Joseph Van Bokkelen

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Joseph Van Bokkelen
Image of Joseph Van Bokkelen
United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana (senior status)
Tenure

2017 - Present

Years in position

8

Prior offices
United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana

Education

Bachelor's

Indiana University, 1966

Law

Indiana University School of Law, 1969

Personal
Birthplace
Chicago, Ill.
Contact


Joseph Van Bokkelen is a federal judge on senior status with the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana. He joined the court in 2007 after a nomination from President George W. Bush (R).[1]

Early life and education

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Van Bokkelen received his undergraduate degree from Indiana University in 1966 and his J.D. from Indiana University School of Law in 1969.[1]

Professional career

  • 2017 - Present: Senior judge
  • 2007-2017: Judge
  • 1971-1972: Assistant attorney general
  • 1969-1970: Deputy attorney general[1]

Judicial career

Northern District of Indiana

Nomination Tracker
Fedbadgesmall.png
Nominee Information
Name: Joseph S. Van Bokkelen
Court: United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
Progress
Confirmed 170 days after nomination.
ApprovedANominated: January 9, 2007
ApprovedAABA Rating: Unanimously Well Qualified
Questionnaire:
ApprovedAHearing: April 11, 2007
QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more)
ApprovedAReported: May 3, 2007 
ApprovedAConfirmed: June 28, 2007
ApprovedAVote: Voice vote

Van Bokkelen was nominated by President George W. Bush (R) on January 9, 2007, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana vacated by Rudy Lozano. The American Bar Association rated Van Bokkelen Unanimously Well Qualified for the nomination. Hearings on Van Bokkelen's nomination were held before the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 11, 2007, and his nomination was reported by U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on May 3, 2007. Van Bokkelen was confirmed on a voice vote of the U.S. Senate on June 28, 2007, and he received his commission on July 18, 2007. Van Bokkelen elected to take senior status beginning on September 29, 2017.[1][2][3]

Noteworthy cases

Judge finds South Bend cops violated federal wiretapping law (2015)

South Bend police accidentally recorded a phone call made by an officer on February 4, 2011, on a departmental line. That call allegedly included the officer making racist remarks about the former chief of police. Once the department learned of this, it began recording all calls made on that line. When officers learned of the practice, however, they contacted the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice for assistance. A legal battle between the city and the Common Council, South Bend’s city council, ensued, with the council demanding all of the recordings and the city refusing to release them.

Judge Joseph Van Bokkelen presided over the case and ruled on January 14, 2015, that all recordings except the February 4 recording were illegal and violated section 2511(1)(a) of the federal Wiretap Act. The reason the February 4 recording was not illegal is that the recording was accidentally, and therefore unintentionally, recorded. The Wiretap Act did not include unintentional recordings.

Articles:

See also

External links

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by:
Rudy Lozano
Northern District of Indiana
2007-2017
Seat #3
Succeeded by:
Holly Brady