Loretta Preska
2017 - Present
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Loretta A. Preska is a federal judge on senior status with the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. She joined the court in 1992 after being nominated by President George H.W. Bush. From 2009 to 2016, she served as the chief judge of the district court.
Early life and education
A native of Albany, New York, Preska graduated from the College of St. Rose with her bachelor's degree in 1970, from Fordham University School of Law with her J.D. in 1973, and from New York University School of Law with her LL.M. in 1978.[1]
Professional career
- 2017 - Present: Senior judge
- 2009-2016: Chief judge
- 1992-2017: Judge
- 1973-1992: Private practice, New York, N.Y.[1]
Judicial career
Southern District of New York
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| Nominee Information |
| Name: Loretta A. Preska |
| Court: United States District Court for the Southern District of New York |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 133 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: March 31, 1992
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| ABA Rating: Unanimously Qualified
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| Questionnaire: |
| Hearing: June 4, 1992
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| QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: June 11, 1992
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| Confirmed: August 11, 1992
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| Vote: Unanimous consent
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Preska was nominated by President George H.W. Bush on March 31, 1992, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York vacated by Robert Ward. The American Bar Association rated Preska Unanimously Qualified for the nomination. Hearings on Preska's nomination were held before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary on June 4, 1992, and her nomination was reported by then-U.S. Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.) on June 11, 1992. Preska was confirmed by the unanimous consent of the U.S. Senate on August 11, 1992, and she received her commission the next day. From 2009 to 2016, she served as chief judge of the district court. Judge Preska elected to take senior status beginning on March 1, 2017.[1][2][3]
Noteworthy cases
AntiSec hacker sentenced after judge refuses to recuse (2013)
In March 2012, Jeremy Hammond was arrested and subsequently indicted for his involvement in the Stratfor email leak. Hammond was jailed for approximately eight months before Judge Preska denied him bail at a pretrial hearing. At the same hearing, Judge Preska informed Hammond that he could be could be sentenced to life in prison for his crimes. Months later, in February 2013, Hammond's defense team filed a motion asking that Judge Preska recuse herself, raising the possibility that she could be biased due to her husband's connection to the case. Judge Preska's husband, Thomas Kavaler, was a partner at the law firm Cahill Gordon & Reindel, and his emails were leaked in the Stratfor hack. Prior to joining the bench, Judge Preska was employed as a partner at the same firm. Moreover, several of the law firm's clients were victims of the hack. Judge Preska denied the motion, ruling that these facts did not meet the legal standard used to question a judge's impartiality in a case. On May 28, 2013, pursuant to a plea agreement, Hammond pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in computer hacking. On November 15, 2013, Judge Preska sentenced him to the maximum of ten years in prison.[4][5][6][7][8]
Fed Reserve disclosure (2010)
- See also: United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (Bloomberg v. Board of Governors of Federal Reserve System, No. 08 Civ. 9595 (LAP))
- See also: United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (Bloomberg v. Board of Governors of Federal Reserve System, No. 08 Civ. 9595 (LAP))
On August 24, 2009, Judge Preska ruled that the Federal Reserve was required to disclose the recipients of certain emergency loans and aid.[9]
As part of her order, Preska gave the Federal Reserve five days to disclose the documents. On August 28, 2009, Judge Preska stayed her order pending the government's appeal to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.[10]
