Phyllis Hamilton
2021 - Present
3
Phyllis Hamilton is a federal judge on senior status with the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. She joined the court in 2000 after being nominated by President Bill Clinton. Hamilton served as chief judge from January 23, 2015, to February 1, 2021.[1]
Hamilton assumed senior status on February 1, 2021.[2]
Education
A native of Illinois, Hamilton graduated from Stanford University with her bachelor's degree in 1974 before later graduating from Santa Clara University School of Law with her J.D. degree in 1976.
Professional career
Hamilton began her career as a Deputy public defender in the Office of the California Public Defender from 1976 to 1980. In 1980, Hamilton took a brief recess from the legal profession to be a Manager of Equal Employment Opportunity Programs for Farinon Electric Corporation in 1980 before getting her first judicial experience as an administrative judge for the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board representing the San Francisco from 1980 to 1985 before becoming a Court commissioner in the Oakland-Piedmont-Emeryville Judicial District Municipal Court from 1985 to 1991.
Judicial career
Northern District of California
Hamilton began her Federal judicial career as a federal magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of California as Hamilton was appointed to a full eight-year term as a federal magistrate judge in 1991, and was re-appointed again in 1999 before she was elevated in the ranks of the federal judiciary in 2000.
On the unanimous recommendation of U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, Hamilton was nominated by President Bill Clinton February 9, 2000, to a new seat created by 104 Stat. 5089, 5105. Hamilton was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 24, 2000, on a majority voice vote and received commission on May 25, 2000.[3]
Hamilton assumed senior status on February 1, 2021.[4]
Noteworthy cases
Class status granted in Nissan brake failure case (2013)
On December 19, 2013, Judge Hamilton granted class certification in a case filed against Nissan over the car manufacturer's faulty Delta Stroke Sensor breaking system in model year 2004-2008 Armadas and Titans and Infiniti QX56s manufactured prior to 2008. In the underlying case, plaintiffs Brandon and Erin Banks and David Soloway experienced brake failure while driving their cars, alleging that the system was defective and malfunctioned in such a way as to allow up to a 60 percent loss of power to the vehicle's brakes. The plaintiffs claimed that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration alerted Nissan about hundreds of complaints the agency received about the faulty breaks, but that the car company failed to tell current owners or potential customers about the known defect. Because the plaintiffs' pleadings exhibited sufficient commonality, numerosity, typicality, and adequacy of legal representation, Hamilton ruled that the class deserved certification, specifically, "[a]ll consumer residents in California who own 2004-2008 Nissan Armada, Titan (equipped with [Vehicle Dynamic Control]), and Infiniti QX56 vehicles manufactured before April 1, 2008 . . . and all consumer residents in California who do not presently own Affected Vehicles but incurred monetary loss caused by the failure of the Delta Stroke Sensor in their Affected Vehicles."[5][6]
Federal tax scheme (2009)
- See also: United States District Court for the Northern District of California (US v. Cathcart, No. C 07-4762 PJH)
- See also: United States District Court for the Northern District of California (US v. Cathcart, No. C 07-4762 PJH)
Judge Hamilton was the presiding judge in a case involving a stock and lending scheme that would have resulted in the government losing tax revenue. Charles Cathcart, an economist, was ordered to not engage in a scheme that made promises to shareholders of not paying capital gains taxes in exchange for trading stocks into high interest loans. Cathcart has had previous orders from the judge to not engage in the investment scheme.[7]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ San Jose Mercury News, "Bay Area has new chief federal judge," January 23,2015
- ↑ Law.com, "Northern District's Chief Judge and Its Lone Republican Appointee Set to Go Senior," January 27, 2021
- ↑ The Library of Congress, Judge Hamilton's Confirmation, February 10, 2009
- ↑ Law.com, "Northern District's Chief Judge and Its Lone Republican Appointee Set to Go Senior," January 27, 2021
- ↑ Courthouse News Service, "Class Certified in Nissan Brakes Complaint," December 26, 2013
- ↑ Top Class Actions, "Nissan Brake Defect Class Action Lawsuit Certified," December 27, 2013
- ↑ "San Francisco Chronicle" Judge bans promotion of lending scheme, November 25, 2009
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Northern District of California 2000–2021 Seat #15 |
Succeeded by: NA
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