Gonzalo Curiel
2023 - Present
1
Gonzalo P. Curiel is a federal judge on senior status with the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. He joined the court in 2012 after being nominated by President Barack Obama (D) and confirmed by the United States Senate. At the time of nomination, he was a judge for the Superior Court of San Diego County in California.[1][2] He assumed senior status on September 7, 2023.[3]
Biography
Early life and education
Curiel earned a B.A. in 1976 from Indiana University. He earned his J.D. from Indiana University School of Law in 1979.[4]
Professional career
Curiel worked in two private firms, namely, James, James & Manning from 1979 to 1986 and Barbosa & Vera 1986 to 1989. He went on to serve as the Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1989 to 2002 and the Central District of California from 2002 to 2006. From 2006 to 2012, he was a judge for the Superior Court of San Diego County, California.[4]
Judicial career
Southern District of California
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Gonzalo P. Curiel |
| Court: Southern District of California |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 317 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: November 10, 2011
|
| ABA Rating: Substantial Majority Well Qualified, Minority Qualified
|
| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| Hearing: March 28, 2012
|
| QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: April 26, 2012
|
| Confirmed: September 22, 2012
|
| Vote: Voice
|
Curiel was nominated to the United States District Court for the Southern District of California by President Barack Obama on November 10, 2011. Obama commented on the nominations of Curiel and others, stating, "These individuals have demonstrated the talent, expertise, and fair-mindedness Americans expect and deserve from their judicial system. I am grateful for their willingness to serve and confident that they will apply the law with the utmost impartiality and integrity."[4] He was nominated to fill the seat vacated by Thomas Whelan.[2]
He was rated Substantial Majority Well Qualified, Minority Qualified by the American Bar Association. He had a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 28, 2012. His Committee Questionnaire can be found here, and his Questions for the Record can be found here.[5]
On September 22, 2012, the United States Senate confirmed Curiel to an Article III post for the United States District Court for the Southern District of California by voice vote.[6][7]
He assumed senior status on September 7, 2023.[3]
Noteworthy events
Trump University case
- See also: Trump University
Low, et al. v. Trump University
| Makaeff, et al. v. Trump University |
|---|
| Date filed: April 2010 |
| Plaintiffs: Tarla Makaeff, Brandon Keller, Ed Oberkrom, Sonny Low, J.R. Everett, and John Brown |
| Defendants: The Trump Entrepreneur Initiative (Trump University) and Donald Trump |
| Status: Pending |
In a September 2012 complaint to the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, plaintiffs Tarla Makaeff, Brandon Keller, Ed Oberkrom, Sonny Low, J.R. Everett, and John Brown claimed that "rather than serving its students as a university or college, Defendant Trump University is more like an infomercial, selling non-accredited products, such as sales workshops, luring customers in with the name and reputation of its founder and Chairman, billionaire land mogul Donald J. Trump."[8] Trump filed a defamation counter-claim against Makaeff. In June 2014, a judge dismissed the claim and ordered Trump to pay $798,000 in legal fees to Makaeff.
