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Fernando Aenlle-Rocha
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2020 - Present
4
Fernando Aenlle-Rocha is a judge on the United States District Court for the Central District of California. He was nominated by President Donald Trump (R) on October 17, 2019, and confirmed by the United States Senate on December 20, 2020, by a vote of 80-8. To see a full list of judges appointed by Donald Trump, click here.
The United States District Court for the Central District of California is one of 94 U.S. District Courts. They are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. To learn more about the court, click here.
Aenlle-Rocha was a judge of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, California, from 2017 to 2020.
Although judges of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County and the United States District Court for the Central District of California are officially nonpartisan, Aenlle-Rocha is a member of the Republican party.[1]
Judicial nominations, appointments, and elections
United States District Court for the Central District of California (2020-present)
- See also: Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump
On October 17, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) nominated Aenlle-Rocha to a seat on the United States District Court for the Central District of California.[2] He was confirmed by an 80-8 vote of the U.S. Senate on December 20, 2020.[3] He received commission on December 22, 2020.[4] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Fernando Aenlle-Rocha |
| Court: United States District Court for the Central District of California |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 430 days after nomination. |
| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed Aenlle-Rocha by a vote of 80-8 on December 20, 2020.[3] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.
| Aenlle-Rocha confirmation vote (December 20, 2020) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
| 40 | 3 | 3 | |||||||
| 39 | 4 | 9 | |||||||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | |||||||
| Total | 80 | 8 | 12 | ||||||
Change in Senate rules
Aenlle-Rocha was confirmed to a U.S. District Court under a new precedent the Senate established.
On April 3, 2019, the U.S. Senate voted 51-48 in favor of a change to chamber precedent lowering the maximum time allowed for debate on executive nominees to posts below the Cabinet level and on nominees to district court judgeships from 30 hours after invoking cloture to two.[5]
The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as the nuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.[6]
It was the third use of the nuclear option in Senate history. In 2013, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold to confirm presidential nominees, except those to the Supreme Court. In 2017, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold required to confirm Supreme Court nominees.[7] For more, see Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Aenlle-Rocha's nomination on December 4, 2019.[8] Aenlle-Rocha was reported to the full Senate on March 5, 2020, after a voice vote by the judiciary committee.[9]
Nomination
On August 28, 2019, President Donald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate Aenlle-Rocha to a seat on the United States District Court for the Central District of California.[10] The president officially submitted the nomination on October 17, 2019.[2]
The nomination was returned to the president at the sine die adjournment of the U.S. Senate on January 3, 2020.[2] The president officially renominated Aenlle-Rocha on January 9.[3]
Aenlle-Rocha was nominated to replace Judge S. James Otero, who assumed senior status on December 30, 2018.[2]
The American Bar Association unanimously rated Aenlla-Rocha well qualified for the position.[11] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.
Superior Court of Los Angeles County, California (2017-2020)
- See also: Judges appointed by Jerry Brown
Aenlle-Rocha became a judge of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, California, in 2017. He was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown (D) on May 22, 2017, to replace retired Judge Jane L. Johnson.[12] He was automatically elected to the court in 2018. Aenlle-Rocha left office after he was confirmed to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on December 20, 2020.
2018 election
Nonpartisan primary election
The primary election was canceled. Fernando Aenlle-Rocha (Nonpartisan) won the election without appearing on the ballot.
Selection method
- See also: Nonpartisan election
The 1,535 judges of the California Superior Courts compete in nonpartisan races in even-numbered years. If a candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote in the June primary election, he or she is declared the winner; if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff between the top two candidates is held during the November general election.[13][14][15][16]
If an incumbent judge is running unopposed in an election, his or her name does not appear on the ballot. The judge is automatically re-elected following the general election.[13]
The chief judge of any given superior court is selected by peer vote of the court's members. He or she serves in that capacity for one or two years, depending on the county.[13]
Qualifications
Candidates are required to have 10 years of experience as a law practitioner or as a judge of a court of record.[13]
Early life and education
Aenlle-Rocha was born in Cuba in 1961. He moved to the United States with his parents during his youth.[1][17]
Aenlle-Rocha received his B.A. from Princeton University in 1983 and his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in 1986.[1]
Professional career
- 2020-present: Judge, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- 2017-2020: Judge, Superior Court of Los Angeles County, California
- 2005-2017: Partner, White and Case LLP
- 2000-2005: Partner, McDermott, Will and Emery LLP
- 1999-2000: Associate, Stephan, Oringher, Richman and Theodora PC
- 1994-1999: Assistant U.S. attorney, Central District of California
- 1990-1994: Assistant U.S. attorney, Southern District of Florida
- 1987-1990: Deputy district attorney, Los Angeles County[12]
Awards and associations
Awards
- 2018: Certificate of appreciation, Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles
- 2014, 2012, 2011: Pro bono award, White & Case
- 1998: Director's award for superior performance as an assistant U.S. attorney, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)
- 1996: Volunteer service award, DOJ[17]
Associations
- American Bar Association
- Association of Business Trial Lawyers
- Association of Former Assistant United States Attorneys for the Central District of California
- California Latino Judges Association
- Mexico American Bar Foundation
- 2008-2016: President[17]
About the court
The United States District Court for the Central District of California is one of 94 United States district courts. The court serves about seventeen million people in southern and central California, making it the largest federal judicial district by population. The district operates out of courthouses in Santa Ana, Riverside and two locations in Los Angeles. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, based in downtown San Francisco at the James R. Browning Federal Courthouse. Initial appeals are heard in Pasadena at the Richard Chambers Courthouse.
