John W. deGravelles
2014 - Present
11
John W. deGravelles is a federal judge for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana. On March 13, 2014, President Barack Obama nominated deGravelles to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana.[1] The United States Senate confirmed deGravelles on July 22, 2014, with a vote of 100-0.[2]
Prior to joining the court, deGravelles was a partner at the law firm Palmintier, Holthaus & Frugé, LLP.
Education and early life
DeGravelles earned his B.A. from Louisiana State University in 1971 and his J.D. from the Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 1974.[1]
Professional career
- 2014-Present: Judge, United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana
- 2010-2014:Joint Litigation Group, Deepwater Horizon case
- 1995-Present: Adjunct faculty, Louisiana State University, Paul M. Herbert Law Center
- 1993-Present: Instructor, Tulane University Law School
- 1987-2014: Partner, Palmintier, Holthaus & Frugé, LLP
- 1984-1987: Attorney, John W. deGravelles Law, L.L.C.
- 1973-1986: Attorney and law clerk, Dué, Dodson, deGravelles, Robinson & Caskey
- 1972-1973: Law clerk, Neesom, Mellon, Cavanaugh and Dué[1][3]
Judicial career
Middle District of Louisiana
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: John W. deGravelles |
| Court: Middle District of Louisiana |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 131 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: March 13, 2014
|
| ABA Rating: Unanimously Well Qualified
|
| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| Hearing: May 20, 2014
|
| QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: June 19, 2014
|
| Confirmed: July 22, 2014
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| Vote: 100-0
|
John W. deGravelles was nominated by President Barack Obama to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana on March 13, 2014. The vacancy was created when James J. Brady took senior status on December 31, 2013. On the nomination:
| “ | “I am honored to put forward John W. deGravelles for the federal bench. He will be a distinguished public servant and a valuable addition to the United States District Court. | ” |
| —President Barack Obama, [1] | ||
DeGravelles was rated Unanimously Well Qualified by the American Bar Association.[5]
The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for deGravelles on May 20, 2014. The video of this hearing can be found here.[6] The Senate Judiciary Committee reported deGravelles to the full Senate on June 19, 2014, on a voice vote.[7] DeGravelles was confirmed by a unanimous vote of the Senate on July 22, 2014.[2]
Awards and associations
Awards
- 2008-2013: Super Lawyer, Top 50 Lawyers in Louisiana
- 2007-2014: Super Lawyer, Plaintiff Personal Injury, General
- 2007-2013: Super Lawyer, Louisiana Super Lawyer
- 2007: Super Lawyer, Top 10 Lawyers in Louisiana
- 2001-2002: Fulbright Scholar
- 1991, 2000: Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association President's Award
- 1988-Present: Martindale-Hubble Rating: "AV Preeminent"
- 1988: Council for a Better Louisiana Better Louisiana Award
- 1983: Inductee, Lafayette High School Athletic Hall of Fame
- 1974: Louisiana State University Law School Moot Court Board
- 1973: Winner, Flory Trial Competition, LSU Law School
Association
- 2014-Present: Owner, deGravelles Family III, LLC
- 2012-Present: Owner, deGravelles Enterprises, LLC
- 2012-Present: Owner, deGravelles Family II, LLC
- 2012: Campaign steering committee, Louisiana State University Law Center, Tradition of Excellence Campaign
- 2011-Present: Board of governors, American Association for Justice
- 2011: Planning committee, Louisiana State University Law Center Litigation and Liability in the Work Place Seminar
- 2010: Planning committee, Louisiana State University Law Center, Medical Malpractice Seminar
- 2006-Present: Chair of the planning committee, Louisiana State University Law Center, Judge Alvin B. Rubin Conference on Maritime Law
- 2005-2006: Chairman, Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association Hurricane Katrina/Rita Relief Committee
- 2000-Present: Member, DPHF Company, LLC
- 1999-Present: Louisiana State University Law Center Chancellor's Council
- 1999-2001: President, Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center National Alumni Board
- 1998-Present: Settlor, The deGravelles Inter Vivos Trust
- 1996-2001: National board of directors, American Board of Trial Advocates
- 1998: President, Louisiana Chapter
- 1997: President-Elect, Louisiana Chapter
- 1996: Secretary-treasurer, Louisiana Chapter
- 1993-1996: Board of governors, American Association for Justice
- 1992-1994: Governing board, At Large Member, Common Cause of Louisiana
- 1989-Present: Director and owner, Louisiana Litigation Services, Inc.
