Richard Kopf
| Richard Kopf | |
| Current Court Information: | |
| United States District Court for the District of Nebraska | |
| Title: | Senior Judge |
| Position: | Seat #2 |
| Service: | |
| Appointed by: | George H.W. Bush |
| Active: | 5/26/1992 - 12/1/2011 |
| Chief: | 1999 - 2004 |
| Senior: | 12/1/2011 - Present |
| Preceded by: | Warren Urbom |
| Succeeded by: | John Gerrard |
| Past post: | Magistrate Judge |
| Past term: | 1987 - 1992 |
| Personal History | |
| Born: | 1946 |
| Home State: | Toledo, OH |
| Bachelors: | Kearney State College (now U. of Nebraska at Kearney), B.A., 1969 |
| Law School: | U. of Nebraska College of Law, J.D., 1972 |
Contents |
Early life and education
Kopf graduated from Nebraska-Kearney in 1969 with his Bachelor's Degree and later graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with his juris doctorate degree in 1972.
Professional career
Kopf started his legal career after law school as a Law Clerk for former Federal Appeals Judge Donald Ross in the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals from 1972 to 1974 In 1974, Kopf moved back to Nebraska to enter into Private practice from 1974 till 1987 When he was appointed to the Federal Bench[2].
Kopf was known on a larger scale as Lead Counsel for the State of Nebraska in regard to the impeachment of Nebraska Attorney General Paul Douglas in 1984. The Nebraska State Legislature impeached Douglas in connection with his handling of an investigation of a failed bank, but Douglas was later acquitted of the charges.[3]
Judicial career
District of Nebraska
Kopf started his Federal judicial career as a Federal magistrate Judge for the District of Nebraska from 1987 to 1992. On the recommendation of Congressman Doug Brueter, Kopf was nominated by President George HW. Bush on April 7, 1992 to a seat vacated by Warren Urbom as Urbom went on senior status. Kopf was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 21, 1992 on unanimous consent of the Senate and received commission on May 26, 1992. Kopf served as the chief judge of the District of Nebraska from 1999 to 2004. He assumed senior status on December 1, 2011.[2] Kopf was succeeded in this position by John Gerrard.
Notable cases
The notable case section on this page needs to be reformatted.
Dogfighting case
Judge Kopf was the judge of a dog-fighting case which was part of an increased crackdown by federal authorities on dog-fighting cases. On July 9, 2009, Judge Kopf allowed, Julio C. Reyes who was allegedly connected to a multi-state dog-fighting ring that he could keep his four pit bulls. It was hours later on the same day that Nebraska authorities began one of two searches that resulted in the seizure of the animals. It was during the search that four dogs owned by Reyes and various items of alleged animal fighting paraphernalia were seized.[4]
Reyes is facing federal charges on two felony dog-fighting charges. If convicted, Reyes faces ten years in federal prison. Judge Kopf allowed Mr. Reyes free on supervised release as he awaits trial. It is undetermined if Reyes will face state charges in a Nebraska Circuit Court in the separate raid conducted by the Johnson County Sheriffs Department. [4]
Judge Kopf allowed Mr. Reyes to keep the dogs, but under a long list of conditions which included keeping a job and avoiding illegal activity[4]. Kopf allowed for the dogs to be kept despite federal prosecutors seriously objected Mr. Reyes from keeping the dogs on the grounds that the man has not taken proper care of the animals. [4]
The arrests were part of a multi-state raid as the raid happened in the States of Missouri, Illinois, Texas, Oklahoma, Iowa and Mississippi along with Nebraska. [4]
See also
External links
References
| Federal judicial offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Warren Urbom |
District of Nebraska 1992–2011 Seat #2 |
Succeeded by: John Gerrard |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Active judges |
Chief Judge: Laurie Smith Camp • John Gerrard • Joseph Bataillon | ||
| Senior judges |
Richard Kopf • Lyle Strom • Warren Urbom • | ||
| Magistrate judges | Thomas Thalken • F.A. Gossett III • Cheryl Renae Zwart • | ||
| Former Article III judges |
William Cambridge • Arlen Beam • Elmer Scipio Dundy • William Douglas McHugh • William Henry Munger • Thomas Charles Munger • Joseph William Woodrough • James Donohoe • Thomas Shanahan • John Delehant • Robert Denney • Richard Dier • Albert Schatz • Robert Van Pelt • Richard Robinson • | ||
| Former Chief judges |
Joseph Bataillon • Richard Kopf • Lyle Strom • Warren Urbom • William Cambridge • Arlen Beam • James Donohoe • John Delehant • Richard Robinson • | ||
