Robert Pitman
2014 - Present
10
Robert Lee Pitman is federal judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. He joined the court in 2014 after a nomination from President Barack Obama.
Pitman was a federal magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. He was appointed to this position on October 2, 2003.[1] On October 2, 2011, Judge Pitman resigned his seat on the bench.[2]
Early life and education
A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Pitman earned his undergraduate degree from Abilene Christian University in 1985 and his J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1988. He also earned a master's degree from the University of Oxford in 2011.[3]
Professional career
- 2014 - Present: Judge, United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
- 2011-2014: U.S. Attorney, Western District of Texas
- 2003-2011: Federal magistrate judge, Western District of Texas
- 2002-2011: Adjunct professor of law, University of Texas
- 1996-1997: Attorney advisor, Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, Office of Legal Counsel
- 1990-2003: Assistant U.S. attorney, Western District of Texas
- 2001-2003: Deputy United States attorney
- 2001: Interim U.S. Attorney
- 1989-1990: Private practice, Austin, Texas
- 1988-1989: Law clerk, Hon. David Belew, United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas[3]
Judicial career
Western District of Texas
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Robert Lee Pitman |
| Court: United States District Court for the Western District of Texas |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 173 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: June 26, 2014
|
| ABA Rating: Unanimously Well Qualified
|
| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| Hearing: September 9, 2014
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| QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: November 20, 2014
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| Confirmed: December 16, 2014
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| Vote: Voice vote
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On June 26, 2014, President Barack Obama nominated Pitman to a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas vacated by William Furgeson. The American Bar Association rated Pitman Unanimously Well Qualified for the nomination. Hearings on Pitman's nomination were held before the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 9, 2014, and his nomination was reported by U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) on November 20, 2014. Pitman was confirmed on a voice vote of the U.S. Senate on December 16, 2014, and he received his commission on December 19, 2014.[3][4][5]
Noteworthy cases
Judge Pitman temporarily blocks enforcement of Texas abortion ban (2021)
- See also: United States District Court for the Western District of Texas (United States of America v. State of Texas, 1:2021cv00796)
- See also: United States District Court for the Western District of Texas (United States of America v. State of Texas, 1:2021cv00796)
On October 6, 2021, Judge Pitman, of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, temporarily blocked the enforcement of Senate Bill 8, a Texas law banning abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected.[6][7] The law allowed private individuals to sue abortion providers and anyone who aided illegal abortion procedures. The law went into effect on September 1, 2021, with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filing a lawsuit against the state of Texas on September 9 of that year.[8]
According to the October 6 court order, Pitman said, "A person’s right under the Constitution to choose to obtain an abortion prior to fetal viability is well established. Fully aware that depriving its citizens of this right by direct state action would be flagrantly unconstitutional, the State [Texas] contrived an unprecedented and transparent statutory scheme to do just that."[9] The state of Texas responded to Pitman's injunction by stating that it planned to file an appeal with the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.[7]
The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down Pitman's ruling on October 8, 2021.[10] Three days later, the DOJ asked the 5th Circuit Court to suspend the abortion law while the DOJ's lawsuit was being appealed.[11] As of October 14, 2021, the 5th Circuit Court had reaffirmed its October 8 ruling.[12]
See also
- United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
- United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Third Branch, "Judicial Milestones," November 2003
- ↑ Judicial Milestones for November, 2011
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Federal Judicial Center, "Biography of Judge Robert Lee Pitman," accessed May 29, 2017
- ↑ United States Congress, "PN 1814 — Robert Lee Pitman — The Judiciary," accessed May 29, 2017
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III judicial nominees, 113th Congress," accessed May 29, 2017
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, "Texas law banning abortion as early as six weeks goes into effect as the U.S. Supreme Court takes no action," August 31, 2021
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Austin American-Statesman, "Federal judge blocks Texas law banning most abortions," October 6, 2021
- ↑ Justia, "United States of America v. State of Texas," accessed October 7, 2021
- ↑ In the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas Austin Division, "United States of America v The State of Texas: Order," October 6, 2021
- ↑ NPR, "Federal appeals court temporarily reinstates Texas' 6-week abortion ban," October 8, 2021
- ↑ CNN Politics, "DOJ asks 5th Circuit to halt Texas abortion ban while case is appealed," October 11, 2021
- ↑ The New York Times, "Appeals Court Lets Texas Continue to Enforce Near-Total Abortion Ban," October 14, 2021
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: William Furgeson |
Western District of Texas 2014-Present |
Succeeded by: NA
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| Nominated | |||
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
