Francisco Besosa
Encyclopedia
Francisco Augusto Besosa Stubbe, (born 1949) is a Federal district judge in the District of Puerto Rico
.
Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico
, Besosa received an A.B.
from Brown University
in Providence, Rhode Island
in 1971, then served for six years in the United States Army
before receiving a J.D.
from the Georgetown University Law Center
in Washington, D.C.
in 1979.
After a long career as an attorney, including a stint as Assistant U.S. Attorney from 1983 to 1986, he was appointed by President George W. Bush
to the federal bench on May 16, 2006, to fill the vacancy on the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico
created by Juan M. Pérez-Gimenez taking on senior status as a Senior District Court Judge. Besosa was confirmed by the United States Senate
on September 25, 2006 and received his commission two days later.
Judge Besosa's request to withdraw as a member of the Puerto Rico Bar Association
, a compulsory membership organization, was approved by the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
.
The judge has handled several prominent cases during his judicial career. On May 17, 2011 he sentenced former Senate of Puerto Rico
Majority Leader
Jorge De Castro Font
to five years in prison and three years probation after convicting him for numerous public corruption cases. Previously, he presided over the trial of former senator Héctor Martínez.
He is married to a Puerto Rico Superior Court Judge, Enid Martínez Moya.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
.
Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, Besosa received an A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
in 1971, then served for six years in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
before receiving a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from the Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center is the law school of Georgetown University, located in Washington, D.C.. Established in 1870, the Law Center offers J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees in law...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1979.
After a long career as an attorney, including a stint as Assistant U.S. Attorney from 1983 to 1986, he was appointed by President 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....
to the federal bench on May 16, 2006, to fill the vacancy on the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico
United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico
The United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The court is based in San Juan. The main building is the Clemente Ruiz Nazario U.S. Courthouse located in the Hato Rey district of San Juan...
created by Juan M. Pérez-Gimenez taking on senior status as a Senior District Court Judge. Besosa 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 September 25, 2006 and received his commission two days later.
Judge Besosa's request to withdraw as a member of the Puerto Rico Bar Association
Puerto Rico Bar Association
The Puerto Rico Bar Association or Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico was founded in the 19th century and has evolved into an organization in which until 2009; all practicing attorneys must have been members in order to practice law in the United States territory of Puerto Rico...
, a compulsory membership organization, was approved by the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico is the highest court of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, having judicial authority within Puerto Rico to interpret and decide questions of Commonwealth law. As the highest body of the judicial branch of the Puerto Rican government, it is analogous to one of the...
.
The judge has handled several prominent cases during his judicial career. On May 17, 2011 he sentenced former Senate of Puerto Rico
Senate of Puerto Rico
The Senate of Puerto Rico is the upper house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The Senate is composed of 27 senators, representing eight constituent senatorial districts across the commonwealth, with two senators elected per district; an...
Majority Leader
Majority leader
In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...
Jorge De Castro Font
Jorge de Castro Font
Jorge Adolfo de Castro-Font is a former Puerto Rican Senator and former member of the House of Representatives. Originally, he was a member of the Popular Democratic Party but became an independent representative in 2001 after inner disputes with his party...
to five years in prison and three years probation after convicting him for numerous public corruption cases. Previously, he presided over the trial of former senator Héctor Martínez.
He is married to a Puerto Rico Superior Court Judge, Enid Martínez Moya.