Cecilia Altonaga
Encyclopedia
Cecilia Maria Altonaga is a Florida
United States district court
judge. She is the first Cuban-American
woman to be appointed as a federal judge
in the United States.
, and is an alumna of Florida International University
, where she received her B.A. in 1983. She graduated from the Yale Law School
in 1986.
She worked as an attorney in the Miami Dade County Attorney's Office from 1986–1987, and then served as a law clerk
to Edward B. Davis
of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
from 1987-88 before returning to the County Attorney's Office until 1996. In 1996, Governor Lawton Chiles
appointed her as a County Court Judge on Florida
's Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court. In 1999, she was elevated to Circuit Court Judge in that district by Governor Jeb Bush
.
She was nominated for a seat on U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida by George W. Bush
on January 15, 2003, to a seat vacated by Shelby Highsmith
. She was confirmed by the United States Senate
on May 6, 2003, and received her commission the following day. During her time on the federal bench, Altonaga has been noted for her strong support of the recently created Florida International University College of Law
, having served as the keynote speaker in the 2004 Convocation, judged several moot court
competitions, and employed FIU law students as summer intern
s.
, Judge Altonaga's name was raised as a potential George W. Bush Supreme Court candidate, a position for which she was promoted by Florida's Hispanic community. However, it would be a very rare occurrence for a sitting District Court judge to be appointed to the Supreme Court. At 43, Altonaga was younger than most other Hispanics or women who were being mentioned as possible nominees, which might have made her a more attractive choice to the President. However, President Bush went through several other nominees, and nominated Judge Samuel Alito
for the position.
's practice of pumping untreated wastewater
into Lake Okeechobee
was in violation of the Clean Water Act
. Largely as a result of this decision, on June 25, 2008 the state of Florida announced plans to purchase 300 square miles (777 km²) of land controlled by US Sugar, which will be used to restore vital water flow between Lake Okeechobee
and the Everglades National Park
, helping to ensure its survival in the face of competition for water from surrounding development.
She also presided over the trial of Charles McArthur Emmanuel
, son of former Liberian dictator Charles Taylor, for torture.
In September 2006, Sheikh Mohammed has been accused of encouraging the abduction and enslavement of thousands of boys for use as jockeys in camel races
. A class-action suit was filed in the state of Florida in the United States in an effort to bring him to justice. However, in 2006, American lawyers representing the UAE raised a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, not on its substance but on the grounds that none of the involved parties resided in the U.S. In July 2007, judge Cecilia Altonaga accepted the motion and dismissed the suit.
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
United States district court
United States district court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
judge. She is the first Cuban-American
Cuban American
A Cuban American is a United States citizen who traces his or her "national origin" to Cuba. Cuban Americans are also considered native born Americans with Cuban parents or Cuban-born persons who were raised and educated in US...
woman to be appointed as a federal judge
Federal judge
Federal judges are judges appointed by a federal level of government as opposed to the state / provincial / local level.-Brazil:In Brazil, federal judges of first instance are chosen exclusively by public contest...
in the United States.
Biography
Altonaga was born in Baltimore, MarylandMaryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, and is an alumna of Florida International University
Florida International University
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
, where she received her B.A. in 1983. She graduated from the Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
in 1986.
She worked as an attorney in the Miami Dade County Attorney's Office from 1986–1987, and then served as a law clerk
Law clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
to Edward B. Davis
Edward B. Davis
Edward Bertrand Davis .Davis was a judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. It should also be noted he served in the US Army from 1953 - 1955. He was in private practice in Miami, Florida from 1961 until 1979, when he was first appointed a Judgeship...
of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida is the federal United States district court with jurisdiction over the southern part of the state of Florida....
from 1987-88 before returning to the County Attorney's Office until 1996. In 1996, Governor Lawton Chiles
Lawton Chiles
Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr. was an American politician from the US state of Florida. In a career spanning four decades, Chiles, a Democrat who never lost an election, served in the Florida House of Representatives , the Florida State Senate , the United States Senate , and as the 41st Governor of...
appointed her as a County Court Judge on Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
's Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court. In 1999, she was elevated to Circuit Court Judge in that district by Governor Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W...
.
She was nominated for a seat on U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida by George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
on January 15, 2003, to a seat vacated by Shelby Highsmith
Shelby Highsmith
Shelby Highsmith is an American lawyer and judge.Highsmith was born in 1929 in Jacksonville, Florida. He graduated from Georgia Military College with an Associate of Arts degree in 1949. He served in the United States Army from 1949-1955. Highsmith graduated from the University of Kansas with a B.A...
