Robert Frederick Collins
Robert Frederick Collins | |
|---|---|
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana | |
| In office May 19, 1978 – August 6, 1993 | |
| Appointed by | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Alvin Benjamin Rubin |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Porteous |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Frederick Collins 1931 (age 92–93) New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Education | Dillard University (B.A.) Paul M. Hebert Law Center (LL.B.) |
Robert Frederick Collins (born 1931) is a former United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Education and career
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Collins received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dillard University in 1951 and a Bachelor of Laws from Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University in 1954. He was in the United States Army from 1954 to 1956, thereafter entering private practice in New Orleans from 1956 to 1972. He was also an instructor at Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge from 1959 to 1961. He was a magistrate judge for the Criminal District Court of New Orleans from 1972 to 1978.[1]
Federal judicial service
On January 26, 1978, Collins was nominated by President Jimmy Carter to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana vacated by Judge Alvin Benjamin Rubin. Collins was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 17, 1978, and received his commission on May 19, 1978, he served until his resignation on August 6, 1993.[1]
Conviction and resignation from office
In 1991, Collins was convicted of accepting money to influence his sentencing of a marijuana smuggler.[2] He served five years in the Federal Prison Camp in Montgomery, Alabama and in other federal prisons. He was released November 21, 1997.[3][4]
After his conviction, Collins did not resign from his judgeship. Consequently, on May 19, 1993, United States Representative James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin introduced H. RES. 176, impeaching Collins. It was referred to the House Judiciary Committee and died there. Later, in June, Jack Brooks tried again with H. RES. 207. Collins resigned on August 6, 1993, his impending impeachment hearings scheduled to begin the next day.
As the result of his conviction, Collins was disbarred from the practice of law in Louisiana by the Supreme Court of Louisiana.[5]
References
- ^ a b Robert Frederick Collins at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- ^ "Jury convicts federal judge of bribery". United Press International. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
- ^ "Robert F. Collins". bop.gov. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
- ^ Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (September 10, 1992). "United States v. Robert F. Collins and John H. Ross, 972 F.2d 1385 (5th Cir. 1992)". courtlistener.com.
- ^ Excerpt from the Orders of the United States Supreme Court
External links
- Robert Frederick Collins at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- 1931 births
- Living people
- Lawyers from New Orleans
- Military personnel from Louisiana
- Louisiana politicians convicted of crimes
- Dillard University alumni
- Louisiana State University Law Center alumni
- Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
- United States district court judges appointed by Jimmy Carter
- 20th-century American judges
- African-American judges
- American people convicted of bribery
- Disbarred American lawyers
- Judges convicted of crimes
- United States Army personnel
- Louisiana Democrats