Aleta Trauger

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Aleta Trauger
Image of Aleta Trauger

Nonpartisan

United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
Tenure

1998 - Present

Years in position

26

Education

Bachelor's

Cornell College, 1968

Graduate

Vanderbilt University, 1972

Law

Vanderbilt University Law School, 1976

Personal
Birthplace
Denver, Colo.

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Aleta Arthur Trauger is a federal judge on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. She joined the court in 1998 after being nominated by President Bill Clinton (D).

Early life and education

A native of Denver, Colorado, Trauger received an undergraduate degree from Cornell College in 1968, a master's degree from Vanderbilt University in 1972, and a J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1976.[1]

Professional career

Judicial career

Federal judicial nominations

Middle District of Tennessee

Nomination Tracker
Fedbadgesmall.png
Nominee Information
Name: Aleta A. Trauger
Court: United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
Progress
Confirmed 29 days after nomination.
ApprovedANominated: September 22, 1998
ApprovedAABA Rating: Unanimously Well Qualified
Questionnaire:
ApprovedAHearing: October 1, 1998
QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more)
ApprovedAReported: October 8, 1998 
ApprovedAConfirmed: October 21, 1998
ApprovedAVote: Voice vote

President Bill Clinton nominated Trauger to serve on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee September 22, 1998, to a seat vacated by John Nixon. The American Bar Association rated Trauger Unanimously Well Qualified for the nomination. The Senate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Trauger's nomination October 1. U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) reported her nomination October 8. The U.S. Senate confirmed Trauger by voice vote October 21 and she received commission October 22.[1][2][3]

Bankruptcy judge, Middle District of Tennessee

In 1993, Trauger was appointed to serve as a federal bankruptcy judge for the United States bankruptcy court, Middle District of Tennessee. She served in this capacity until her elevation to the district court in 1998.[1]

Noteworthy cases

Trauger temporarily blocks Tennessee from revoking drivers licenses for unpaid traffic fines (2018)
See also: United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee (Robinson v. Purkey, 3:17-cv-01263)

On October 16, 2018, Trauger issued a preliminary injunction blocking Tennessee from revoking drivers licenses from individuals with unpaid traffic fines while the case is pending.[4] In her order, Trauger wrote, "The state’s ongoing application of its traffic debt policy results in both constitutional and material injuries to members of the plaintiff class that are, or are likely to be, irreparable."[5] The underlying lawsuit was filed in September 2017 by attorneys from Civil Rights Corps, the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, Just City, and the law firm Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz.[6]

The decision built on a related order from July 2018 in which Trauger struck down state law revoking driver's licenses from individuals unable to pay court costs. Click here for more information on the July 2018 ruling.

Trauger strikes down law that requires revocation of driver's licenses from individuals who can't pay court costs (2018)
See also: United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee (Thomas, et al. v. Haslam, et al., 3:13-cv-00005)

On July 2, 2018, Trauger struck down as unconstitutional a Tennessee law revoking driver's licenses from individuals who cannot pay court costs. In her ruling, Trauger noted that "the plaintiffs have stated a plausible theory of constitutional protection and constitutional injury, because they have been deprived of equal protection and due process by a law that lacks a rational basis for furthering any legitimate government objective." As a result of Trauger's ruling, more than 100,000 individuals became eligible to apply for reinstatement of their driver's licenses.[7]

Claudia Wilner, a senior attorney with the National Center for Law and Economic Justice in New York City who worked on the case, praised the ruling: "Practically speaking, this is going to be a huge benefit to the low-income people of Tennessee who are going to be able to drive to work, take their kids to school, go to the grocery store, visit the doctor, without fear of being arrested and prosecuted for driving without a license." Kelly K. Smith, an advisor in the office of the state attorney general, said, "We are disappointed with the trial court's decision and are considering all of our legal options."[8]

Challenge to Tennessee's laws against recognition of same-sex marriage (2014)
See also: United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee (Tanco, et al v. Haslam, et al, 3:13-cv-01159)

On March 14, 2014, Judge Trauger ruled that Tennessee must recognize the same-sex marriages of three couples who were legally married out-of-state, issuing an injunction against the state's ban on such recognition in favor of only those three couples.[9] In the underlying case, the plaintiff couples challenged Tennessee's Same-Sex Marriage Ban, Amendment 1, a constitutional amendment approved by 81.3 percent of voters in 2006.[10] The plaintiffs did not challenge the state's constitutional amendment in its totality, but rather focused on its refusal to recognize same-sex marriages legally consummated in other states. In her opinion, Judge Trauger noted that the state's anti-recognition laws failed to pass constitutional muster, writing:

“ At this point, all signs indicate that, in the eyes of the United States Constitution, the plaintiffs’ marriages will be placed on an equal footing with those of heterosexual couples and that proscriptions against same-sex marriage will soon become a footnote in the annals of American history.[9][11][12] ”

On March 18, 2014, Tennessee's attorney general filed an appeal with the Sixth Circuit, requesting that Judge Trauger's decision be stayed pending the case's resolution in the court system. On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that the Fourteenth Amendment guaranteed the rights of same-sex married couples to marry and to have those marriages recognized under the Full Faith and Credit Clause.[13][14]

See also

External links


Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Federal Judicial Center, "Biography of Judge Aleta Arthur Trauger," accessed June 1, 2017
  2. ↑ United States Congress, "PN 1404 — Aleta A. Trauger — The Judiciary," accessed June 1, 2017
  3. ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III judicial nominees, 105th Congress," accessed June 1, 2017
  4. ↑ Tennessean, "Tennessee can't revoke driver licenses of people who can't pay traffic fines, judge says," October 17, 2018
  5. ↑ United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, Robinson v. Purkey, October 16, 2018
  6. ↑ Reason, "Federal Judge Says Tennessee Shouldn't Punish Poor Drivers for Being Poor," October 18, 2018
  7. ↑ United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, "Thomas, et al. v. Haslam, et al.: Memorandum," July 2, 2018
  8. ↑ The Tennessean, "Judge: Tennessee can't revoke driver's licenses from people who can't pay court costs," July 3, 2018
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 The Tennessean, "Tennessee lawyer wants same-sex marriage ruling to open doors," March 14, 2014
  10. ↑ Tennessee Same-Sex Marriage Ban, Amendment 1 (2006)
  11. ↑ USA Today, "Judge recognizes gay marriages of 3 Tennessee couples," March 14, 2014
  12. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  13. ↑ The Tennessean, "TN attorney general to appeal same-sex marriage ruling," March 18, 2014
  14. ↑ Reuters, "Tennessee governor to appeal judge's gay-marriage ruling," March 18, 2014

Political offices
Preceded by
- 		United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
1998-Present		 Succeeded by
-


Tennessee courts

Federal courts:

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Tennessee, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Tennessee, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee

State courts:

Tennessee Supreme Court • Tennessee Court of Appeals • Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals • Tennessee Circuit Court • Tennessee Chancery Courts • Tennessee Criminal Court • Tennessee Probate Court • Tennessee General Sessions Court • Tennessee Juvenile Court • Tennessee Municipal Court

State resources:

Courts in Tennessee • Tennessee judicial elections • Judicial selection in Tennessee

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