In March 2016, Makaeff asked to be removed from the case. Sonny Low was then named the lead plaintiff.[9][10][11]
The plaintiffs asked for the case to go to trial during the summer of 2016. On March 18, 2016, Trump's lawyers requested the trial be delayed until after the 2016 presidential election.[12][13] A judge ruled the trial would begin on November 28, 2016.[14]
On November 19, 2016, a $25 million dollar settlement was announced in this lawsuit and a second class action lawsuit, Cohen v. Trump. On January 17, 2017, the funds were transferred to an escrow account pending a judge's approval of the settlement. A hearing on the settlement was held on March 31, 2017.[15]
Cohen v. Donald J. Trump
| Cohen v. Donald J. Trump |
|---|
| Date filed: October 2013 |
| Plaintiff: Art Cohen |
| Defendant: Donald J. Trump |
| Status: Pending |
In his October 2013 complaint to the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, Art Cohen, a businessman who attended Trump University, claimed that Trump "ensnared Plaintiff [Cohen] and thousands of other student-victims in a fraudulent scheme nationwide to sell real estate seminars and mentorships ('Live Events') by trading on the Trump moniker."[16]
The complaint also said that Cohen "would not have paid for any of the Trump University programs had he known that he would not have access to Donald Trump's real estate investing secrets, that Trump had no meaningful role in selecting the instructors for the Live Events, and/or that Trump University was not a 'University,' as Defendant had represented to him." Cohen sought damages for himself and others who attended Trump University.[16]
Curiel ruled in 2014 to allow the action to proceed. Alan Garten, the Trump Organization's executive vice president and general counsel, said Trump was being unfairly targeted. Garten also said, "The only thing they have prevailed upon is the licensing issue. [...] That is usually dealt with at the administrative level and usually doesn't even result in a fine."[17]
In an interview on June 5, 2016, Trump said that Curiel had not treated him fairly because of his plan to build a border wall. Trump said, “He is a member of a club or society, very strongly pro-Mexican, which is all fine. But I say he’s got bias. I want to build a wall. I’m going to build a wall. I’m doing very well with the Latinos, with the Hispanics, with the Mexicans, I’m doing very well with them, in my opinion.”[18]
On November 19, 2016, a $25 million dollar settlement was announced in this lawsuit and a second class action lawsuit, Low, et al. v. Trump University. On January 17, 2017, the funds were transferred to an escrow account pending a judge's approval of the settlement. A hearing on the settlement was held on March 31, 2017.[19]
See also
- United States District Court for the Southern District of California
- Lawsuits against Donald Trump and Trump University
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- United States District Court for the Southern District of California
- Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
- Website of the Superior Court of San Diego County
Footnotes
- ↑ California Courts, "Trial Courts Roster"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 WhiteHouse.gov, "Presidential Nominations and Withdrawl Sent to the Senate," November 10, 2011
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Federal Judicial Center, "Curiel, Gonzalo Paul," accessed September 7, 2023
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 WhiteHouse.gov, "President Obama Nominates Four to Serve on the US District Court Bench," November 10, 2011
- ↑ Senate.gov, "112th Congress Nomination Materials"
- ↑ Judiciary.Senate.gov, "Report on the Activities of the Senate Judiciary Committee, 112th Congress"
- ↑ Senate.gov, "United States Periodic Press Gallery"
- ↑ TrumpUniversityLitigation.com, "Makaeff, et al. v. Trump University," accessed March 1, 2016
- ↑ ZHLaw.com, "Trump University," accessed March 7, 2016
- ↑ CourtHouseNews.com, "$798,000 Award Against Trump University," accessed March 7, 2016
- ↑ CNN Money, "Woman who sued Trump University wants out of case," March 11, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Trump University plaintiffs push for a summer trial," accessed April 12, 2016
- ↑ Fortune, "Donald Trump Is Angling to Push the Trump University Suit Till After the Election," accessed April 12, 2016
- ↑ News Times, "The Latest: Judge sets schedule for Trump University trial," November 10, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Trump pays out $25 million to settle Trump University litigation," January 18, 2017
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Justia.com, "Cohen v. Donald J. Trump," accessed March 1, 2016
- ↑ CBS News, "Lawsuit accuses Donald Trump of deceiving students," October 31, 2014
- ↑ The New York Times, "Could a Muslim Judge Be Neutral to Donald Trump? He Doesn’t Think So," accessed June 6, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Trump pays out $25 million to settle Trump University litigation," January 18, 2017
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Thomas Whelan |
United States District Court for the Southern District of California 2012-2023 |
Succeeded by Benjamin Cheeks |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominated | |||
Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Central District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Central District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California
State courts:
California Supreme Court • California Courts of Appeal • California Superior Courts
State resources:
Courts in California • California judicial elections • Judicial selection in California
