William E. Smith (Rhode Island)
2025 - Present
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William E. Smith is a judge on senior status on the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island. He joined the court in 2002 after being nominated by President George W. Bush. He assumed senior status on January 1, 2025.[1][2]
Early life and education
Born in Boise, Idaho, Smith graduated from Georgetown University with his bachelor's degree in 1982 and from Georgetown University Law Center with his J.D. in 1987.[1]
Professional career
- 2002 - 2025: Judge, United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island
- 2025-present: Senior judge
- 2013 - 2019: Chief judge
- 2001-2002: Private practice, Providence, R.I.
- 2000-2002: Faculty, Providence College
- 2000-2001: Staff director, state office of U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee, (R-R.I.)
- 1993-1998: Municipal judge, West Warwick, R.I.
- 1987-2002: Private practice, Rhode Island[1]
Judicial career
District of Rhode Island
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: William E. Smith |
| Court: United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 119 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: July 18, 2002
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| ABA Rating: Unanimously Qualified
|
| Questionnaire: |
| Hearing: October 7, 2002
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| Hearing Transcript: Hearing Transcript |
| QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: October 8, 2002
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| Confirmed: November 14, 2002
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| Vote: Voice vote
|
Smith was nominated to the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island by President George W. Bush on July 18, 2002, to a seat vacated by Ronald Lagueux. The American Bar Association rated Smith Unanimously Qualified for the nomination. Hearings on Smith's nomination were held before the Senate Judiciary Committee on October 7, 2002, and his nomination was reported by U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) the next day. Smith was confirmed on a voice vote of the U.S. Senate on November 14, 2002, and he received his commission the next day. Since 2013, Smith has served as the chief judge of the district court. He assumed senior status on January 1, 2025.[1][3][4]
Noteworthy cases
Survivor case (2009)
- See also: United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island (Hatch v. United States, 1:2009-cv-00144)
- See also: United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island (Hatch v. United States, 1:2009-cv-00144)
On July 10, 2009, Judge Smith ruled that the first winner from the TV program "Survivor," Richard Hatch, could not leave home confinement early to star in a 10th anniversary edition of the reality show in Samoa.[5]
Hatch was convicted in a 2006 trial on tax evasion charges related to the $1 million he won on the debut season of the reality show. Hatch served three years in federal prison and served the final 90 days of his sentence under home confinement in Rhode Island.[5]
Microsoft piracy case (2009)
- See also: United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island (Uniloc USA, Inc., et al v. Microsoft Corp., et al, 1:03-cv-00440-S-DLM)
- See also: United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island (Uniloc USA, Inc., et al v. Microsoft Corp., et al, 1:03-cv-00440-S-DLM)
On September 28, 2009, Judge Smith vacated a $388 million dollar verdict levied against software giant Microsoft on charges of patent infringement by an anti-piracy software maker. The judge vacated the verdict finding that the jury did not find a legally sufficient basis in reaching it.[6]
See also
- United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island
- United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Federal Judicial Center, "Biography of Judge William E. Smith," accessed June 1, 2017
- ↑ United States Courts, "Future Judicial Vacancies," accessed July 9, 2023
- ↑ United States Congress, "PN 1985 — William E. Smith — The Judiciary," accessed June 1, 2017
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III judicial nominees, 107th Congress," accessed June 1, 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Associated Press, "Judge: Hatch can't travel for latest 'Survivor'," July 12, 2009
- ↑ ABA Journal, "Federal Judge Nixes $390M Jury Verdict in Microsoft Patent Case," September 29, 2009
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ronald Lagueux |
United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island 2002 |
Succeeded by Melissa DuBose |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 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:
First Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Rhode Island • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Rhode Island
State courts:
Rhode Island Supreme Court • Rhode Island Superior Court • Rhode Island District Court • Rhode Island Family Court • Rhode Island Workers' Compensation Court • Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal
State resources:
Courts in Rhode Island • Rhode Island judicial elections • Judicial selection in Rhode Island