The case was argued in front of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals on January 11, 2010, and decided on March 19, 2010. The appellate court judges, Dennis Jacobs, Pierre Leval, and Peter Hall, affirmed Judge Preska's decision.[11]
See also
- United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
- United States Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Federal Judicial Center, "Biography of Judge Loretta A. Preska," accessed July 10, 2017
- ↑ United States Congress, "PN 1003 — Loretta A. Preska — The Judiciary," accessed March 1, 2017
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III judicial nominees, 102nd Congress," accessed March 1, 2017
- ↑ Daily Dot, "Bail denied for LulzSec hacker Jeremy Hammond," November 21, 2012
- ↑ RT, "Anonymous hacker behind Stratfor attack faces life in prison," November 23, 2012
- ↑ Village Voice, "Judge in Jeremy Hammond Case Won't Recuse Herself," February 21, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Attorneys Office (S.D.N.Y.), "Press Release: "Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Guilty Plea Of Jeremy Hammond For Hacking Into The Stratfor Website"
- ↑ Rolling Stone, "Cyber-Activist Jeremy Hammond Sentenced to 10 Years In Prison," November 15, 2013
- ↑ Washington Post, "Judge Rules Fed Must Disclose Firms That Accept Aid," August 26, 2009
- ↑ Reuters, "Judge puts Fed's bailout revelations on hold," August 28, 2009
- ↑ BLOOMBERG, LP v. BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF FED. RES., 601 F. 3d 143
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Robert Ward |
Southern District of New York 1992–2017 |
Succeeded by: Mary Kay Vyskocil
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|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 |
Barksdale • Bonner • Buckwalter • Cyr • Fernandez • Garbis • Harmon • Lee • Lindberg • Lodge • Nelson • Nottingham • Plager • Rosen • Rymer • Smith • Spatt • Thomas • VanBebber • J. Walker • V. Walker • Wiener • Wright | ||
| 1990 |
Alito • Amon • Birch • Boudin • Cleland • Clevenger • Dubina • Hamilton • Henderson • Hood • Hornby • Jones • Kent • Levi • Loken • Lourie • Martin • McBryde • McClure • McKenna • McLaughlin • McNamee • Moreno • Mullen • Nelson • Nickerson • Niemeyer • Norton • Parker • Pickering • Rader • Rainey • Randolph • Shanstrom • Shedd • Shubb • Singleton • Skretny • Souter • Sparr • Stahl • Stamp • Suhrheinrich • Taylor • Vollmer • Ware • Wilson | ||
| 1991 |
Albritton • Andersen • Armstrong • Arnold • Bartle • Bassler • Batchelder • Beckwith • Belot • Benson • Blackburn • Bramlette • Brody • Brody • Burrell • Carnes • Caulfield • Cauthron • Clement • Collier • Conway • Cooper • Dalzell • DeMent • DeMoss • Doherty • Echols • Edmunds • Faber • Freeh • Gaitan • Garza • Graham • Haik • Hamilton • Hansen • Hendren • Herlong • Highsmith • Hogan • Huff • Hurley • Irenas • Johnson • Joyner • Kelly • Kleinfeld • Legg • Leonard • Lewis • Longstaff • Lungstrum • Luttig • Matia • McCalla • McDade • McKeague • McKelvie • Means • Merryday • Moore • Morgan • Nielsen • Nimmons • Osteen Sr. • Padova • Payne • Reinhard • Robinson • Robreno • Roll • Roth • Schlesinger • Scullin • Siler • Solis • Sotomayor • Sparks • Stohr • Thomas • Traxler • Trimble • Ungaro • Van Sickle • Wanger • Werlein • Whyte • Yohn | ||
| 1992 |
Baird • Barbadoro • Black • Boudin • Carnes • Covello • DiClerico • Gilbert • Gonzalez • Gorton • Hansen • Heyburn • Jackson • Jacobs • Keeley • Kendall • Kopf • Kyle • Lewis • McAuliffe • McLaughlin • Melloy • Preska • Quist • Randa • Rosenthal • Rovner • Schall • Sedwick • Simandle • Stahl • Vratil • Williams | ||
Federal courts:
Second Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of New York, Western District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of New York, Western District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York
State courts:
New York Court of Appeals • New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division • New York Supreme Court • New York County Courts • New York City Courts • New York Town and Village Courts • New York Family Courts • New York Surrogates' Courts • New York City Civil Court • New York City Criminal Courts • New York Court of Claims • New York Problem Solving Courts
State resources:
Courts in New York • New York judicial elections • Judicial selection in New York
