Raúl Arias-Marxuach
Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach is thechief judge of theUnited States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. On April 12, 2018, PresidentDonald Trump (R) nominated Arias-Marxuach to serve on this court. TheU.S. Senate confirmed Arias-Marxuach on May 2, 2019, by a vote of 95-3.[1][2] To see a full list of judges appointed byDonald Trump,click here. Arias-Marxuach became chief judge of the court in 2021.[3]
On November 30, 2020, PresidentDonald Trump (R) nominated Arias-Marxuach to a seat on theUnited States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit. Arias-Marxuach's nomination was returned to the president at thesine die adjournment of theU.S. Senate on January 3, 2021.[2] The president renominated Arias-Marxuach on January 3.[4] Arias-Marxuach's nomination was withdrawn by PresidentJoe Biden (D) on February 4, 2021.[5]Click here for more information on Arias-Marxuach's federal judicial nomination.
TheUnited States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico is one of 94U.S. district courts. They are the generaltrial courts of theUnited States federal courts. To learn more about the courts,click here.
Arias-Marxuach was a capital member of McConnell Valdés LLC from 2003 to 2019.[6]
Judicial nominations and appointments
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit
On November 30, 2020, PresidentDonald Trump (R) nominated Arias-Marxuach to a seat on theUnited States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit.[7] To read more about the federal nominations process,click here.
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Raúl Arias-Marxuach |
| Court:United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit |
| Progress |
| Withdrawn 66 days after nomination. |
 ANominated: November 30, 2020 |
| AABA Rating:Unanimously well qualified |
| Questionnaire:Questionnaire |
| AHearing: December 16, 2020 |
| QFRs:(Hover over QFRs to read more) |
 AReported: |
| AConfirmed: |
| AWithdrawn: February 4, 2021 |
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
TheSenate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Arias-Marxuach's nomination on December 16, 2020.
Nomination
On November 30, 2020, PresidentDonald Trump (R) nominated Arias-Marxuach to a seat on theUnited States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit.[7] Arias-Marxuach's nomination was returned to the president at thesine die adjournment of theU.S. Senate on January 3, 2021.[2][8] The president renominated Arias-Marxuach on January 3.[4] Arias-Marxuach's nomination was withdrawn by the president on February 4, 2021.Cite error: Closing</ref> missing for<ref> tag To read more about ABA ratings,click here.
United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico (2019-present)
On April 12, 2018, PresidentDonald Trump (R) nominated Arias-Marxuach to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. TheU.S. Senate confirmed Arias-Marxuach on May 2, 2019, by a vote of 95-3.[1][2] He received commission on May 13, 2019. To read more about the federal nominations process,click here.
Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed Arias-Marxuach on May 2, 2019, on a vote of 95-3.[2] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website,click here.
| Arias-Marxuach confirmation vote (May 2, 2019) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
 Democratic | 41 | 2 | 2 | ||||||
 Republican | 53 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
 Independent | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 95 | 3 | 2 | ||||||
Change in Senate rules
Arias-Marxuach was the ninth judge to be confirmed to a U.S. District Court under a new precedent the Senate established.
On April 3, 2019, theU.S. Senate voted 51-48 in favor of a change to chamber precedent lowering the maximum time allowed for debate on executive nominees to posts below the Cabinet level and on nominees todistrict court judgeships from 30 hours after invokingcloture to two.[9]
The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as thenuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.[10]
It was the third use of thenuclear option in Senate history. In 2013, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold to confirm presidential nominees, except those to theSupreme Court. In 2017, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold required to confirm Supreme Court nominees.[11] For more, seeFilibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
TheSenate Judiciary Committee held hearings on Arias-Marxuach's nomination on June 20, 2018. The committee reported his nomination to the full Senate on July 19, 2018.[12][13]
TheSenate Judiciary Committee favorably reported Arias-Marxuach's nomination on February 7, 2019.[14]Click here to see how the committee voted. Arias-Marxuach's nomination was one of 44 that Sen.Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) reported that day.
Nomination
On April 12, 2018, President Trump nominated Arias-Marxuach to theUnited States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico.[1] Arias-Marxuach was nominated to succeed JudgeJose Fuste, who retired from the bench on June 1, 2016.[2]
At thesine die adjournment of the115th Congress on January 3, 2019, the Senate returned Arias-Marxuach's nomination to President Trump.[15] Arias-Marxuach was one of 51 individuals the president re-nominated on January 23, 2019.[16]
TheAmerican Bar Association unanimously rated Arias-Marxuachwell qualified.[17] To read more about ABA ratings,click here.