The Central District of California has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
There are three court divisions, each covering the following counties:
The Eastern Division, covering Riverside and San Bernardino counties.[18]
The Southern Division, covering Orange County.[18]
The Western Division, covering Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties.[18]
The federal nomination process
Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:
- The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
- The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
- As part of this process, the committee sends a blue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
- After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
- If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
- If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
- The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
- If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
- If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.
See also
- United States District Court for the Central District of California
- United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
- Superior Court of Los Angeles County, California
- California Superior Courts
- Courts in California
- Los Angeles County, California
- Los Angeles, California
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
- United States District Court for the Central District of California
- United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
- Los Angeles County Superior Court
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Trellis, "The Honorable Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha," accessed August 29, 2019
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Congress.gov, "PN1235 — Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha — The Judiciary," accessed October 21, 2019 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "congress" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Congress.gov, "PN1380 — Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha — The Judiciary," accessed January 10, 2020
- ↑ Federal Judicial Center, "Aenlle-Rocha, Fernando Lazaro," accessed December 28, 2020
- ↑ The Hill, "GOP triggers 'nuclear option' to speed up Trump picks," April 3, 2019
- ↑ Axios, "Senate GOP invokes 'nuclear option' to speed up confirmations of Trump nominees," April 3, 2019
- ↑ NBC News, "McConnell to use 'nuclear option' to confirm lower-level nominees," April 2, 2019
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Nominations," December 4, 2019
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting," March 5, 2020
- ↑ WhiteHouse.gov, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees and United States Marshal Nominee," August 28, 2019
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article IV judicial nominees: 116th Congress," accessed December 4, 2019
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Imperial Valley News, "Governor Brown Appoints Nine to Los Angeles County Superior Court," May 22, 2017
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: California," archived October 2, 2014
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Safeguarding California's judicial election process," August 21, 2011
- ↑ California Elections Code, "Section 8203," accessed May 21, 2014
- ↑ California Elections Code, "Section 8140-8150," accessed May 21, 2014
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Senate Judiciary Committee, "Questionnaire for judicial nominees: Fernando Lazaro Aenlle-Rocha," accessed December 17, 2019
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 United States District Court for the Central District of California, Jurisdiction
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
United States District Court for the Central District of California 2020-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Superior Court of Los Angeles County 2017-2020 |
Succeeded by Tara Newman |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 |
