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Robert Pitman

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Robert Pitman
Image of Robert Pitman

Nonpartisan

United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
Tenure

2014 - Present

Years in position

10

Prior offices
United States District Court for the Western District of Texas

Education

Bachelor's

Abilene Christian University, 1985

Graduate

University of Oxford, 2011

Law

University of Texas School of Law, 1988

Personal
Birthplace
Fort Worth, Texas


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

  • 2001-2003: Deputy United States attorney
  • 2001: Interim U.S. Attorney

Judicial career

Western District of Texas

Nomination Tracker
Fedbadgesmall.png
Nominee Information
Name: Robert Lee Pitman
Court: United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
Progress
Confirmed 173 days after nomination.
ApprovedANominated: June 26, 2014
ApprovedAABA Rating: Unanimously Well Qualified
Questionnaire: Questionnaire
ApprovedAHearing: September 9, 2014
QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more)
ApprovedAReported: November 20, 2014 
ApprovedAConfirmed: December 16, 2014
ApprovedAVote: Voice vote

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)

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

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ The Third Branch, "Judicial Milestones," November 2003
  2. ↑ Judicial Milestones for November, 2011
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Federal Judicial Center, "Biography of Judge Robert Lee Pitman," accessed May 29, 2017
  4. ↑ United States Congress, "PN 1814 — Robert Lee Pitman — The Judiciary," accessed May 29, 2017
  5. ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III judicial nominees, 113th Congress," accessed May 29, 2017
  6. ↑ 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. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Austin American-Statesman, "Federal judge blocks Texas law banning most abortions," October 6, 2021
  8. ↑ Justia, "United States of America v. State of Texas," accessed October 7, 2021
  9. ↑ 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
  10. ↑ NPR, "Federal appeals court temporarily reinstates Texas' 6-week abortion ban," October 8, 2021
  11. ↑ CNN Politics, "DOJ asks 5th Circuit to halt Texas abortion ban while case is appealed," October 11, 2021
  12. ↑ 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



Texas courts

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

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