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Maurice Hicks
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2003 - Present
22
Samuel Maurice Hicks Jr. is an Article III Federal Judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. He joined the court in 2003 after being nominated by President George W. Bush. Hicks served as the district court's chief judge from 2017 to 2022.[1]
Early life and education
A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Hicks graduated from Texas Christian University with his bachelor's degree in 1974 and from Louisiana State University Law School with his J.D. in 1977.[1]
Professional career
- 2003 - Present: Judge, United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana
- 2017 - 2022: Chief judge
- 1977-2003: Private practice, Shreveport, La.
- 1975-1977: Law clerk and staff attorney, Louisiana Legislative Council[1]
Judicial career
Western District of Louisiana
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: S. Maurice Hicks Jr. |
| Court: United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 249 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: September 12, 2002
|
| ABA Rating: Substantial Majority Qualified, Minority Not Qualified
|
| Questionnaire: |
| Hearing: April 30, 2003
|
| Hearing Transcript: Hearing Transcript |
| QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: May 8, 2003
|
| Confirmed: May 19, 2003
|
| Vote: 86-0
|
 Returned: November 20, 2002
|
Hicks was first nominated by President George W. Bush (R) on September 12, 2002, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana vacated by Donald Walter. Under provisions of Rule XXXI, paragraph six of the standing rules of the Senate, Hicks' nomination was returned to the president on November 20, 2002. President Bush resubmitted Hicks' nomination on January 7, 2003. The American Bar Association rated Hicks Substantial Majority Qualified, Minority Not Qualified for the nomination. Hearings on Hicks' nomination were held before the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 30, 2003, and his nomination was reported by U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) on May 8, 2003. Hicks was confirmed on a recorded 86-0 vote of the U.S. Senate on May 19, 2003, and he received his commission on May 21, 2003. Hicks served as the district court's chief judge from 2017 to 2022.[1][2][3][4]
Noteworthy cases
Operation Wrinkled Robe (2008)
- See also: United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana (USA v. Walker et al, 5:07-cr-50097-SMH-MLH)
- See also: United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana (USA v. Walker et al, 5:07-cr-50097-SMH-MLH)
On June 3, 2008, Hicks ordered Caddo Parish Judges Vernon Claville and Michael Walker (Louisiana) had to stay in jail pending a September 4 sentencing hearing on their conviction of racketeering.[5]
Claville was sentenced to five years in prison for taking bribes in return for favors, in addition to $165,474 in fines. Walker was sentenced to ten years in prison for taking bribes for bond reductions. During Walker's sentencing, Judge Hicks said, "You chose cash over the Constitution."[6][7]
The investigation of Operation Wrinkled Robe led to the authorization of impeachment proceedings against Thomas Porteous of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Porteous was later convicted in the U.S. Senate on four articles of impeachment.[8]
See also
- United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana
- United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Federal Judicial Center, "Biography of Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr.," accessed November 30, 2017
- ↑ United States Congress, "PN 2152 — S. Maurice Hicks Jr. — The Judiciary," accessed November 30, 2017
- ↑ United States Congress, "PN 24 — S. Maurice Hicks Jr. — The Judiciary," accessed November 30, 2017
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III judicial nominees, 108th Congress," accessed November 30, 2017
- ↑ Reporttimes.com, "Judges remain jailed until sentencing," June 4, 2008
