William E. Smith
| William E. Smith | |
| Current Court Information: | |
| District of Rhode Island | |
| Title: | Judge |
| Position: | Seat #3 |
| Service: | |
| Appointed by: | George W. Bush |
| Active: | 11/15/2002 - Present |
| Preceded by: | Ronald Lagueux |
| Personal History | |
| Born: | 1959 |
| Home State: | Boise, ID |
| Bachelors: | Georgetown U., 1982 |
| Law School: | Georgetown U. Law, 1987 |
Contents |
Early life and education
Born in Boise, Idaho, Smith graduated from Georgetown University with his Bachelor's degree in 1982 and later obtained his Juris Doctor in 1987. [1]
Professional career
Smith was a private practice in the State of Rhode Island from 1987 to 2002. In addition to his private practice work, Smith was a Municipal Judge for the Town of West Warwick from 1993 to 1998. Smith served as a Staff Director for Rhode Island Office of U.S. Senator Lincoln Chafee from 2000 to 2001. Smith was a faculty member at Providence College from 2000 to 2002.[1]
Judicial career
District of Rhode Island
Smith was nominated to the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island by President George W. Bush on July 18, 2002 to a seat vacated by Ronald Lagueux. Smith was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on November 14, 2002 on a majority voice vote and received commission on November 15, 2002. [1][2] [3]
Notable cases
Survivor case
| United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island *Hatch v. USA 1:2009-cv-00144 |
|---|
| On July 10, 2009, Judge Smith ruled that the first winner from the TV program "Survivor", Richard Hatch, cannot leave home confinement early to star in a 10th anniversary edition of the reality show in Samoa. [4] Hatch was convicted by the District of Rhode Island in 2006 on tax evasion on the $1 million he won on the debut season of the reality show. Hatch served three years in federal prison and is serving the final 90 days of his sentence on home confinement in Rhode Island. [4] |
Microsoft piracy case
| United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island *Uniloc USA, Inc., et al v. Microsoft Corp., et al 1:03-cv-00440-S-DLM |
|---|
| On September 28, 2009, Judge Smith vacated a $388 million dollar verdict levied against software giant Microsoft on charges of patent infringement by an anti-piracy software maker. The judge vacated the verdict finding that the jury did not find a legally sufficient basis in reaching the it. Microsoft may appeal the ruling to the First Circuit as this is the second major lawsuit they have faced in 2009 on patent infringement charges. [5] |
See also
External links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Judge Smith Biography from the Federal Judicial Center.
- ↑ "THOMAS" William E. Smith USDC, RI confirmation: PN1985-107
- ↑ "Senate Judiciary Committee" Confirmations of the 107th Congress, February 4, 2009
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Associated Press" Judge: Hatch can't travel for latest 'Survivor', July 12, 2009
- ↑ "ABA Journal" Federal Judge Nixes $390M Jury Verdict in Microsoft Patent Case, September 29, 2009
| Federal judicial offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Ronald Lagueux |
District of Rhode Island 2002–Present Seat #3 |
Succeeded by: NA |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Active judges |
Chief Judge: Mary Lisi • William E. Smith • John McConnell | ||
| Senior judges | |||
| Magistrate judges | Lincoln Almond • Robert Lovegreen • Patricia A. Sullivan • | ||
| Former Article III judges |
Ernest Torres • Bruce Marshall Selya • Benjamin Bourne • Henry Marchant • David Leonard Barnes • David Howell • John Pitman • Jonathan Russell Bullock • John Power Knowles • LeBaron Bradford Colt • George Moulton Carpenter • Arthur Lewis Brown • Ira Lloyd Letts • John Christopher Mahoney • Francis Boyle • Edward Day • John Patrick Hartigan • Edward Leahy • Raymond Pettine • | ||
| Former Chief judges |
Ronald Lagueux • Ernest Torres • Francis Boyle • Edward Day • Raymond Pettine • | ||
