Peter J. Messitte

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Peter Jo Messitte
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland
Assumed office
September 1, 2008
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland
In office
October 20, 1993 – September 1, 2008
Appointed byBill Clinton
Preceded byJoseph C. Howard Sr.
Succeeded byGeorge L. Russell III
Personal details
Born
Peter Jo Messitte

(1941-07-17) July 17, 1941 (age 82)
Washington, D.C.
EducationAmherst College (BA)
University of Chicago (JD)

Peter Jo Messitte (born July 17, 1941) is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.

Early life and education

Messitte was born on July 17, 1941[1] in Washington, D.C.[2] He graduated in 1959 from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School and was greatly influenced by John F. Kennedy's speech to his graduating class.[3] Messitte received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College in 1963 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School in 1966.[2]

Peace Corps service and career as lawyer

He was a Peace Corps volunteer in São Paulo, Brazil, from 1966 to 1968. He was in private practice in Washington, D.C., from 1969 to 1971. He was in private practice in Chevy Chase, Maryland, from 1971 to 1985.[2]

State judicial service

In 1982, after sixteen years in private law practice, Messitte ran for a seat on the

criminal justice system, and participated in a reform of Maryland's adoption laws.[3]

Federal judicial service

On August 6, 1993, Messitte was nominated by President

Joseph C. Howard, Sr. Messitte was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 18, 1993, and received his commission two days later. He assumed senior status on September 1, 2008.[2]

Notable rulings

In 2001, Messitte sentenced

sentenced to death in federal court in Maryland. Higgs ordered the 1996 murders of three women on an isolated road in Beltsville, on federal land.[4]

In 2014, in a trademark case brought by

Washington Redskins (Green v. Pro Football, Inc. d/b/a The Washington Redskins), Messitte banned the use of the controversial slur "Redskins") in his courtroom and in court documents, "unless reference is made to a direct quote where the name appears."[5][6]

In 2018, in the case

presidential immunity" by a 9-to-6 majority, reviving the lawsuit.[12]

Messitte was assigned to preside over a challenge to the

recused himself in 2020 because his home is near a future Purple Line station.[13]

In HIAS Inc. v. Trump (2020), Messite issued a nationwide

Administrative Procedure Act. Messite also ruled that the executive order "does not appear to serve the overall public interest" but "granting the preliminary injunctive relief Plaintiffs seek does."[14][15][16] The Fourth Circuit affirmed Messitte's order.[17]

Other activities

Messitte has spent decades working on judicial reform activities internationally, principally in Brazil, but also in other Latin American countries and in Turkey, Thailand, and Yemen.[18] He speaks Spanish and Portuguese.[3] He serves as a special advisor (and former member) of the ABA Rule of Law Initiative's Latin America and Caribbean Division. He is the director of the Brazil-U.S. Legal & Judicial Studies Program at the American University Washington College of Law.[18]

Messitte's work in Brazil has emphasized the need for

Brasilia.[18][19]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Peter J. Messitte, U.S. District Court Judge (Maryland)". msa.maryland.gov. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  2. ^ a b c d e Messitte, Peter Jo, Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, Federal Judicial Center.
  3. ^ a b c d e Kevin Sullivan, Decades Ago, Judge Heeded a Call to Service, Washington Post (March 22, 1992).
  4. ^ Ruben Castaneda, Md. Man Sentenced To Death for Role In Triple Slaying, Washington Post (January 4, 2001).
  5. ^ Federal judge bans 'Redskins' from his courtroom, WUSA (July 15, 2014).
  6. ^ Theresa Vargas, Federal judge forbids use of 'Redskins' in court documents, Washington Post (July 14, 2014).
  7. ^ Judge allows case alleging illegal foreign gifts to proceed against President, CNN, July 25, 2018
  8. ^ Wamsley, Laurel (July 10, 2019). "Appeals Court Orders Dismissal Of Emoluments Lawsuit Against Trump". NPR. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  9. ^ Harris, Andrew M (July 10, 2019). "Trump Wins Dismissal of Emoluments Case by Maryland and D.C." Bloomberg News. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
  10. ^ Weiss, Debra Cassens (October 15, 2019). "4th Circuit to reconsider claim that Trump is violating the emoluments clause". ABA Journal. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  11. ^ Polantz, Katelyn (December 12, 2019). "Appeals court divided on future of lawsuit over Trump hotel". CNN. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  12. ^ Williams, Pete (May 14, 2020). "Appeals court gives green light to Trump emoluments lawsuit". NBC News. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  13. ^ Judge in Purple Line lawsuit recuses himself, saying he lives near a future station, Washington Post (February 27, 2020).
  14. ^ HIAS, Inc. v. Trump, 415 F.Supp.3d 669 (D. Md. 2020).
  15. ^ Shoichet, Catherine (January 15, 2020). "Judge blocks Trump's executive order on refugee resettlement". CNN.
  16. ^ Bobby Allyn (January 15, 2020). "Judge Blocks Trump's Executive Order Allowing Local Officials To Reject Refugees". NPR.
  17. ^ HIAS Inc. v. Trump, 985 F.3d 309 (4th Cir. 2021).
  18. ^ a b c d Judge Peter J. Messitte Awarded Order of the Southern Cross by Brazilian President Temer, American University Washington College of Law (June 2, 2020).
  19. ^ a b c US Judge Reflects on Judicial Reform Work, American Bar Association (August 3, 2017).

Sources

Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland
1993–2008 		Succeeded by
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