Biography
Early life and education
Arias-Marxuach was born in 1967 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He received a B.A. from Boston College in 1989; aJ.D.,magna cum laude, from the University of Puerto Rico School of Law in 1992, and an L.L.M. from Harvard Law School in 1994.[6]
Professional career
- 2019-present: Judge,United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico
- 2021-present: Chief judge
- 1995-2019: McConnell Valdés LLC
- 2003-present: Capital member
- 1999-2003: Income partner
- 1995-1999: Associate
- 1994-1995: Litigation associate, Fiddler Gonzalez & Rodriguez P.S.C.
- 1992-1993: Law clerk to the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico[6]
Associations
- Member, American Bar Association
- 2003: Republican National Lawyers Association
- 2003: Member, Maritime Law Association of the United States
- 1997-2007: Member, Federal Bar Association, Puerto Rico chapter
- 1993-2009: Member, Colegio de Abogados de Puerto Rico[6]
About the courts
1st Circuit
| First Circuit |
|---|
| Court of Appeals |
| File:1st Circuit seal.png |
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 6 |
| Judges: 6 |
| Vacancies: 0 |
| Judges |
| Chief: |
| Active judges:Seth Aframe,David Barron,Joshua D. Dunlap,Gustavo Gelpí,Lara Montecalvo,Julie Rikelman Senior judges: |
TheUnited States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit is afederal appellate court with appellatejurisdiction. It hears appeals from all of the circuit courts within its jurisdiction and its rulings may be appealed to theSupreme Court of the United States.
Appeals are heard in the John Joseph Moakley Courthouse inBoston, Massachusetts. There is another circuit courthouse located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where the court sits for two weeks a year.
Two judges of the First Circuit went on to serve on theSupreme Court of the United States.Stephen Breyer was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1994 byBill Clinton (D), andDavid Souter was appointed in 1990 byGeorge H. W. Bush (R).
This page contains the following information on the First Circuit.
- A list of the court'scurrent vacancies
- A list of the court'sactive and senior judges
- An overview of the court'sjurisdiction
- Selectedcase management statistics
- Abrief history of the court
- Case reversal statistics by the Supreme Court of the United States
- Noteworthy cases heard by the court
- Where the court islocated
- Information aboutU.S. Courts of Appeals
The 1st Circuit hasappellate jurisdiction over cases heard in one of its subsidiary districts. These cases may be civil or criminal in nature that fall under federal law. Appeals of rulings by the 1st Circuit are petitioned to theSupreme Court of the United States.
The United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit has jurisdiction over the followingU.S. district courts:
- District of Maine
- District of Massachusetts
- District of New Hampshire
- District of Puerto Rico
- District of Rhode Island
District of Puerto Rico
| District of Puerto Rico |
|---|
| First Circuit |
| File:Seal of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico.gif |
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 7 |
| Judges: 7 |
| Vacancies: 0 |
| Judges |
| Chief:Raúl Arias-Marxuach |
| Active judges:María Antongiorgi-Jordán,Raúl Arias-Marxuach,Silvia Carreno-Coll,Pedro A. Delgado Hernandez,Aida Delgado-Colon,Gina Méndez-Miró,Camille Vélez-Rivé Senior judges: |
TheUnited States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico is one of 94United States district courts. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to theUnited States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit based in downtownBoston at the John Joseph Moakley Federal Courthouse, but hears appeals at the Old San Juan courthouse for two sessions each year.
The District of Puerto Rico hasoriginal jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
The jurisdiction of the District of Puerto Rico consists of all the municipalities in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The court is based in San Juan with the main building being the Clemente Ruiz Nazario U.S. Courthouse located in the Hato Rey district of San Juan.
To read opinions published by this court, clickhere.
The federal nomination process
Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:
- The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
- The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by theSenate Judiciary Committee.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
- As part of this process, the committee sends ablue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
- After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
- If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
- If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
- The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
- If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
- If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.