- 1988-Present: Louisiana Environmental Action Network
- 1984-Present: Board of governors, Louisiana Association for Justice
- 1992-1993: President
- 1991-1992: President-elect
- 1984-1992: Board of directors, Citizens for a Clean Environment
- 1984-1987: President
- 1984-1986: Record owner, Due Dodson & Fausts-Nicholson & Brightside Properties, Louisiana
- 1984-1985: Chairman, Baton Rouge Mary's Council on Environmental Quality
- 1983-1986: Record owner, Catfish Town II, A Partnership in Commendam, Louisiana
- 1982-1986: Record owner, Catfish Town Properties, A Louisiana Partnership In Commendam
- 1982-1986: Record owner, Due Dodson and deGravelles D/B/A Sharlo Terrace II
- 1982-1984: Record owner, Elm Street Limited Partnership, A Louisiana Partnership in Commendam
- 1980-1984: Record owner, Sharlo Apartments, A Partnership in Commendam
- 1976-1986: Record owner, Southern Townhouses, Inc.
- 1975-Present: South Baton Rouge Legal Association
- 1975-1985: Record owner, Sleepy Lack, Incorporated[3]
Noteworthy cases
Mandatory display of the Ten Commandments in public classrooms (2024)
On June 19, 2024, Gov. Jeff Landry signed a bill into law that would require every public school classroom in Louisiana from kindergarten through college level to display the Ten Commandments by January 1, 2025. House Bill 71, sponsored by Rep. Dodie Horton (R), contains language, display, and funding specifics for classroom copies of the Ten Commandments.[8] This is not the first bill on this topic, but it is the first in the nation to pass since a similar Kentucky law was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1980.[9]
In a statement in defense of the bill, Rep. Horton said, "Given all of the junk our children are exposed to in the classrooms today, it is imperative that we put the Ten Commandments back into its historic position. We have every confidence that it will survive legal scrutiny."[10]
On June 24, a group of Louisiana parents whose children attend publicly-funded schools filed a lawsuit challenging the law. Reverend Jeff Simms, a plaintiff on the case, stated, "This new law doesn't just interfere with my and my children's religious freedom, it tramples on it. The separation of church and state means that families get to decide if, when and how their children should be introduced to religious Scripture and texts, not the state."[10][11]
On July 23, Judge John W. deGravelles approved a temporary hold on the law until November 15, 2024, which was agreed on by the plaintiffs and the state. The hearing began on September 30 and lasted until mid-November.[12] On November 12, Judge deGravelles declared the law unconstitutional as it conflicted with precedent set by the U.S. Supreme Court and violated the religious rights of public school students.[13]
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill filed an appeal to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit after the ruling in November. On January 23, 2025, Judges Irma Ramirez, James Dennis, and Catharina Haynes heard oral arguments for the appeal. A decision is expected in the spring of 2025.[14]
Temporary restraining order blocks Planned Parenthood defunding effort in Louisiana (2015)
DeGravelles issued a two-week temporary restraining order in October 2015 that blocked the effort by Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) to defund Planned Parenthood in Louisiana. The defunding effort followed the release of several undercover videos showing conversations with Planned Parenthood personnel that displayed potentially incriminating behavior and statements. The videos began a debate on whether Planned Parenthood was guilty of illegally selling aborted fetal remains, motivating Jindal, among others, to push for the defunding of Planned Parenthood. DeGravelles ruled in a court filing on October 18, 2015, that Jindal unlawfully canceled Planned Parenthood's Medicaid contracts. According to ABC News, part of Jindal's case relied upon a 2013 settlement filed in Texas regarding claims that the organization had billed the government for procedures that were not medically necessary. DeGravelles stated that Louisiana law "plainly and unambiguously" exempted Medicaid providers from contract termination if they had not admitted liability in the 2013 settlement, something Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast had not done. Jindal's administration agreed to let the restraining order become a preliminary injunction, indicating that they may fight the order in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.[15][16][17][18]
Temporary restraining order blocks Louisiana abortion law (2014)
Doctors who perform abortions and do not have admitting privileges at local hospitals under a Louisiana law will not be penalized. The Louisiana Health Department will follow the temporary restraining order issued on September 1, 2014, by deGravelles. The order blocked enforcement of the law, which was to take effect on September 2, 2014. Louisiana has five abortion clinics, three of which sought judicial help in blocking the law. The clinics that sued argued that the law would go into effect too soon to provide adequate time for their doctors to obtain admitting privileges, thus rendering the clinics unable to remain open.
