Earl Leroy Yeakel III
Earl Leroy Yeakel III | |
---|---|
Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas | |
In office July 29, 2003 – May 1, 2023 | |
Appointed by | George W. Bush |
Preceded by | James Robertson Nowlin |
Succeeded by | vacant |
Personal details | |
Born | Earl Leroy Yeakel III April 18, 1945) |
Earl Leroy Yeakel III (born April 18, 1945), also known as Lee Yeakel, is a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas.
Biography
Born in
Federal judicial service
Yeakel was nominated by President George W. Bush on May 1, 2003, to a seat vacated by Judge James Robertson Nowlin. who had taken Senior status. He was confirmed by the Senate on July 28, 2003, receiving his commission the next day. He retired from active service on May 1, 2023.[2] He since joined a law firm, King & Spalding, after he retired from the bench.[3]
Abortion rulings
On October 28, 2013, Yeakel ruled that abortion restrictions enacted by the state of Texas were
Yeakel's rulings were upheld by the
In March 2020, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that abortion providers were covered by a state order that required postponement of non-urgent medical procedures to preserve hospital beds and equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 30, 2020, Yeakel ruled that Paxton's action "prevents Texas women from exercising what the Supreme Court has declared is their fundamental constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy before a fetus is viable".[7] On March 31, 2020, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a stay of Judge Yeakel's ruling.[8]
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans on April 7, 2020, overturned Judge Yeakel's restraining order in Planned Parenthood v. Abbott to halt enforcement of the Texas governor's abortion ban issued as part of the COVID-19 crisis health mandates. The Fifth Circuit stated that Judge Yeakel failed to apply the standard of Jacobson v. Massachusetts, a 1905 case that supports judicial deference to the political branches in times of a pandemic.[9]
Mask mandate bans
On November 10, 2021, Yeakel ruled that Texas governor Greg Abbott's ban on mask mandates violates the
Kocurek assassination attempt
Yeakel was the presiding judge over
References
- ^ Hearing Before the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, One Hundred Eighth Congress, First Session
- ^ Earl Leroy Yeakel III at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- ^ Osakwe, Chinekwu. "Ex-federal judge Yeakel joins law firm King & Spalding in Austin". Reuters. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
- ^ "Federal judge declares Texas abortion restrictions unconstitutional, blocks enforcement", The Washington Post (Associated Press story; October 28, 2013).
- ^ Sutton, Kimberly. Area leaders, citizens rebuke federal stance on state's law, Conroe Courier, October 28, 2013.
- ^ a b c Eckholm, Erik (October 31, 2013). "In Reversal, Court Allows Texas Law on Abortion". The New York Times. Retrieved October 31, 2013.
- ^ "U.S. judge stops Texas from curbing abortions during coronavirus crisis". Reuters. March 30, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
- ^ "Fifth Circuit Temporarily Stays Order Blocking Texas Coronavirus-Related Abortion Restrictions". Reason. March 31, 2020. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
- ^ Platoff, Emma (April 7, 2020). "Texas can enforce abortion ban during coronavirus pandemic, federal appeals court rules". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
- ^ "Federal judge allows Texas schools to require masks". NPR. November 10, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
- ^ "E.T. v. Mike Morath" (PDF). s3.documentcloud.org. November 10, 2021. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
- ^ "New: the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has halted the district court's injunction. In other words, practically speaking, school mask mandates are banned again in Texas". twitter.com. November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
- ^ Greg Botelho and Carma Hassan (November 7, 2015). "Police: Texas judge shot outside her home". CNN.
- ^ "Onyeri sentenced to life in prison for Judge Kocurek shooting". October 2, 2018. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
- ^ "Onyeri receives maximum sentence for attempted murder of judge". October 5, 2018. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
Sources
- Earl Leroy Yeakel III at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.