. She was confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on May 6, 2003, and received her commission the following day. During her time on the federal bench, Altonaga has been noted for her strong support of the recently created Florida International University College of Law
Florida International University College of Law
The Florida International University College of Law is the law school of Florida International University, located in Miami, Florida in the United States...
, having served as the keynote speaker in the 2004 Convocation, judged several moot court
Moot court
A moot court is an extracurricular activity at many law schools in which participants take part in simulated court proceedings, usually to include drafting briefs and participating in oral argument. The term derives from Anglo Saxon times, when a moot was a gathering of prominent men in a...
competitions, and employed FIU law students as summer intern
Intern
Internship is a system of onthejob training for white-collar jobs, similar to an apprenticeship. Interns are usually college or university students, but they can also be high school students or post graduate adults seeking skills for a new career. They may also be as young as middle school or in...
s.
Supreme Court speculation
In July 2005, following the retirement of Justice Sandra Day O'ConnorSandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor is an American jurist who was the first female member of the Supreme Court of the United States. She served as an Associate Justice from 1981 until her retirement from the Court in 2006. O'Connor was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981...
, Judge Altonaga's name was raised as a potential George W. Bush Supreme Court candidate, a position for which she was promoted by Florida's Hispanic community. However, it would be a very rare occurrence for a sitting District Court judge to be appointed to the Supreme Court. At 43, Altonaga was younger than most other Hispanics or women who were being mentioned as possible nominees, which might have made her a more attractive choice to the President. However, President Bush went through several other nominees, and nominated Judge Samuel Alito
Samuel Alito
Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr. is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was nominated by President George W. Bush and has served on the court since January 31, 2006....
for the position.
Notable Rulings
On the June 14, 2007, Altonaga ruled that US Sugar CorporationUS Sugar Corporation
U.S. Sugar Corporation is a large privately owned agricultural business based in Clewiston, Florida.. The company farms over of land in the counties of Hendry, Glades and Palm Beach. It is the largest producer of sugarcane in the United States, producing over 700,000 tons per year...
's practice of pumping untreated wastewater
Wastewater
Wastewater is any water that has been adversely affected in quality by anthropogenic influence. It comprises liquid waste discharged by domestic residences, commercial properties, industry, and/or agriculture and can encompass a wide range of potential contaminants and concentrations...
into Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee , locally referred to as The Lake or The Big O, is the largest freshwater lake in the state of Florida. It is the seventh largest freshwater lake in the United States and the second largest freshwater lake contained entirely within the lower 48 states...
was in violation of the Clean Water Act
Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Commonly abbreviated as the CWA, the act established the goals of eliminating releases of high amounts of toxic substances into water, eliminating additional water pollution by 1985, and ensuring that...
. Largely as a result of this decision, on June 25, 2008 the state of Florida announced plans to purchase 300 square miles (777 km²) of land controlled by US Sugar, which will be used to restore vital water flow between Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee
Lake Okeechobee , locally referred to as The Lake or The Big O, is the largest freshwater lake in the state of Florida. It is the seventh largest freshwater lake in the United States and the second largest freshwater lake contained entirely within the lower 48 states...
and the Everglades National Park
Everglades National Park
Everglades National Park is a national park in the U.S. state of Florida that protects the southern 25 percent of the original Everglades. It is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, and is visited on average by one million people each year. It is the third-largest...
, helping to ensure its survival in the face of competition for water from surrounding development.
She also presided over the trial of Charles McArthur Emmanuel
Charles McArthur Emmanuel
Charles McArther Emmanuel, also known as Chuckie Taylor, is the son of former President of Liberia Charles Taylor. Raised by his mother in Florida until he was 17, Taylor Jr. traveled to Liberia in 1994 to live with his father...
, son of former Liberian dictator Charles Taylor, for torture.
In September 2006, Sheikh Mohammed has been accused of encouraging the abduction and enslavement of thousands of boys for use as jockeys in camel races
Camel racing
Camel racing is a popular sport in India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Australia, and Mongolia. Professional camel racing, like horse racing, is an event for betting and tourist attraction...
. A class-action suit was filed in the state of Florida in the United States in an effort to bring him to justice. However, in 2006, American lawyers representing the UAE raised a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, not on its substance but on the grounds that none of the involved parties resided in the U.S. In July 2007, judge Cecilia Altonaga accepted the motion and dismissed the suit.