Julie E. Carnes

Julie E. Carnes
Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Incumbent
Assumed office June 18, 2018
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
In office July 31, 2014 – June 18, 2018
Appointed by	Barack Obama
Preceded by	James Larry Edmondson
Succeeded by	Britt Grant
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
In office January 1, 2009 – July 31, 2014
Preceded by	Jack Tarpley Camp Jr.
Succeeded by	Thomas W. Thrash Jr.
Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
In office February 10, 1992 – July 31, 2014
Appointed by	George H. W. Bush
Preceded by	Robert H. Hall
Succeeded by	Michael Lawrence Brown
Member of the United States Sentencing Commission
In office 1990–1996
Personal details
Born	(1950-10-31) October 31, 1950 Atlanta, Georgia
Education	University of Georgia (B.A.) University of Georgia School of Law (J.D.)

Julie Elizabeth Carnes (born October 31, 1950) is a Senior United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Early life and education

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Carnes is the daughter of Georgia state court judge Charles Carnes. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Georgia in 1972 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1975. She was a law clerk to Judge Lewis R. Morgan of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit from 1975 to 1977.

Professional career

Carnes was an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia, from 1978 to 1990 and was Appellate Chief of the Criminal Division from 1987 to 1989. She was a member of the U.S. Attorney General's Advisory Committee on Sentencing Guidelines from 1988 to 1990 and was a Special Counsel to the U.S. Sentencing Commission in 1989 and a Commissioner on the U.S. Sentencing Commission from 1990 to 1996.

Federal judicial service

Service on the District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

On August 1, 1991, Carnes was nominated by President George H. W. Bush to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia vacated by Robert H. Hall. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 6, 1992 and received her commission on February 10, 1992. From 2009 to 2014 she served as chief judge.

Service on the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals

On December 19, 2013, President Barack Obama nominated Judge Carnes to a vacant seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit due to James Larry Edmondson assuming senior status She received a hearing before the full panel of the United States Senate Judiciary Committee on May 13, 2014. On June 19, 2014 her nomination was reported out of committee by voice vote. On July 16, 2014, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid filed a motion to invoke cloture on Carnes' nomination. On July 17, 2014 the motion to invoke cloture was agreed to by a vote of 68–23. On July 21, 2014 the United States Senate voted 94–0 to elevate Carnes to the Eleventh Circuit. She received her judicial commission on July 31, 2014. She assumed senior status on June 18, 2018.

JonBenét Ramsey

Julie Carnes was the judge in a lawsuit related to the homicide of JonBenét Ramsey. An early suspect in JonBenét's murder, Chris Wolf, sued JonBenét's parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, for slander. In their book, The Death of Innocence, John and Patsy Ramsey had mentioned a few suspects in their daughter's death, including Chris Wolf. Wolf sued the Ramseys for defamation, using gadfly attorney Darnay Hoffman to represent him. In his suit, Wolf contended that the Ramseys themselves were responsible for JonBenét's death, and were therefore guilty of slander by portraying him as a suspect.

In the view of Judge Carnes, the case hinged largely on the question of whether JonBenét Ramsey's death was an inside job, as Wolf claimed, or the work of an intruder, as maintained by JonBenét's parents.

In a decisive ruling, Judge Carnes concluded that "abundant evidence" showed that the murder was committed by an intruder, and that the Ramseys were innocent of any involvement. Carnes dismissed Wolf's lawsuit in summary judgment.

References

• Julie E. Carnes at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
• Julie Carnes at Ballotpedia