Robert Hinkle

Robert Hinkle

Nonpartisan

United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida (senior status)

Tenure

2016 - Present

Years in position

8

Prior offices

United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida

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Education

Bachelor's

Florida State University, 1972

Law

Harvard Law School, 1976

Personal

Birthplace

Apalachicola, Fla.

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Robert Lewis Hinkle is a federal judge on senior status with the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida. He joined the court in 1996 after being nominated by President Bill Clinton. Hinkle served as the court's chief judge from 2004-2009.

Early life and education

Born in Apalachicola, Florida, Hinkle graduated from Florida State University with his bachelor's degree in 1972 and from Harvard Law School with his J.D. in 1976.

Professional career

• 1996 - Present: United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida

• 2016 - Present: Senior judge
• 1996-2016: Judge

• 1981: Adjunct professor of law, Florida State University
• 1978-1996: Private practice, Florida
• 1977-1978: Private practice, Georgia
• 1976-1977: Law clerk, Hon. Irving Goldberg, United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit

Judicial career

Northern District of Florida

Nomination Tracker
Nominee Information
Name: Robert Lewis Hinkle
Court: United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida
Progress
Confirmed 49 days after nomination.
ANominated: June 6, 1996
AABA Rating: Substantial Majority Well Qualified, Minority Qualified
Questionnaire:
AHearing: June 25, 1996
QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more)
AReported: June 27, 1996
AConfirmed: July 25, 1996
AVote: Voice vote

Hinkle was nominated to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida by President Bill Clinton on June 6, 1996, to a seat vacated by Judge William Stafford. The American Bar Association rated Hinkle Substantial Majority Well Qualified, Minority Qualified for the nomination. Hearings on Hinkle's nomination were held before the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 25, 1996, and his nomination was reported by U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) on June 27, 1996. Hinkle was confirmed on a voice vote of the U.S. Senate on July 25, 1996, and he received his commission on August 1, 1996. Hinkle served as chief judge of the district court from 2004 to 2009. He elected to take senior status beginning on November 7, 2016.

Noteworthy cases

Judge holds Florida's same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional (2014)

See also: United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida (Brenner v. Scott and Grimsley v. Scott, 4:14cv107-RH/CAS and 4:14cv138-RH/CAS)

On August 21, 2014, Judge Robert Hinkle held that Florida's 2008 amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. In the ruling, the judge compared bans on same-sex marriage to antimiscegenation laws, writing:

“

When observers look back 50 years from now, the arguments supporting Florida's ban on same-sex marriage, though just as sincerely held, will again seem an obvious pretext for discrimination. Observers who are not now of age will wonder just how those views could have been held.

”

EPA water rules (2009)

See also: United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida

On November 16, 2009, Judge Hinkle ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to construct limits for freshwater pollution by October 14, 2010. Environmental advocacy groups in Florida sued the EPA claiming that freshwater lakes were being polluted by nitrogen, phosphorus, and oxygen. The judge found the state of Florida failed to enforce major provisions of the Clean Water Act of 1990.

See also

• United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
• United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida

External links

• Judge Hinkle's biography from the Federal Judicial Center

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by: William Stafford	Northern District of Florida 1996–2016 Seat #2	Succeeded by: Allen Winsor

Florida courts

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Federal courts:

Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida

State courts:

Florida Supreme Court • Florida District Courts of Appeal • Florida Circuit Court • Florida County Court

State resources:

Courts in Florida • Florida judicial elections • Judicial selection in Florida