Thomas J. Whelan (judge)

Thomas John Whelan (born February 21, 1940) is a Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California.

Thomas J. Whelan
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California
Incumbent
Assumed office August 15, 2010
Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California
In office October 22, 1998 – August 15, 2010
Appointed by	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	John Skylstead Rhoades Sr.
Succeeded by	Gonzalo P. Curiel
Judge of the Superior Court of California, San Diego County
In office 1990–1998
Personal details
Born	Thomas John Whelan[1] February 21, 1940[2] St. Paul, Minnesota[2]
Spouse(s)	Catherine A. Lindseth[2]
Residence	San Diego, California, U.S.[2]
Education	University of San Diego (B.A.) University of San Diego School of Law (J.D.)

Early life and education

Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Whelan received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of San Diego in 1961 and a Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1965.

Career

Whelan was a contracts administrator, planner and estimator for General Dynamics Corp. from 1961 to 1969. He was a deputy district attorney of San Diego from 1969 to 1989.

Judicial service

Whelan was a judge on the Superior Court of California, San Diego County from 1990 to 1998. As a superior court judge, Whelan presided over the infamous Betty Broderick trials in San Diego.

Whelan is a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. Whelan was nominated by President Bill Clinton on June 4, 1998, to a seat vacated by John Skylstead Rhoades Sr. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 21, 1998, and received his commission on October 22, 1998. He assumed senior status on August 15, 2010.

Notable cases that Whelan has presided over on the district bench include:

• In 2003, Whelan was the judge assigned to a lawsuit brought by the Imperial Irrigation District (representing farmers in the Imperial Valley, California), against the U.S. Department of the Interior, challenging the federal government's 11% cut in Colorado River water allocated to farmers. In 2003, Whelan ordered a reversal in the cuts pending the resolution of the suit.[3]

• In 2004, Whelan denied the Rincon Band of Luiseno Mission Indians's motion for a temporary restraining order seeking to block California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's new compacts with five other Indian tribes allowing them to establish casinos in exchange for the tribes contributing a share of the revenue to the State of California. Whelan held that Schwarzenegger had the power to enter into compacts with the tribes on behalf of California.[4]

• In 2020, Whelan presided over the criminal case of Duncan D. Hunter, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal $150,000 in his campaign funds for personal use. Whelan sentenced Hunter to 11 months in prison.[5]

References

1. "Thomas John Whelan Judge Profile on Martindale.com". www.martindale.com.
2. Confirmation hearings on federal appointments : hearings before the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, One Hundred Fifth Congress, first session, on confirmation of appointees to the federal judiciary. pt.5 (1999) – page 307
3. Dean E. Murphy, Judge's Ruling on Water Gives Imperial Valley Farmers Hope, New York Times (March 23, 2003).
4. National Briefing | West: California: Judge Sides With Schwarzenegger Over Indian Compacts, Associated Press (July 8, 2004).
5. Neil Vigdor, Duncan Hunter Sentenced to 11 Months in Prison for Stealing Campaign Funds, New York Times (March 17, 2020).

Sources

• Thomas J. Whelan at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.