Eduardo Robreno

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Eduardo Robreno
Image of Eduardo Robreno

Nonpartisan

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (senior status)
Tenure

2013 - Present

Years in position

11

Prior offices
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Education

Bachelor's

Westfield State College, 1967

Graduate

University of Massachusetts, 1969

Law

Rutgers University Law, 1978 

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Eduardo C. Robreno is a federal judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He joined the court in 1992 after being nominated by President George H.W. Bush. Robreno assumed senior status on September 1, 2013.[1]

Robreno was the first Cuban-American to become a federal judge in the United States.[2]

Early life and education

Born in Cuba, Robreno later became an American citizen. Robreno graduated from Westfield State College with his bachelor's degree in 1967 and from the University of Massachusetts with his master's degree in 1969. He went on to graduate from Rutgers University School of Law with his J.D. in 1978.[3]

Professional career

Robreno began his legal career in Philadelphia with the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he served from 1978 to 1981. Robreno then worked as a private practice attorney licensed in the State of Pennsylvania from 1981 to 1992, and also served as a part-time Lecturer at Rutgers Law School from 1992 to 1996.

Judicial career

Eastern District of Pennsylvania

On the recommendation of Arlen Specter, Robreno was nominated by President George H.W. Bush on November 26, 1991, to a seat vacated by Louis Pollak. Robreno was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on June 26, 1992, on a voice vote and received commission on June 30, 1992.[4] On September 1, 2013, Robreno took senior status.

Noteworthy cases

Multidistrict asbestos litigation case remanded to Southern Illinois (2014)
See also: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (Mann v. Anchor Packing, et al, 2:08-89372-ER / MDL-875)

On January 30, 2014, Judge Robreno remanded plaintiff's suit filed on behalf of decedent J.W. Heggie to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.[5]

In the underlying case, Helen Mann filed suit against Westinghouse Electric Corporation on behalf of Heggie, alleging Heggie was exposed to asbestos after working with Westinghouse’s turbines and switchgear. Mann claimed Heggie developed an asbestos-related disease and lung cancer as a result of the alleged exposure, and died as a result. Mann's case was transferred to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in October 2008 as part of the Multidistrict Asbestos Products Liability Litigation, though both parties agreed that Illinois law applied to the case. Westinghouse then filed a motion for summary judgment, alleging there was insufficient evidence to establish causation.[5]

Judge Robreno granted Westinghouse's motion in part as to Heggie's alleged asbestos exposure from the company's turbines, and denied it in part as to Heggie's alleged asbestos exposure from the company's switchgear. Specifically, Robreno noted that there was no "clear statement of Illinois law" as to the issue of the "bare metal defense" which would be determinative as to Westinghouse's liability.[5] In so denying summary judgmentas to this aspect of the case, Robreno stated:

“ Whether Illinois law recognizes this defense (i.e., whether Illinois law holds a switchgear manufacturer liable for component parts incorporated into its product which it neither manufactured nor supplied) is a matter of policy. A court situated in Illinois is closer to - and has more familiarity with - Illinois law and policy. As such, rather than predicting what the Supreme Court of Illinois would do, the Court deems it appropriate to remand this case for a court in Illinois to decide this issue.[5][6] ”

Judge Robreno suggested that the case would be ready for trial as soon as the Southern District of Illinois placed it on its docket.[5]

Winfrey defamation case settled out of court (2009-2010)
See also: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

On March 15, 2009, Judge Robreno allowed a lawsuit against talk show host Oprah Winfrey to proceed. Nomvuyo Mzamane, the former headmistress of the South Africa Leadership Academy for Girls, sued Winfrey over statements that were made at a 2007 press conference that Mzamane considered defamatory. Winfrey settled the case out of court in March 2010.[7]

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, "Judicial Directory", page 7 accessed on May 13, 2014
  2. ↑ Philadelphia Daily News, "Latino Federal Judge Eduardo Robreno Is 1st Cuban To Be U.S. Jurist," July 28, 1992
  3. ↑ Federal Judicial Center, "Biography of Eduardo C. Robreno"
  4. ↑ THOMAS, "Presidential Nominations 102nd Congress: Eduardo C. Robreno (USDC, EDPA)," accessed March 8, 2014
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Legal Newsline Legal Journal, "Philly asbestos judge to let Illinois federal court decide ‘bare metal defense’ issue," March 4, 2014
  6. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  7. ↑ Huffington Post, "Oprah Settles South African Headmistress Defamation Suit Out of Court," March 24, 2010
Political offices
Preceded by:
Louis Pollak 		Eastern District of Pennsylvania
1992–2013 		Succeeded by:
Joseph F. Leeson, Jr.



Pennsylvania courts

Federal courts:

Third Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania

State courts:

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania • Pennsylvania Superior Court • Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court • Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas • Pennsylvania Magisterial Districts

State resources:

Courts in Pennsylvania • Pennsylvania judicial elections • Judicial selection in Pennsylvania

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