William Stiehl
| William Stiehl | |
| Current Court Information: | |
| United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois | |
| Title: | Senior Judge |
| Position: | Seat #3 |
| Service: | |
| Appointed by: | Ronald Reagan |
| Active: | 6/16/1986 - 11/30/1996 |
| Chief: | 1992 - 1993 |
| Senior: | 11/30/1996 - Present |
| Preceded by: | 98 Stat. 333 |
| Succeeded by: | Patrick G. Murphy |
| Personal History | |
| Born: | 1925 |
| Home State: | Belleville, IL |
| Law School: | Saint Louis U. School of Law, LL.B., 1949 |
| Military service: | U.S. Navy 1943 - 1946 ; 1950 - 1952 |
Contents |
William Donald Stiehl is an Article III federal judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. He joined the court in 1986 after being nominated by President Ronald Reagan. He is serving on senior status.
Early life and education
Stiehl, during college enlisted in the US Navy as a Navy Lieutenant from 1943 to 1946. In 1949, Stiehl earned his juris doctorate degree from Saint Louis University Law School before serving in the Navy again from 1950-1952. [1]
Professional career
Stiehl served over three decades as a private practice attorney in Belleville from 1952 to 1986. During his private practice career he served as a Assistant state's attorney for Bellevillefrom 1956 to 1960 and also was a Special assistant attorney general for the State of Illinois from 1970-1973.
Judicial career
Southern District of Illinois
On the recommendation of Senator Charles Percy, Stiehl was nominated by President Ronald Reagan on May 14, 1986 to a new seat created by 98 Stat. 333 approved by Congress. Stiehl was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on June 13, 1986, and received commission on June 16, 1986. Stiehl served as chief judge of the Southern District of Illinois from 1992-1993 before assuming senior status on November 30, 1996. Stiehl was succeeded in this position by Patrick G. Murphy.
Notable cases
The notable case section on this page needs to be reformatted.
AIG defamation case
Judge Stiehl dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed against AIG by prominent Southwest Illinois Attorney Brian Wendler. Wendler sued AIG over claims that the insurer used the Teamsters union website to attack the lawyer over a 2003 arrest for domestic battery. Despite the fact that the Seventh Circuit remanded the case to Judge Stiehl, the judge dismissed the case on the basis of not enough evidence to start a new case.[2]
Veterans benefits case
Judge Stiehl, on April 23, 2010, sentenced an Army veteran to six and a half years in federal prison for faking a disability to gain veterans benefits and avoid deployment to Iraq.
Also, as part of the sentencing agreement, the Judge ordered Jeffery Rush to repay the government over $300,000 in benefits. Rush claimed he lost both of his legs in order to gain veterans disability benefits and stuck to his story to avoid deployment.[3]
See also
External links
- Stiehl Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
References
| Federal judicial offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: NA-New Seat |
Southern District of Illinois 1986–1996 Seat #3 |
Succeeded by: Patrick G. Murphy |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Active judges |
Chief Judge: David Herndon • John Gilbert • Patrick G. Murphy • Michael Joseph Reagan | ||
| Senior judges |
William Stiehl • James Foreman • | ||
| Magistrate judges | Philip Frazier • Clifford Proud • Donald Wilkerson • | ||
| Former Article III judges |
William Juergens • William Beatty • Robert Morgan • Samuel Hubbel Treat • William Joshua Allen • J. Otis Humphrey • Louis FitzHenry • Charles Guy Briggle • James Earl Major • Jackson Adair • James Ackerman • Frederick Mercer • Omer Poos • Paul Riley • Harlington Wood • | ||
| Former Chief judges |
John Gilbert • Patrick G. Murphy • William Stiehl • James Foreman • Robert Morgan • Charles Guy Briggle • Frederick Mercer • Omer Poos • | ||
