Victor Marrero

Victor Marrero (born September 1, 1941) is a Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Victor Marrero
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
Incumbent
Assumed office December 31, 2010
Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
In office October 5, 1999 – December 31, 2010
Appointed by	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	Sonia Sotomayor
Succeeded by	Andrew L. Carter, Jr.
United States Ambassador to the Organization of American States
In office January 5, 1998 – November 15, 1999
President	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	Harriet C. Babbitt
Succeeded by	Luis J. Lauredo
United States Ambassador to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations
In office 1993–1997
President	Bill Clinton
United States Under Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
In office 1979–1981
President	Jimmy Carter
Preceded by	Jay Janis
Succeeded by	Donald I. Hovde
Commissioner of the New York Housing Finance Agency
In office 1978–1979
Governor	Hugh Carey
Personal details
Born	September 1, 1941[1] Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Education	New York University (BA) Yale University (LLB)

Education and career

Marrero was born in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from New York University in 1964 and a Bachelor of Laws from Yale Law School in 1968. [2]

Marrero was an assistant to the mayor of New York City from 1968 to 1970.[2] He next served as an assistant administrator/neighborhood director of the Model Cities Administration in New York City from 1970 to 1973, co-founding of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund in 1972. He continued working in the city government, serving as Executive Director of the Department of City Planning of New York City from 1973 to 1974 and as special counsel to the comptroller of New York City from 1974 to 1975.[2] He then moved to the New York State government, serving as the Governor's first assistant counsel from 1975 to 1976, then returned to New York City and served as the Chairman of the City Planning Commission in 1976–77.[2] He was a Commissioner and Vice Chairman of the New York State Housing Finance Agency from 1978 to 1979.[2] He was the Undersecretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development from 1979 to 1981.[2] He was in private practice of law in New York City from 1981 to 1993.[2] He served as United States Ambassador to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations from 1993 to 1997.[2] He was the United States Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the United States to the Organization of American States from 1998 to 1999.[2]

Federal judicial service

Marrero is a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.[2] Marrero was nominated by President Bill Clinton on May 27, 1999, to a seat vacated by Sonia Sotomayor.[2] He was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 1, 1999, and received commission on October 5, 1999.[2] He took Senior Status at the end of 2010.

Notable cases

He is well known for twice striking down elements of the USA PATRIOT Act, most recently in September 2007, stating that the provision in question "offends the fundamental constitutional principles of checks and balances and separation of powers."[3][4]

On October 7, 2019, Marrero dismissed an attempt by President Trump to prevent his accountants from complying with a New York prosecutor's subpoena for eight years of President Donald Trump's tax returns.[5][6]

On February 11, 2020, Marrero allowed T-Mobile and Sprint to complete their merger after nine states and the District of Columbia sought to block it.[7]

On August 20, 2020, Marrero dismissed another attempt by President Trump to allow his accountants to disregard the New York prosecutor's subpoena for eight years of the president's tax returns. In the ruling, he held that the prosecutor's grand jury subpoena was valid and the Presidents attempts to challenge it were dilatory and without merit.

He concluded: "Justice requires an end to this controversy [8]

See also

• List of Puerto Ricans

References

1. Nomination of Victor Marrero: Hearing Before the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, United States Senate, Ninety-sixth Congress, First Session on the Nomination of Victor Marrero to be Under Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, December 18, 1979 - page 21
2. "Federal Judicial Center: Victor Marrero". Retrieved October 7, 2019.
3. Doe v. Gonzales, 500 F. Supp. 2d 379, 396 (S.D.N.Y. 2007).
4. Neumeister, Larry (September 6, 2007). "Judge rules against parts of Patriot Act". NBC News. Associated Press. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
5. Neumeister, Larry (October 7, 2019). "Judge rejects trump challenge to release tax returns". yahoo.com. Associated Press. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
6. Katersky, Aaron (October 7, 2019). "Judge rules Trump must turn over tax returns for hush money investigation". ABC News. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
7. "Judge Rules That T-Mobile Can Acquire Sprint". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
8. Weiser, Benjamin (August 20, 2020). "Trump Must Turn Over Tax Returns to D.A., Judge Rules". The New York Times. Retrieved August 20, 2020.

External links

• Victor Marrero at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.