Stephen V. Wilson

Stephen Wilson

Do you have a photo that could go here? Click here to submit it for this profile!

---

Nonpartisan

United States District Court for the Central District of California

Tenure

1985 - Present

Years in position

39

Education

Bachelor's

Lehigh University, 1963

Graduate

George Washington University Law Center, 1973

Law

Brooklyn Law School, 1967

Personal

Birthplace

New York, N.Y.

Contact

Official website

float:right;
border:1px solid #FFB81F;
background-color: white;
width: 250px;
font-size: .9em;
margin-bottom:0px;

} .infobox p { margin-bottom: 0; } .widget-row { display: inline-block; width: 100%; margin-top: 1px; margin-bottom: 1px; } .widget-row.heading { font-size: 1.2em; } .widget-row.value-only { text-align: center; background-color: grey; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.value-only.white { background-color: #f9f9f9; } .widget-row.value-only.black { background-color: #f9f9f9; color: black; } .widget-row.Democratic { background-color: #003388; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Republican { background-color: red; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution { background-color: grey; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Libertarian { background-color: #f9d334; color: black; font-weight: bold; } .widget-row.Green { background-color: green; color: white; font-weight: bold; } .widget-key { width: 43%; display: inline-block; padding-left: 10px; vertical-align: top; font-weight: bold; } .widget-value { width: 57%; float: right; display: inline-block; padding-left: 10px; word-wrap: break-word; } .widget-img { width: 150px; display: block; margin: auto; } .clearfix { clear: both; }

Stephen Victor Wilson is a judge for the United States District Court for the Central District of California. He joined the court in 1985 after being nominated by President Ronald Reagan.

Early life and education

Born in New York City, Wilson received an undergraduate degree from Lehigh University in 1963 and received his J.D. degree from Brooklyn Law School in 1967. Wilson obtained a Master of Laws degree from George Washington University School of Law in 1973.

Professional career

• 1984: Adjunct Professor, University of San Diego School of Law
• 1979-1980: Chairman, Federal Indigent Defense Panel Committee for the District Court
• 1977-1985: Attorney, private practice
• 1975-1979: Adjunct Professor of Law, Loyola Marymount Law School
• 1973-1977: Chief Prosecutor, Fraud and Special Prosecutions Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office
• 1971-1977: Assistant United States Attorney, Central District of California
• 1968-1971: Trial Attorney, Tax Division of the United States Department of Justice

Judicial career

Central District of California

On the recommendation of U.S. Senator Pete Wilson, Wilson was nominated to the United States District Court for the Central District of California by President Ronald Reagan on September 9, 1985 to a new seat created by 98 Stat. 333. Wilson was confirmed by the Senate on October 16, 1985, and received commission on October 17, 1985.

Noteworthy cases

California foie gras ban (2013)

See also: United States District Court for the Central District of California (Association des Eleveurs de Canards et d’Oies du Quebec v. Harris, D.C. No. 2:12-cv-05735-SVW-RZ)

Judge Wilson presided over a suit brought by out-of-state producers of foie gras over California’s Bird Feeding bill, which served as a ban on the sale of fattened duck liver. The plaintiffs filed a motion for a temporary emergency injunction, arguing that the law was unconstitutionally vague and adversely affected interstate commerce. Wilson denied the motion, ruling that because it was not timely filed, the arguments must be made in court.

The plaintiffs appealed to a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, where their arguments were heard by Judges Harry Pregerson, Raymond C. Fisher, and Wiley Daniel. The appeals court affirmed Wilson’s ruling, and remanded the case back to his courtroom.

The opinion is available here.

Sealed records lawsuit (2009)

See also: U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

The Los Angeles Times and the Associated Press filed a motion on August 4, 2009 to ask Judge Wilson to unseal court transcripts in a lawsuit over a Jewish activist who was killed in prison. The motion came after Judge Wilson sealed the records over a protective order from the Bureau of Prisons that protects the identity of a prisoner.

Judge Wilson closed the civil trial, and only allowed information released to the public after "sensitive information" was removed.

See also

• United States District Court for the Central District of California

External links

• Judge Stephen Wilson Biography from the Federal Judicial Center.

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by -	United States District Court for the Central District of California 1985-Present	Succeeded by -