, 2016
- ↑ THOMAS, "Presidential Nominations 103rd Congress: John Gleeson (USDC, EDNY)," accessed October 4, 2014
- ↑ Department of Justice, "Irish National Pleads Guilty in New York to Crimes Relating to Illegal Trafficking of Endangered Rhinoceros Horns," November 5, 2013
- ↑ New York Times, "Rhino Horns: a) Increase Potency; b) Cure Cancer; or c) Bring a Prison Term," November 8, 2013
- ↑ Department of Justice, "Irish National Sentenced to Serve 14 Months in Prison for Trafficking of Endangered Rhinoceros Horns," January 10, 2014
- ↑ New York Times, "In Rhino Horn Case, Judge Sees a Criminal Instead of a 'Naïve Kid,'" January 10, 2014
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| Preceded by: Jack Weinstein |
Eastern District of New York 1994–Current Seat #2 |
Succeeded by: Diane Gujarati
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