Wednesday: Judgepedia's "Federal Courts, Empty Benches" Update →Melinda Harmon
| Melinda Harmon | |
| Current Court Information: | |
| United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas | |
| Title: | Judge |
| Position: | Seat #6 |
| Station: | Houston, TX |
| Service: | |
| Appointed by: | George H.W. Bush |
| Active: | 05/22/1989 - Present |
| Preceded by: | John Singleton |
| Past post: | Texas District 280, Judge |
| Past term: | 1988 - 1989 |
| Personal History | |
| Born: | 1946 |
| Home State: | Port Arthur, TX |
| Bachelors: | Harvard-Radcliffe College, A.B., 1969 |
| Law School: | U. of Texas Law, J.D., 1972 |
Contents |
Melinda Harmon is an Article III federal judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. She joined the court in 1989 after being nominated by President George H.W. Bush.[1]
Early life and education
A native Texan, Harmon graduated from Radcliffe College with her Bachelor's Degree in 1969 and later graduated from the University of Texas School of Law with her Juris Doctor Degree in 1972.[1]
Professional career
Harmon started her career as a Law clerk to former federal judge John Singleton, Jr., in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas from 1973 to 1975 before moving into corporate litigation as a Trial attorney in the litigation section of ExxonMonbil based in Houston from 1975 to 1988. Then for one year, Harmon became a Trial Court Judge in the Civil Division of the 280th District Court based in Harris County, from 1988 to 1989.[1]
Judicial career
Southern District of Texas
On the recommendation of Texas U.S. Senator Phil Gramm, Harmon was nominated by President George H.W. Bush on February 28, 1989, to a seat vacated by John Singleton, Jr. Harmon was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 18, 1989, on a senate vote and received commission on May 22, 1989.[1]
Awards and associations
Notable cases
The notable case section on this page needs to be reformatted.
Plot to murder federal judge
Judge Harmon was the presiding judge in the trial of Joel Lopez, Sr., who was convicted of starting a murder for hire plot to attempt to take the life of fellow federal judge Ricardo Hinojosa. Judge Harmon sentenced Lopez to life in federal prison with no parole on October 26, 2009. Lopez is also serving a separate life sentence in federal prison for a unrelated drug conviction.[2]
Judicial philosophy
See also
External links
References
| Federal judicial offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: John Singleton |
Southern District of Texas 1989–Current Seat #6 |
Succeeded by: NA |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 |
Barksdale • Bonner • Buckwalter • Cyr • Fernandez • Garbis • Harmon • Lee • Lindberg • Lodge • Nelson • Nottingham • Plager • Rosen • Rymer • Smith • Spatt • Thomas • VanBebber • J. Walker • V. Walker • Wiener • Wright | ||
| 1990 |
Alito • Amon • Birch • Boudin • Cleland • Clevenger • Dubina • Hamilton • Henderson • Hood • Hornby • Jones • Kent • Levi • Loken • Lourie • Martin • McBryde • McClure • McKenna • McLaughlin • McNamee • Moreno • Mullen • Nelson • Nickerson • Niemeyer • Norton • Parker • Pickering • Rader • Rainey • Randolph • Shanstrom • Shedd • Shubb • Singleton • Skretny • Souter • Sparr • Stahl • Stamp • Suhrheinrich • Taylor • Vollmer • Ware • Wilson | ||
| 1991 |
Albritton • Andersen • Armstrong • Arnold • Bartle • Bassler • Batchelder • Beckwith • Belot • Benson • Blackburn • Bramlette • Brody • Brody • Burrell • Carnes • Caulfield • Cauthron • Clement • Collier • Conway • Cooper • Dalzell • DeMent • DeMoss • Doherty • Echols • Edmunds • Faber • Freeh • Gaitan • Garza • Graham • Haik • Hamilton • Hansen • Hendren • Herlong • Highsmith • Hogan • Huff • Hurley • Irenas • Johnson • Joyner • Kelly • Kleinfeld • Legg • Leonard • Lewis • Longstaff • Lungstrum • Luttig • Matia • McCalla • McDade • McKeague • McKelvie • Means • Merryday • Moore • Morgan • Nielsen • Nimmons • Osteen Sr. • Padova • Payne • Reinhard • Robinson • Robreno • Roll • Roth • Schlesinger • Scullin • Siler • Solis • Sotomayor • Sparks • Stohr • Thomas • Traxler • Trimble • Ungaro • Van Sickle • Wanger • Werlein • Whyte • Yohn | ||
| 1992 |
Baird • Barbadoro • Black • Boudin • Carnes • Covello • DiClerico • Gilbert • Gonzalez • Gorton • Hansen • Heyburn • Jackson • Jacobs • Keeley • Kendall • Kopf • Kyle • Lewis • McAuliffe • McLaughlin • Melloy • Preska • Quist • Randa • Rosenthal • Rovner • Schall • Sedwick • Simandle • Stahl • Vratil • Williams | ||
