Joseph Tauro
Joseph Louis Tauro (b. 1931) was a federal judge for the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Tauro joined the court in 1972 after an appointment from Richard Nixon (R).[1]
On September 26, 2013, Tauro stepped down from full-time service and took senior status.[2] He died on November 30, 2018.[3]
Education
Born in Winchester, Massachusetts, Tauro graduated from Brown University with his bachelor's degree in 1953 and obtained his J.D. from Cornell Law School in 1956.[4]
Military service
From 1956 to 1958, Tauro served as a first lieutenant in the United States Army.[4]
Professional career
Tauro was an assistant U.S. attorney in the District of Massachusetts for the U.S. Attorney's Office from 1959 to 1960. He worked in private practice in Massachusetts until 1971. From 1965 to 1968, Tauro was also chief counsel to Massachusetts Governor John Volpe. In 1971, President Richard Nixon (R) nominated Tauro to be the U.S. attorney for the District of Massachusetts.[4]
Judicial career
District of Massachusetts
Tauro was nominated to the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts by President Richard Nixon on September 12, 1972, to a seat vacated by Francis Ford. Tauro was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 12, 1972, and received commission on October 17, 1972. Tauro served as the chief judge of the court from 1992 to 1999.[4] Tauro took senior status on September 26, 2013.
Noteworthy cases
Adam Walsh Act case (2009)
- See also: United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts (U.S. v. Hunt, Civil Action No. 07-12063-JLT)
- See also: United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts (U.S. v. Hunt, Civil Action No. 07-12063-JLT)
Judge Tauro on August 19, 2009, became only the second judge to invoke The Adam Walsh Act of 2006, which allows judges to indefinitely hold child sex offenders in jail if deemed a public danger.[5]
The judge found repeat offender Wayne Hunt of New York after a five-day proceeding to still be a public danger, despite serving multiple prison sentences for sexual offenses.[5]
Eilzabeth Hasselbeck case (2009)
- See also: United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts (Hassett v. Hasselbeck et al, 1:2009cv11063)
- See also: United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts (Hassett v. Hasselbeck et al, 1:2009cv11063)
Judge Tauro on November 16, 2009, dismissed a case against television personality Elizabeth Hasselbeck on charges of plagiarism. Hasselbeck was accused of taking content from a book on celiac disease written by Susan Hassett. The judge dismissed the case after the plaintiff's attorneys felt they did not have enough evidence to continue their pursuit of the case.[6]
See also
- United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
- United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit
External links
- Judge Joseph Tauro at the Federal Judicial Center
- United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, "Judge Tauro's Extended Biography"
- The Boston Globe, "Groundbreaking federal judge to step back," August 15, 2013
Footnotes
- ↑ United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, "Judge Tauro USDC, Massachusetts Info," accessed May 6, 2015
- ↑ Boston.com, "Joseph Tauro, longest-serving judge, to step down from active service, take senior status," accessed August 15, 2013
- ↑ Law 360, "Fed. Judge Who Struck Down Defense Of Marriage Act Dies," November 30, 2018
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Judge Joseph L. Tauro biography at the Federal Judicial Center
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Boston Globe, "Repeat sexual offender ordered held indefinitely," August 20, 2009
- ↑ USA Today, "Mass. judge tosses suit against Hasselbeck," November 17, 2009
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Francis Ford |
District of Massachusetts 1972-2014 Seat #4 |
Succeeded by: Leo Sorokin
|
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 |
Adams • Barlow • Battin • Brooks • Burger • Carswell • Clark • Garth • Gibbons • Goodwin • Hannum • Herman • Ingraham • Kilkenny • Lane • Levin • MacKinnon • McFadden • Middlebrooks • Parker • Robb • Trask • Widener • Wilkins • Williams • Wright | ||
| 1970 |
Becker • Blackmun • Bogue • Bratcher • Bue • Conti • Cox • Ditter • Dupree • Eisele • Engel • Fay • Feikens • Fisher • Frey • Gorbey • Hill • Huyett • Kelleher • Kennedy • Kent • King • Kitchen • Knapp • Knox • Krupansky • McCune • McGarr • McWilliams • Mechem • J. Miller • W. Miller • Morton • Moye • Muir • O'Kelley • Oakes • Pell • Pointer • Pratt • Roney • Rosenn • Ross • Schnacke • Scott • Stapleton • Steger • Stevens • Teitelbaum • Thompson • Tjoflat • Toledo • Turrentine • Urbom • VanArtsdalen • Walinski • Wallace • Wangelin • Webster • Weis • Wellford • Wilkey • Winner • Wood | ||
| 1971 |
Alaimo • Allen • A. Anderson • J. Anderson • Barrett • Bauer • Bauman • Benson • Blair • Blatt • Boe • Brieant • Broderick • Bryan Jr. • Byrne • Campbell • Chapman • Choy • Contie • Costantino • DeMascio • Denney • Dier • Doyle • Field • Finesilver • Flannery • Freeman • Gagliardi • Goodwin • Gordon • Green • Gurfein • Hall • Hand • Hodges • Holden • Hunter • Kunzig • Lacey • Lucas • Lydick • Mansfield • McGovern • McLaren • McMillen • Mulligan • Murray • Neaher • Newcomer • Newman • Nielsen • O'Connor • Oakes • Pierce • Powell • Rehnquist • Renfrew • Richey • Rosen • Rubin • Russell • Scalera • Sharp • Sprecher • Stephenson • Stuart • Timbers • Tone • Sickle • Varner • R. West • Williams • Young | ||
| 1972 |
Bechtle • Bennett • Burns • Campbell • Carter • Coffrin • Duffy • Enright • Foreman • Freedman • Griesa • Hermansdorfer • Joiner • Kashiwa • King • Knapp • Lively • Mahon • Markey • Neill • Owens • Pesquera • Roettger • Skopil, Jr. • Stewart • Tauro • Turk • Wallace • H. Ward • R. Ward • Widener | ||
| 1973 |
Biunno • Conner • Engel • Fogel • Garth • Gee • Guin • Hancock • Harvey • Marshall • Miller • Nangle • Owen • Reed • Schatz • Sharp • Skinner • Sneed • Snyder • Stern • Webster • Weis • Wood | ||
| 1974 |
Alsop • Duncan • Firth • Gurfein • Hill • Matsch • McGlynn • Meanor • Miles • Morris • Orrick • Platt • Porter • Schwartz • Stagg • Tone • Voorhees • Warren • Warriner • Werker | ||
Federal courts:
First Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Massachusetts • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Massachusetts
State courts:
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court • Massachusetts Appeals Court • Massachusetts Superior Courts • Massachusetts District Courts • Massachusetts Housing Courts • Massachusetts Juvenile Courts • Massachusetts Land Courts • Massachusetts Probate and Family Courts • Boston Municipal Courts, Massachusetts
State resources:
Courts in Massachusetts • Massachusetts judicial elections • Judicial selection in Massachusetts