Thomas Parker • Elizabeth Branch • Neil Gorsuch • Amul Thapar • David C. Nye • John K. Bush • Kevin Newsom • Timothy J. Kelly • Ralph Erickson • Scott Palk • Trevor McFadden • Joan Larsen • Amy Coney Barrett • Allison Eid • Stephanos Bibas • Donald Coggins Jr. • Dabney Friedrich • Greg Katsas • Steven Grasz • Don Willett • James Ho • William L. Campbell Jr. • David Stras • Tilman E. Self III • Karen Gren Scholer • Terry A. Doughty • Claria Horn Boom • John Broomes • Rebecca Grady Jennings • Kyle Duncan • Kurt Engelhardt • Michael B. Brennan • Joel Carson • Robert Wier • Fernando Rodriguez Jr. • Annemarie Carney Axon • | ||
| 2018 |
Andrew Oldham • Amy St. Eve • Michael Scudder • John Nalbandian • Mark Bennett • Andrew Oldham • Britt Grant • Colm Connolly • Maryellen Noreika • Jill Otake • Jeffrey Beaverstock • Emily Coody Marks • Holly Lou Teeter • Julius Richardson • Charles B. Goodwin • Barry Ashe • Stan Baker • A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr. • Terry F. Moorer • Susan Baxter • William Jung • Alan Albright • Dominic Lanza • Eric Tostrud • Charles Williams • Nancy E. Brasel • James Sweeney • Kari A. Dooley • Marilyn J. Horan • Robert Summerhays • Brett Kavanaugh • David Porter • Liles Burke • Michael Juneau • Peter Phipps • Lance Walker • Richard Sullivan • Eli Richardson • Ryan Nelson • Chad F. Kenney, Sr. • Susan Brnovich • William M. Ray, II • Jeremy Kernodle • Thomas Kleeh • J.P. Hanlon • Mark Norris • Jonathan Kobes • Michael Brown • David Counts | ||
| 2019 |
Eric Miller • Chad Readler • Eric Murphy • Neomi Rao • Paul Matey • Allison Jones Rushing • Bridget S. Bade • Roy Altman • Patrick Wyrick • Holly Brady • David Morales • Andrew Brasher • J. Campbell Barker • Rodolfo Ruiz • Daniel Domenico • Michael Truncale • Michael Park • Joseph Bianco • Raúl Arias-Marxuach • Daniel Collins • Joshua Wolson • Wendy Vitter • Kenneth Kiyul Lee • Kenneth Bell • Stephen Clark • Howard Nielson • Rodney Smith • Jean-Paul Boulee • Sarah Daggett Morrison • Rossie Alston • Pamela A. Barker • Corey Maze • Greg Guidry • Matthew Kacsmaryk • Allen Winsor • Carl Nichols • James Cain, Jr. • Tom Barber • J. Nicholas Ranjan • Clifton L. Corker • Peter Phipps • Daniel Bress • Damon Leichty • Wendy W. Berger • Peter Welte • Michael Liburdi • William Shaw Stickman • Mark Pittman • Karin J. Immergut • Jason Pulliam • Brantley Starr • Brian Buescher • James Wesley Hendrix • Timothy Reif • Martha Pacold • Sean Jordan • Mary Rowland • John M. Younge • Jeff Brown • Ada Brown • Steven Grimberg • Stephanie A. Gallagher • Steven Seeger • Stephanie Haines • Mary McElroy • David J. Novak • Frank W. Volk • Charles Eskridge • Rachel Kovner • Justin Walker • T. Kent Wetherell • Danielle Hunsaker • Lee Rudofsky • Jennifer Philpott Wilson • William Nardini • Steven Menashi • Robert J. Luck • Eric Komitee • Douglas Cole • John Sinatra • Sarah Pitlyk • Barbara Lagoa • Richard Myers II • Sherri Lydon • Patrick Bumatay • R. Austin Huffaker • Miller Baker • Anuraag Singhal • Karen Marston • Jodi Dishman • Mary Kay Vyskocil • Matthew McFarland • John Gallagher • Bernard Jones • Kea Riggs • Robert J. Colville • Stephanie Dawkins Davis • Gary R. Brown • David Barlow • Lewis Liman | ||
| 2020 |
Lawrence VanDyke • Daniel Traynor • John Kness • Joshua Kindred • Philip Halpern • Silvia Carreno-Coll • Scott Rash • John Heil • Anna Manasco • John L. Badalamenti • Drew Tipton • Andrew Brasher • Cory Wilson • Scott Hardy • David Joseph • Matthew Schelp • John Cronan • Justin Walker • Brett H. Ludwig • Christy Wiegand • Thomas Cullen • Diane Gujarati • Stanley Blumenfeld • Mark Scarsi • John Holcomb • Stephen P. McGlynn • Todd Robinson • Hala Jarbou • David Dugan • Iain D. Johnston • Franklin U. Valderrama • John Hinderaker • Roderick Young • Michael Newman • Aileen Cannon • James Knepp • Kathryn Kimball Mizelle • Benjamin Beaton • Kristi Johnson • Toby Crouse • Philip Calabrese • Taylor McNeel • Thomas Kirsch • Stephen Vaden • Katherine Crytzer • Fernando Aenlle-Rocha • Charles Atchley • Joseph Dawson | ||
| 2025 |
Whitney Hermandorfer • Joshua Divine • Cristian M. Stevens • Zachary Bluestone • Emil Bove | ||
Federal courts:
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Central District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Central District of California, Eastern District of California, Northern District of California, Southern District of California
State courts:
California Supreme Court • California Courts of Appeal • California Superior Courts
State resources:
Courts in California • California judicial elections • Judicial selection in California