Gregg Costa
Gregg Costa was a federal judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. He joined the court in 2014 after a nomination from President Barack Obama (D). He retired from the court on August 31, 2022.[1]
Biography
Gregg Costa was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Costa earned his B.A. from Dartmouth College in 1994 and his J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 1999.[1]
Professional career
Costa's professional experience includes working in the following roles:[1]
- 2014-2022: Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- 2005-2012: Assistant U.S. attorney, Southern District of Texas
- 2002-2005: Private practice, Houston, Texas
- 2001-2002: Law clerk, Hon. William Rehnquist, Supreme Court of the United States
- 2000-2001: Law clerk, Hon. A. Raymond Randolph, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
- 1999: Bristow Fellow, Office of the Solicitor General, U.S. Department of Justice[1]
Judicial nominations and appointments
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Gregg Jeffrey Costa |
| Court: United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 152 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: December 19, 2013
|
| ABA Rating: Unanimously Well Qualified
|
| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| Hearing: February 25, 2014
|
| QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: March 27, 2014
|
| Confirmed: May 20, 2014
|
| Vote: 97-0
|
 Returned: January 3, 2014
|
Costa was first nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit by President Barack Obama on December 19, 2013, to a seat vacated by Judge Fortunato Benavides, who assumed senior status. Under Rule XXXI, paragraph six of the standing rules of the Senate, Costa's nomination was returned to the president on January 3, 2014. President Obama resubmitted Costa's nomination on January 6, 2014. The American Bar Association rated Costa Unanimously Well Qualified for the nomination.[2] Hearings on Costa's nomination were held before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary on February 25, 2014, and his nomination was reported by U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on March 27, 2014. After a cloture motion, Costa was confirmed on a recorded 97-0 vote of the U.S. Senate on May 20, 2014, and he received his commission on June 2, 2014.[1][3][4]
Southern District of Texas
On September 8, 2011, Costa was nominated to the federal bench by President Barack Obama to a seat vacated by Judge John Rainey. Costa was rated Unanimously Well Qualified by the American Bar Association for the nomination.[5] Hearings on Costa's nomination were held before the Senate Judiciary Committee on November 2, 2011, and his nomination was reported by Sen. Leahy (D-Vt.) on December 1, 2011. Costa was confirmed on a recorded 97-2 vote of the United States Senate on April 26, 2012, and he received his commission the same day. Costa resigned from the district court on June 2, 2014, upon his elevation to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.[1][6]
Noteworthy cases
Partial summary judgment in Bumbo products liability case (2013)
On November 26, 2013, Judge Costa granted partial summary judgment to Bumbo International in a products liability case where parents of an infant alleged that the baby fractured her skull after falling from an elevated surface while seated in a Bumbo Baby Seat. The Baby Seat had a warning that clearly stated it should "never [be used] on any elevated surface." The parents admitted they did not read any of the warnings present, but if they had, they would have obeyed them. Despite these facts, the Blythes still believed Bumbo International failed to provide adequate warnings about the Baby Seat's potential dangers, suing under a marketing defect claim. Judge Costa rejected that theory of the case, ruling that "there [was] no basis for a reasonable jury to decide that this unambiguous and conspicuous warning was insufficient." A jury later returned a verdict in favor of the company on the remaining causes of action.[7]
See also
- United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
- United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Federal Judicial Center, "Costa, Gregg Jeffrey," accessed September 1, 2022
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III judicial nominees, 113th Congress," accessed December 27, 2013
- ↑ United States Congress, "PN 1034 — Gregg Jeffrey Costa — The Judiciary," accessed September 10, 2016
- ↑ United States Congress, "PN 1188 — Gregg Jeffrey Costa — The Judiciary," accessed September 10, 2016
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III judicial nominees, 112th Congress," accessed September 10, 2016
- ↑ United States Congress, "PN 920 — Gregg Jeffrey Costa — The Judiciary," accessed September 10, 2016
- ↑ Courthouse News Service, "Baby Seat Manufacturer Isn't to Blame for Injury," December 2, 2013
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit 2014-2022 |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas 2012-2014 |
Succeeded by - |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominated | |||
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Active judges |
Chief Judge: Randy Crane • Keith Ellison (Texas) • George Hanks • Jeff Brown (Texas) • Alfred Bennett • Rolando Olvera • Nelva Gonzales Ramos • Marina Garcia Marmolejo • Diana Saldana • Fernando Rodriguez Jr. • David Morales (Texas federal judge) • Charles Eskridge • Drew Tipton • John Kazen | ||
| Senior judges |
Janis Jack • Micaela Alvarez • Lynn Hughes • Andrew Hanen • Melinda Harmon • Ricardo Hinojosa • David Hittner • Kenneth Hoyt (Texas) • Sim Lake • Gray Miller • John Rainey • Lee Rosenthal • Hilda Tagle • Ewing Werlein • | ||
| Magistrate judges | Ronald G. Morgan • J. Scott Hacker • Diana Quiroga • Jason Libby (Texas) • Ignacio Torteya III • Dena Palermo • Juan F. Alanis • Andrew M. Edison • Sam S. Sheldon • Julie Hampton • Christopher dos Santos • Nadia Medrano • Mitchel Neurock • | ||
| Former Article III judges |
Samuel Kent • Reynaldo Garza • Waller Thomas Burns (Texas judge) • Joseph Chappell Hutcheson Jr. • Hayden Head • Nancy Atlas • Vanessa Gilmore • Thomas Martin Kennerly • James Allred • Adriana Arce-Flores • John Black (Texas) • Calvin Botley • Brian Owsley • Norman Black • Carl Bue • George Cire • Ben Connally • Finis Cowan • Owen Cox • James DeAnda • Hugh Gibson • Allen Hannay • Joe Ingraham • Gabrielle McDonald • James Noel • Robert O'Conor • Woodrow Seals • John Singleton • Ross Sterling • Filemon Vela (Texas judge) • Gregg Costa • | ||
| Former Chief judges |
Reynaldo Garza • Hayden Head • Ricardo Hinojosa • Lee Rosenthal • George Kazen • Norman Black • Ben Connally • James DeAnda • Allen Hannay • John Singleton • | ||
Federal courts:
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas
State courts:
Texas Supreme Court • Texas Court of Appeals • Texas Court of Criminal Appeals • Texas District Courts • Texas County Courts • Texas County Courts at Law • Texas Statutory Probate Courts • Texas Justice of the Peace Courts
State resources:
Courts in Texas • Texas judicial elections • Judicial selection in Texas
