Robert L. Wilkins

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Robert Wilkins
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 27, 2010
Appointed by Barack Obama
Preceded by James Robertson
Personal details
Born 1963 (age 49–50)
Muncie, Indiana, U.S.
Alma mater Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Harvard University

Robert Leon Wilkins (born 1963) is a United States district judge on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. He was previously an attorney in Washington, D.C. On June 4, 2013, President Obama announced that he is nominating Wilkins to serve as a United States circuit judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Contents

Early life and education[edit]

Wilkins was born in 1963 in Muncie, Indiana,[1] where he was raised by a single mother.[2] He studied chemical engineering at Rose–Hulman Institute of Technology and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1986.[3] Wilkins then earned his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1989.[4]

Professional career[edit]

After completing law school, Wilkins served as a law clerk for Judge Earl B. Gilliam of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California.[5]

Wilkins worked at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia from 1990 to 2002,[1] serving as chief of special litigation from 1996 to 2000.[4] Starting in 2002, Wilkins was a partner at the Washington, D.C. law firm of Venable LLP.[6]

Wilkins was a member of the presidential commission that advised President George W. Bush on the establishment of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture.[7]

Wilkins v. Maryland State Police[edit]

In May 1992, Wilkins was in a rented vehicle with three other family members when they were pulled over by Maryland State Police for violating the speed limit.[8] At the time, the Maryland State Police Department instructed their officers to focus on black males in expensive vehicles when conducting traffic stops.[9] Wilkins filed suit in the case of Wilkins v. Maryland State Police and eventually won a "landmark" settlement against the state of Maryland.[9][10] As part of the case settlement, Maryland was required to maintain records of all traffic stops that resulted in vehicle search requests.[9] The case helped bring national attention to the practice of racial profiling and helped popularize the term "driving while black".[11][12]

Judicial service[edit]

District Court[edit]

During the 111th Congress, Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton recommended Wilkins for filling a vacancy on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.[13] On May 20, 2010, President Barack Obama nominated Wilkins to a judgeship on the District Court for the District of Columbia.[4] He was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 22, 2010.[14] Wilkins received his commission on December 27, 2010.[15]

Former U.S. Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr., (D-Chicago) and his wife, former Chicago Ald. Sandi Jackson, formally entered guilty pleas on February 20, 2013. Judge Wilkins presides over the high-profile case, one of many Illinois political corruption cases (they had stolen money from campaign funds to buy luxury items and other goods in what experts said was one of the largest cases of its kind in the state and nation).[16] Representative Jackson resigned because of the investigation and a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, shortly after winning another term while in seclusion for treatment. Judge Wilkins will sentence Jackson on June 28, 2013. [17]

President Barack Obama delivers a statement announcing the nomination of Robert Leon Wilkins, Cornelia "Nina" Pillard, and Patricia Ann Millett

Consideration for Court of Appeals[edit]

On June 4, 2013, Obama nominated Wilkins to serve as a United States Circuit Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, to the seat vacated by Judge David B. Sentelle, who took senior status on February 12, 2013.[18] His nomination currently is pending before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Senate Judiciary Committee Questionnaire: Robert Leon Wilkins, (May 19, 2010).
  2. ^ Grant Smith, Alumnus Robert Wilkins Clears Next Hurdle in Nomination to Become U.S. District Court Judge, Rose–Hulman Alumni Affairs (August 5, 2010).
  3. ^ a b c President Obama Names Three to United States District Court, whitehouse.gov (May 20, 2010).
  4. ^ Grant Smith, Obama Nominates Alumnus Robert Wilkins for Federal Bench in Washington, D.C., Rose–Hulman Alumni Affairs (June 1, 2010).
  5. ^ Becker, Amanda (May 31, 2010). "Venable partner nominated U.S. District Court seat". The Washington Post. 
  6. ^ Lynette Clemetson, Smithsonian Picks Notable Spot for Its Museum of Black History, New York Times (January 31, 2006).
  7. ^ Muffler, Steven J. Racial Profiling: Issues, Data and Analyses. Nova Science Publishers. pp. 62–63. ISBN 978-1-59454-547-4. 
  8. ^ a b c Brent Staples, Editorial Observer; Why 'Racial Profiling' Will be Tough to Fight, New York Times (May 24, 1999).
  9. ^ "ACLU, Civil Rights Groups and Maryland Officials Reach Landmark Racial Profiling Settlement". aclu.org, April 2, 2003. Retrieved December 23, 2010.
  10. ^ Racial Profiling, Transcript: NewsHour with Jim Lehrer (March 13, 2001).
  11. ^ Meeks, Kenneth. Driving While Black: What To Do If You Are A Victim of Racial Profiling. Broadway. pp. 21–38. ISBN 978-0-7679-0549-7. 
  12. ^ Mike Scarcella, Venable's Robert Wilkins Nominated for Federal Bench in D.C., The Blog of Legal Times (May 20, 2010).
  13. ^ David Ingram, Senate Confirms Five Judicial Nominees, The Blog of Legal Times (December 22, 2010).
  14. ^ Robert L. Wilkins at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  15. ^ Skiba, Katherine (2013-02-20). "Jacksons' guilt a tale of excess". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2013-06-04. 
  16. ^ Schmidt, Michael (February 20, 2013). "Jesse Jackson Jr. Pleads Guilty: 'I Lived Off My Campaign'". New York Times. Retrieved June 4, 2013. 
  17. ^ Shear, Michael D. (June 3, 2013). "Obama Names 3 to Top Appeals Court in Challenge to Republicans". The New York Times. Retrieved June 3, 2013. 
Legal offices
Preceded by
James Robertson		 Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
2010–present		 Incumbent
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