Robert Peter Aguilar

Robert Peter Aguilar (born April 15, 1931) is a former United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

Robert P. Aguilar
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
In office
April 15, 1996 – June 24, 1996
Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
In office
June 18, 1980 – April 15, 1996
Appointed byJimmy Carter
Preceded bySeat established by 92 Stat. 1629
Succeeded byJeremy Fogel
Judge of the Santa Clara County Superior Court
In office
1979–1980
Appointed byJerry Brown
Personal details
Born
Robert Peter Aguilar

(1931-04-15) April 15, 1931
Madera, California
Spouse(s)Rachel Castellanos (divorced)
Elva Soper (divorced)
Children4
EducationUniversity of California, Berkeley (BA)
University of California, Hastings

Education and career

Born in Madera, California, Aguilar received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 1954 and pursued legal studies at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law graduating without a law degree in 1959.[1] He was in private practice in San Jose from 1960 to 1979, and was then a Superior Court Judge in Santa Clara County, California from 1979 to 1980.[2]

Federal judicial service

On April 3, 1980, President Jimmy Carter nominated Aguilar to a new seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of California created by 92 Stat. 1629. Aguilar was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 18, 1980, and received his commission the same day.[2]

Allegations of misconduct

In 1989, he was indicted for racketeering and obstruction of justice. Specifically, it was alleged that Aguilar, at the request of Abe Chapman (a convicted narcotics trafficker), tried to influence another judge, Judge Stanley A. Weigel, on behalf of Michael Rudy Tham, a former Teamsters official who was appealing an embezzlement case against him.[3] On March 19, 1990, the case ended in acquittal on Obstruction, and in a mistrial on the other counts.[4] He was retried over the summer and convicted on five counts.[5] and sentenced to six months in prison, 1,000 hours of community service and fined $2,000 on conviction of unlawfully disclosing a Government wiretap and obstructing justice by lying to Federal agents about it. He continued to be out on bail while his appeals took place and refused to resign. In 1993, he faced impeachment proceedings, but they were put on hold when the conviction was overturned the following year.[6] For this reason, he was able to assume senior status on April 15, 1996, but chose to retire two months later on June 24, 1996.

Post judicial service

Aguilar engaged in the private practice of law in Santa Clara County, from the time of his retirement from the federal bench until 2015, when he retired from the bar.[7]

References
  1. Judges of the United States (1983)
  2. Robert Peter Aguilar at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  3. Katherine Bishop. "U.S. Judge is Tried on Influence Use". New York Times (11 February 1990).
  4. Bishop, Katherine; Times, Special to The New York (20 March 1990). "U.S. Judge Cleared of Obstructing Justice but Faces a Retrial" – via NYTimes.com.
  5. Bishop, Katherine; Times, Special to The New York (2 November 1990). "Federal Judge Is Given Reduced Prison Sentence in Corruption Case" – via NYTimes.com.
  6. "Conviction Of U.S. Judge Is Overturned". 20 April 1994 – via NYTimes.com.
  7. California, The State Bar of. "Attorney Search : The State Bar of California". members.calbar.ca.gov.

Sources
Legal offices
Preceded by
Seat established by 92 Stat. 1629		 Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
1980–1996		 Succeeded by
Jeremy Fogel
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