The state health department responded to Judge deGravelles’ ruling by stating that, provided a doctor can show he or she has applied for the right to admit patients to a local hospital, then the state will forego any legal action against the doctor.
Admitting privileges laws are popular in the southern United States. Those states argue that emergencies can arise during abortions, and each doctor who performs an abortion should be able to admit his or her patient to the nearest hospital without delay. Opponents claim that the laws are an attempt to close clinics. Interestingly, the Fifth Circuit blocked a similar law in Mississippi as it would have shut down the state’s only clinic. The panel of judges for that court wrote that “every state must guarantee the right to an abortion.”[19]
Articles:
See also
- United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana
- United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
External links
- The White House, "President Obama Nominates John W. deGravelles to Serve on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana," March 13, 2014
- Judge deGravelles' biography from the Federal Judicial Center
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The White House, "President Obama Nominates John W. deGravelles to Serve on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana," March 13, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 United States Senate, " On the Nomination (Confirmation John W. deGravelles, of Louisiana, to be U.S. District Judge, Middle District of Louisiana)," accessed July 22, 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Senate Judiciary Committee, "Questionnaire for the Nominee," accessed April 4, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III Judicial Nominees: 113th Congress," accessed March 19, 2014
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Judicial Nominees," May 20, 2014
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting - June 19 2014," June 19, 2014
- ↑ AP News, "New law requires all Louisiana public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments," June 20, 2024
- ↑ The New York Times, "Louisiana’s Ten Commandments Law Signals a Broader Christian Agenda," June 21, 2024
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 NOLA.com, "Louisiana is sued over new law requiring public schools to post Ten Commandments," June 24, 2024
- ↑ Americans United for Separation of Church and State, "Rev. Roake v. Brumley," June 24, 2024
- ↑ The 74 Million, "Louisiana Delays Ten Commandments in Classrooms while Law is Challenged," July 23, 2024
- ↑ Reuters, "US judge declares Louisiana's Ten Commandments law unconstitutional," November 12, 2024
- ↑ Louisiana Illuminator, "Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law undergoes 5th Circuit judges’ scrutiny," January 24, 2025
- ↑ The Times Picayune, "2nd video targets Planned Parenthood on fetal tissue," July 21, 2015
- ↑ The Times Picayune, "Federal judge blocks Bobby Jindal's Planned Parenthood defunding," October 19, 2015
- ↑ ABC News, "Judge: Louisiana Must Fund Planned Parenthood for 14 Days," October 19, 2015
- ↑ The Times Picayune, "Planned Parenthood injunction appears headed for appeal," October 21, 2015
- ↑ Times-Picayune, "Louisiana following judge's order on abortion law," September 1, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana 2014-Present |
Succeeded by - |
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| Nominated | |||
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State of Louisiana Baton Rouge (capital) |
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