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Thomas Thrash (Georgia)

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Thomas Thrash

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United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia (senior status)
Tenure

2021 - Present

Years in position

4

Prior offices
United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
Successor: Victoria Calvert

Education

Bachelor's

University of Virginia, 1973

Law

Harvard Law, 1976

Personal
Birthplace
Birmingham, Ala.

Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. is a federal judge on senior status with the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. He joined the court in 1997 after being nominated by President Bill Clinton (D). Thrash served as the chief judge of the court from 2014 to 2021. Thrash assumed senior status on May 8, 2021.[1][2][3]

Biography

Early life and education

Thomas Thrash was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1951. Thrash earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia in 1973. He earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1976.[3]

Professional career

From 1976 to 1977 and again from 1981 to 1997, Thrash practiced law as an attorney in the State of Georgia. Thrash served as an assistant district attorney with the Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney's Office from 1977 to 1981. Thrash began teaching law as a professor in 1986 at Georgia State University, where he taught until 1997.[3]

Judicial career

Northern District of Georgia

On the recommendation of U.S. Senator Max Cleland, Thrash was nominated to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia by President Bill Clinton (D) on January 7, 1997 to a seat vacated by Robert Vining. Thrash was confirmed by the Senate on July 31, 1997 on a majority voice vote and received commission on August 1, 1997.[4]

Thrash assumed senior status on May 8, 2021.[1]

Noteworthy cases

Georgia immigration law (2011)

See also: United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia (GEORGIA LATINO ALLIANCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, et al. v. Nathan Deal, et al., No. 1:11-CV-1804-TWT)

On June 27, 2011, Thrash issued an injunction preventing portions of a Georgia immigration law, called overly restrictive by opponents, from going into effect as scheduled. In response to a suit brought against the law by the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups, Thrash struck the provisions prohibiting the knowing transport or shelter of illegal aliens and allowing law enforcement to investigate the immigration status of criminal suspects without identification. Though he stated that "the apparent legislative intent [of the law] is to create such a climate of hostility, fear, mistrust and insecurity that all illegal aliens will leave Georgia," he allowed a number of the law's provisions to enter into effect, including criminal penalties for using a fake ID to obtain employment.[5]

See also

External links


Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by:
Robert Vining
Northern District of Georgia
1997–2021
Seat #8
Succeeded by:
TBD