- ↑ KTBS.com, "Former Judge Claville Gets Five-Year Sentence for Taking Bribes"
- ↑ KTBS.com, "Judge Walker Sentenced"
- ↑ The New York Times, "Senate, for just the 8th time, votes to oust a federal judge," December 8, 2010
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana 2003-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 |
Armijo • Bates • Beistline • Blackburn • Bowdre • Bunning • Bury • Caldwell • Camp • Cassell • Cebull • Clement • Clifton • Crane • Eagan • Engelhardt • Friot • Gibbons • Granade • Gregory • Gritzner • Haddon • Hartz • Heaton • Hicks • Howard • Johnson • Jorgenson • Krieger • Land • Leon • Mahan • Martinez • Martone • McConnell • Melloy • Mills • O'Brien • Parker • Payne • Prost • Reeves • Riley • Robinson • Rogers • Royal • Shedd • B. Smith • L. Smith • Walton • Wooten • Zainey | ||
| 2002 |
Africk • Anderson • Autrey • Baylson • Cercone • Chesler • Clark • Collyer • Conner • Conti • Corrigan • Davis • Davis • Dorr • England • Ericksen • Fuller • Gardner • Godbey • Griesbach • Hanen • Hovland • Hudson • Jones • Jordan • Kinkeade • Klausner • Kugler • Leighton • Linares • Moses • Marra • Martinez • Martini • Mays • McVerry • Phillips • Raggi • Reade • Rose • Rufe • Savage • Schwab • Smith • St. Eve • Walter • White • Wolfson | ||
| 2003 |
Adams • Altonaga • Bea • Benitez • Bennett • Boyle • Brack • Breen • Browning • Burns • Bybee • Callahan • Campbell • Cardone • Carney • Castel • Chertoff • Cohn • Colloton • Conrad • Coogler • Cook • Cooke • Crone • Der-Yeghiayan • Drell • Duffey • Duncan • Erickson • Feuerstein • Figa • Filip • Fischer • Fisher • Flanagan • Floyd • Frost • Gibson • Greer • Gruender • Guirola • Hall • Hardiman • Hayes • Herrera • Hicks • Holmes • Holwell • Hopkins • Houston • Irizarry • Jones • Junell • Karas • Kravitz • Martinez • McKnight • Minaldi • Montalvo • Mosman • Otero • Pickering • Prado • Pratter • Proctor • Quarles • Robart • Roberts • Robinson • Rodgers • Rodriguez • Sabraw • Sanchez • Saylor • Selna • Sharpe • Simon • Springmann • Stanceu • Steele • Stengel • Suko • Sutton • Sykes • Titus • Townes • Tymkovich • Van Antwerpen • Varlan • Wake • Wesley • White • Woodcock • Yeakel | ||
| 2004 |
Alvarez • Benton • Boyko • Covington • Diamond • Harwell • Kelley • Schiavelli • Schneider • Starrett • Watson | ||
| 2005 |
Alito • Barrett • Batten • Bianco • Brown • Burgess • Conrad • Cox • Crotty • Delgado-Colon • Dever • DuBose • Griffin • Griffith • Johnston • Kendall • Larson • Ludington • Mattice • McKeague • Neilson • Owen • Pryor • Roberts • Sandoval • Schiltz • Seabright • Smoak • Van Tatenhove • Vitaliano • Watkins • Zouhary | ||
| 2006 |
Besosa • Bumb • Chagares • Cogan • Gelpi • Golden • Gordon • Gorsuch • Guilford • Hillman • Holmes • Ikuta • D. Jordan • K. Jordan • Kavanaugh • Miller • Moore • Shepherd • Sheridan • Smith • Whitney • Wigenton | ||
| 2007 |
Anderson • Aycock • Bailey • Bryant • Davis • DeGiusti • Dow • Elrod • Fairbank • Fischer • Frizzell • Gutierrez • Hall • Hardiman • Haynes • Howard • Jarvey • Jones • Jonker • Kapala • Kays • Laplante • Limbaugh • Lioi • Livingston • Maloney • Mauskopf • Mendez • Miller • Neff • O'Connor • O'Grady • O'Neill • Osteen • Ozerden • Reidinger • Sammartino • Schroeder • Settle • Smith • Snow • Southwick • Suddaby • Sullivan • Thapar • Tinder • Van Bokkelen • Wood • Wright • Wu | ||
| 2008 |
Agee • Anello • Arguello • Brimmer • Gardephe • Goldberg • Jones • Kethledge • Lawrence • Matsumoto • Melgren • Murphy • Scriven • Seibel • Slomsky • Trenga • Waddoups • White | ||
Federal courts:
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, Western District of Louisiana • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, Western District of Louisiana
State courts:
Louisiana Supreme Court • Louisiana Courts of Appeal • Louisiana District Courts • Louisiana City Courts • Louisiana Family Courts • Louisiana Justice of the Peace Courts • Louisiana Juvenile Courts • Louisiana Mayor’s Courts • Louisiana Municipal Courts • Louisiana Parish Courts • Louisiana Traffic Courts
State resources:
Courts in Louisiana • Louisiana judicial elections • Judicial selection in Louisiana
