Eli J. Richardson
Eli J. Richardson | |
|---|---|
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| Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee | |
| Assumed office October 18, 2018 | |
| Appointed by | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Todd J. Campbell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1967 (age 56–57) Summit, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Education | Duke University (BSE) Vanderbilt University (JD) |
Eli Jeremy Richardson (born 1967) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Biography
Richardson received his Bachelor of Engineering from the Duke University and his Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University Law School, where he served as a member of the Vanderbilt Law Review. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at the Vanderbilt University Law School and previously taught trial advocacy at Belmont University College of Law. Before joining Bass, Berry & Sims, he served for twelve years in the Department of Justice, including four years as a Special Agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigation; seven years as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey and the Middle District of Tennessee; and one year on detail as Resident Legal Advisor to Serbia. Prior to his judicial service, Richardson practiced law both at law firms, such as Bass, Berry & Sims, and in solo practice.[1]
Federal judicial service
On July 13, 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Richardson to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, to the seat vacated by Judge Todd J. Campbell, who assumed senior status on December 1, 2016.[2] On December 13, 2017, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[3]
On January 3, 2018, his nomination was returned to the President under
Notable decisions
In the 2019 case of Bennett v. Metro. Gov't of Nashville & Davidson Cty., Judge Richardson ruled in favor of a former dispatcher working in the Emergency Communication Center of the city of Nashville, Tennessee who had posted to Facebook a comment reading: "Thank god we have more America loving rednecks. Red spread across all America. Even niggaz and latinos voted for trump too!!" Judge Richardson found that the plaintiff had a free speech right under the First Amendment to make such a post that outweighed any damage to the functioning of the Emergency Communication Center or the public trust in it. In October 2020, Judge Richardson's decision was overturned by unanimous decision of a panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.[10][11]
On June 28, 2023, in the 2023 case LW v Skremetti, Richardson granted a preliminary statewide injunction against parts of the Tennessee's gender-affirming care ban that outlawed puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender youth. [12] Richardson ruled that the plaintiffs lacked standing to challenge the ban on gender-affirming surgeries because none of the plaintiffs were receiving or planning to receive such surgeries and thus upheld the provision. [13] In a 2-1 decision, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals granted a stay of the injunction on July 8, 2023. [14]
References
- ^ " President Donald J. Trump Announces Fifth Wave of Judicial Candidates" White House, July 13, 2017
- ^ " Ten Nominations Sent to the Senate Today" White House, July 13, 2017
- ^ United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for December 13, 2017
- ^ "Congressional Record", United States Senate, January 3, 2018
- ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Renomination of 21 Judicial Nominees", White House, January 5, 2018
- ^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate Today", The White House, January 8, 2018
- ^ Results of Executive Business Meeting – January 18, 2018, Senate Judiciary Committee
- ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation Eli Jeremy Richardson, of Tennessee, to be U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Tennessee)". United States Senate. October 11, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
- ^ Eli J. Richardson at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- ^ "City Worker Fired for Racist Online Post Loses Free Speech Claim". October 6, 2020.
- ^ "Former Metro dispatcher wins wrongful termination lawsuit over Trump Facebook post". June 25, 2019.
- ^ https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.tnmd.94244/gov.uscourts.tnmd.94244.167.0.pdf
- ^ "Federal judges in Kentucky and Tennessee block portions of transgender youth care bans". ABC News.
- ^ https://www.opn.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/23a0146p-06.pdf
External links
- Eli J. Richardson at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.