Juan R. Torruella
Encyclopedia
Juan R. Torruella is a Puerto Rican
jurist, who currently serves as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
. He is the first and to date only Hispanic
to serve in that court.
's Wharton School of Business. He later received his law degree
in 1957 from Boston University School of Law
. Additionally, he holds Masters Degrees from the University of Virginia
and the University of Puerto Rico
.
in 1959. In 1974, President Gerald Ford
nominated Torruella to serve as a judge of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico
. In this court Torruella served as Chief Judge
from 1982 to 1984.
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan
elevated Judge Torruella to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. He was confirmed by the United States Senate
that year and became the first Hispanic to serve in that court. He served as Chief Judge
of the court from 1994 to 2001 replacing Chief Judge Stephen Breyer
who was appointed an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
.
Torruella has consistently been an advocate of Puerto Rican rights and dissented from a 2005 ruling that Puerto Ricans
are properly denied a voice in the election of the President of the United States because Puerto Rico is not a State. On the bench, Torruella is considered to be a moderate. He has ruled in favor of abortion rights, including the First Circuit court's opinion in Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood.
Torruella is the author of the book The Supreme Court and Puerto Rico: The Doctrine of Separate and Unequal (University of Puerto Rico: 1988), a study of the Supreme Court
's decisions in the Insular Cases
.
On February 13, 2009, Torruella wrote the opinion on Alan S. Noonan v. Staples, Inc, a US court ruling that questioned whether truth is an absolute defense against libel.
Puerto Rico in four Olympic Sailing events:
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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...
jurist, who currently serves as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Maine* District of Massachusetts...
. He is the first and to date only Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
to serve in that court.
Education
Torrruella holds a degree from the University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
's Wharton School of Business. He later received his law degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
in 1957 from Boston University School of Law
Boston University School of Law
Boston University School of Law is the law school affiliated with Boston University, and is ranked #22 among American law schools by US News and World Report magazine. It is the second-oldest law school in Massachusetts and one of the first law schools in the country to admit students regardless...
. Additionally, he holds Masters Degrees from the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
and the University of Puerto Rico
University of Puerto Rico
The University of Puerto Rico is the state university system of Puerto Rico. The system consists of 11 campuses and has approximately 64,511 students and 5,300 faculty members...
.
Legal career
Torruella began his career in private practice in San Juan, Puerto RicoSan 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...
in 1959. In 1974, President Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
nominated Torruella to serve as a judge of 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...
. In this court Torruella served as Chief Judge
Chief judge
Chief Judge is a title that can refer to the highest-ranking judge of a court that has more than one judge. The meaning and usage of the term vary from one court system to another...
from 1982 to 1984.
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
elevated Judge Torruella to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. He 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...
that year and became the first Hispanic to serve in that court. He served as Chief Judge
Chief judge
Chief Judge is a title that can refer to the highest-ranking judge of a court that has more than one judge. The meaning and usage of the term vary from one court system to another...
of the court from 1994 to 2001 replacing Chief Judge Stephen Breyer
Stephen Breyer
Stephen Gerald Breyer is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1994, and known for his pragmatic approach to constitutional law, Breyer is generally associated with the more liberal side of the Court....
who was appointed an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
.
Torruella has consistently been an advocate of Puerto Rican rights and dissented from a 2005 ruling that Puerto Ricans
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...
are properly denied a voice in the election of the President of the United States because Puerto Rico is not a State. On the bench, Torruella is considered to be a moderate. He has ruled in favor of abortion rights, including the First Circuit court's opinion in Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood.
Torruella is the author of the book The Supreme Court and Puerto Rico: The Doctrine of Separate and Unequal (University of Puerto Rico: 1988), a study of the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
's decisions in the Insular Cases
Insular Cases
The Insular Cases are several U.S. Supreme Court cases concerning the status of territories acquired by the U.S. in the Spanish-American War . The name "insular" derives from the fact that these territories are islands and were administered by the War Department's Bureau of Insular Affairs...
.
On February 13, 2009, Torruella wrote the opinion on Alan S. Noonan v. Staples, Inc, a US court ruling that questioned whether truth is an absolute defense against libel.
Sailing career
Torruella competed for Puerto Rico in four Olympic Sailing events:
- 1964: EnoshimaSailing at the 1964 Summer Olympics - FinnThe Finn was a sailing event on the Sailing at the 1964 Summer Olympics program in Enoshima. Seven races were scheduled. 33 sailors, on 33 boats, from 33 nations competed.- Results :DNF = Did Not Finish, DNS= Did Not Start, DSQ = Disqualified...
in the FinnFinn (dinghy)The Finn dinghy is the men's single-handed, cat-rigged Olympic class for sailing. It was designed by Swedish canoe designer, Rickard Sarby, in 1949 for the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki...
(31st) - 1968: AcapulcoSailing at the 1968 Summer Olympics - Flying DutchmanThe Flying Dutchman was a sailing event on the Sailing at the 1968 Summer Olympics program in Acapulco. Seven races were scheduled. 40 sailors, on 20 boats, from 20 nations competed.- Results :DNF = Did Not Finish, DNS= Did Not Start, DSQ = Disqualified...
in the Flying DutchmanFlying Dutchman (dinghy)thumbthumbThe Flying Dutchman is a 20-foot one-design high-performance two-person monohull racing dinghy. Developed in the early 1950s, its large sail area per unit weight allow it to plane easily when sailing upwind. The boat utilizes a trapeze harness for the crew and hiking straps for the...
(28th) - 1972: KielSailing at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Flying DutchmanThe Flying Dutchman was a sailing event on the Sailing at the 1972 Summer Olympics program in Kiel-Schilksee. Seven races were scheduled. 58 sailors, on 29 boats, from 29 nation competed.- Results :...
in the Flying DutchmanFlying Dutchman (dinghy)thumbthumbThe Flying Dutchman is a 20-foot one-design high-performance two-person monohull racing dinghy. Developed in the early 1950s, its large sail area per unit weight allow it to plane easily when sailing upwind. The boat utilizes a trapeze harness for the crew and hiking straps for the...
(27th) - 1976: KingstonSailing at the 1976 Summer Olympics – SolingThe Soling was a sailing event on the Sailing at the 1976 Summer Olympics program in Kingston, Ontario . Seven races were scheduled. 72 sailors, on 24 boats, from 24 nations competed.- Results :...
in the SolingSolingA Soling is a class of open keelboat designed by Jan Linge of Norway in 1965. In 1968, it was chosen from among many other boats to be the men's triple-handed boat for the 1972 Olympics...
(22th)
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