Robert Chatigny

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Robert Chatigny
Image of Robert Chatigny

Nonpartisan

United States District Court for the District of Connecticut (senior status)
Tenure

2016 - Present

Years in position

7

Prior offices
United States District Court for the District of Connecticut

Education

Bachelor's

Brown University, 1973

Law

Georgetown University Law Center, 1978

Personal
Birthplace
Taunton, Mass.
Contact

Official website


Robert Neil Chatigny is a federal judge on senior status with the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut. He joined the court in 1994 after being nominated by President Bill Clinton. From 2003 to 2009, Chatigny served as chief judge of the district court.

Early life and education

Born in Taunton, Massachusetts, Chatigny graduated from Brown University with his bachelor's degree in 1973 and from Georgetown University Law Center with his J.D. in 1978.[1]

Professional career

  • 2017 - Present: Senior judge
  • 1994-2016: Judge

Judicial career

District of Connecticut

Nomination Tracker
Fedbadgesmall.png
Nominee Information
Name: Robert N. Chatigny
Court: United States District Court for the District of Connecticut
Progress
Confirmed 54 days after nomination.
ApprovedANominated: August 5, 1994
ApprovedAABA Rating: Unanimously Well Qualified
Questionnaire:
ApprovedAHearing: September 14, 1994
QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more)
ApprovedAReported: September 22, 1994 
ApprovedAConfirmed: September 28, 1994
ApprovedAVote: Voice vote

Chatigny was nominated to the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut by President Bill Clinton on August 5, 1994, to a seat vacated by Warren Eginton. The American Bar Association rated Chatigny Unanimously Well Qualified for the nomination.[2] Hearings on Chatigny's nomination were held before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary on September 14, 1994, and his nomination was reported by then-U.S. Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.) on September 22, 1994. Chatigny was confirmed on a voice vote of the U.S. Senate on September 28, 1994, and he received his commission the next day. From 2003 to 2009, Chatigny served as chief judge of the district court. Chatigny elected to take senior status beginning on January 1, 2017.[1][3]

Federal circuit court nomination

Second Circuit Court of Appeals

Nomination Tracker
Fedbadgesmall.png
Nominee Information
Name: Robert Chatigny
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit
Progress
Returned 301 days after nomination.
ApprovedANominated: February 24, 2010
ApprovedAABA Rating: Unanimously Well Qualified
Questionnaire:
ApprovedAHearing: April 28, 2010
Hearing Transcript: Hearing Transcript
QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more)
ApprovedAReported: June 10, 2010 
DefeatedAConfirmed:
DefeatedAReturned: December 22, 2010

Chatigny was nominated by President Barack Obama to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit vacated by Guido Calabresi.[4][5][6] The American Bar Association rated Chatigny Unanimously Well Qualified for the nomination.[7]

In March 2010, the Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a hearing for Chatigny due to receipt of a letter critical of his conduct during the 2005 trial of convicted serial killer and rapist Michael Ross. During that trial, Chatigny was alleged to have pressured Ross' attorney to appeal his sentence of execution even though Ross had said he did not want to fight it. Chatigny also threatened to go after Ross' attorney's law license. Seven prosecutors from Connecticut filed a complaint against Chatigny with a federal judicial review panel. The panel found that his behavior was unusual but not improper. On March 5, 2010, one of those seven prosecutors wrote to the Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and the ranking member Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) saying, "Judge Chatigny completely abandoned the role of neutral and detached magistrate and instead became an advocate for the position held by the parties who were seeking to stop the execution of Michael Ross." Upon receipt of the letter, Leahy canceled Chatigny's scheduled hearing.[8][9][10] The hearing was rescheduled for April 27, 2010.[11]

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to report Chatigny's confirmation to a floor vote on June 10, 2010, but under Rule XXXI, paragraph six of the standing rules of the Senate, Chatigny's nomination was returned to the president on August 5, 2010. On September 13, 2010, President Obama again submitted Chatigny's nomination to the U.S. Senate.[12] Chatigny's nomination was returned to the president under Senate rules at the conclusion of the 111th Congress.[13][14][15]

After his nomination was returned to the president in 2010, Chatigny was not renominated. Though President Obama did not publicly state a reason, sources said that Chatigny asked the president not to resubmit his nomination. In a statement, Chatigny said, "It was an honor to be nominated to the Court of Appeals, and I'm deeply grateful to everyone who supported my nomination."[16] Judge Calabresi was succeeded on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals by Judge Christopher Droney.

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Federal Judicial Center, "Biographical directory of federal judges," accessed January 1, 2017
  2. ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III judicial nominees, 103rd Congress," accessed January 1, 2017
  3. ↑ United States Congress, "PN 1619 — Robert N. Chatigny — The Judiciary," accessed January 1, 2017
  4. ↑ The Hartford Courant, "Judge Chatigny Nominated To Seat On U.S. 2nd Circuit Court Of Appeals," February 25, 2010
  5. ↑ White House Press Release, "President Obama Nominates Goodwin Liu for the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit," February 24, 2010
  6. ↑ The Associated Press, "Judge in Connecticut nominated for appeals court," February 25, 2010
  7. ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III judicial nominees, 111th Congress," accessed January 1, 2017
  8. ↑ FOXNews, "Hearing Delayed for Obama Judicial Nominee Who Supported Serial Killer," March 10, 2010
  9. ↑ Connecticut Law Tribune, "Prosecutor Questions Chatigny’s Fitness For 2nd Circuit," March 10, 2010
  10. ↑ The Hartford Courant, "U.S. Senate Panel Postpones Chatigny Confirmation Hearing," March 11, 2010
  11. ↑ Hartford Courant, "GOP Spokesman: Hearing Will Examine Chatigny's Judicial History," April 27, 2010
  12. ↑ The White House, "Press Release: Presidential Nominations Sent to Senate," September 13, 2010
  13. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named 111th
  14. ↑ United States Congress, "PN 1470 — Robert Neil Chatigny — The Judiciary," accessed January 1, 2017
  15. ↑ United States Congress, "PN 2102 — Robert Neil Chatigny — The Judiciary," accessed January 1, 2017
  16. ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Why Wasn't Robert Chatigny Re-Nominated?" January 6, 2011
Political offices
Preceded by:
Warren Eginton 		District of Connecticut
1994–2017
Seat #5 		Succeeded by:
Kari A. Dooley



Connecticut courts

Federal courts:

Second Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Connecticut • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Connecticut

State courts:

Connecticut Supreme Court • Connecticut Appellate Court • Connecticut Superior Court • Connecticut Probate Courts

State resources:

Courts in Connecticut • Connecticut judicial elections • Judicial selection in Connecticut

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