See also
- United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico
- United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit
External links
Officeholder United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico |
- United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico
- Biography from theFederal Judicial Center
- LinkedIn profile
- Profile from McConnell Valdés LLC (archived July 2018)
- United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit
Footnotes
- ↑1.01.11.2White House, "President Donald J. Trump Announces Twelfth Wave of Judicial Nominees, Twelfth Wave of United States Attorneys, and Sixth Wave of United States Marshals," April 10, 2018
- ↑2.02.12.22.32.42.5Congress.gov, "PN212 — Raul M. Arias-Marxuach — The Judiciary," accessed May 3, 2019
- ↑Federal Judicial Center, "Arias-Marxuach, Raúl Manuel," accessed January 21, 2022
- ↑4.04.1WhiteHouse.gov, "Thirty Nominations Sent to the Senate," January 3, 2021
- ↑Congress.gov, "PN24 — Raul M. Arias-Marxuach — The Judiciary," accessed February 8, 2021
- ↑6.06.16.26.3Senate Judiciary Committee, "Questionnaire for judicial nominees: Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach," accessed May 3, 2019
- ↑7.07.1WhiteHouse.gov, "Four Nominations Sent to the Senate," November 30, 2020
- ↑Under Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, pending nominations are returned to the president if the Senate adjourns sine die or recesses for more than 30 days.
- ↑The Hill, "GOP triggers 'nuclear option' to speed up Trump picks," April 3, 2019
- ↑Axios, "Senate GOP invokes 'nuclear option' to speed up confirmations of Trump nominees," April 3, 2019
- ↑NBC News, "McConnell to use 'nuclear option' to confirm lower-level nominees," April 2, 2019
- ↑U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting," July 19, 2018
- ↑Congress.gov, "PN1826 — Raul M. Arias-Marxuach — The Judiciary," accessed July 19, 2018
- ↑U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, "Results of Executive Business Meeting," February 7, 2019
- ↑Under Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, pending nominations are returned to the president if the Senate adjournssine die or recesses for more than 30 days.Congressional Research Service, "Senate Consideration of Presidential Nominations: Committee and Floor Procedure," April 11, 2017
- ↑WhiteHouse.gov, "Nominations Sent to the Senate," January 23, 2019
- ↑American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III and Article IV judicial nominees: 115th Congress," accessed May 3, 2019
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - | United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico 2019-Present | Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - | United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit | Succeeded by - |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Active judges | Chief Judge: Raúl Arias-Marxuach • Aida Delgado-Colon • Silvia Carreno-Coll • Pedro A. Delgado Hernández • María Antongiorgi-Jordán • Gina Méndez-Miró • Camille Vélez-Rivé | ||
| Senior judges | Daniel Dominguez (Puerto Rico) • Jay Garcia-Gregory • Francisco Besosa • | ||
| Magistrate judges | Bruce McGiverin • Marcos Lopez-Gonzalez • Giselle Lopez Soler • Marshal Morgan • | ||
| Former Article III judges | Jose Fuste • Jaime Pieras • Raymond Acosta (Puerto Rico) • Salvador Casellas • Carmen Cerezo • Gustavo Gelpí • Juan Torruella • Hiram Cancio • Juan Fernandez-Badillo • Gilberto Gierbolini-Ortiz • Hector Laffitte • Juan Perez-Gimenez • Hernan Pesquera • Jose Toledo • William Henry Holt • Charles Francis McKenna • Bernard Shandon Rodey • John James Jenkins • Paul Charlton • Peter Joseph Hamilton • Arthur Fuller Odlin • Ira Kent Wells • Robert Archer Cooper • David Chavez Jr. • Thomas Hagan Roberts • Clemente Ruiz Nazario • | ||
| Former Chief judges | Jose Fuste • Carmen Cerezo • Gustavo Gelpí • Juan Torruella • Hiram Cancio • Gilberto Gierbolini-Ortiz • Hector Laffitte • Juan Perez-Gimenez • Hernan Pesquera • Jose Toledo • | ||
- Pages using DynamicPageList3 parser function
- Appointed by Donald Trump
- Appointee, United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit
- Article III judiciary nominee
- Chief judge
- Chief judge, United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico
- Confirmed 2019
- Current Article IV judge
- Federal judiciary nominee, April 2018
- Federal judiciary nominee, November 2020
- Puerto Rico
- Returned nominee 2020
- United States of America
- Withdrawn nominee 2021
- Federal judge, District of Puerto Rico
- Returned nominee 2021
- Federal judiciary nominee, January 2021
- Former Federal court nominees
- Chief judge, District of Puerto Rico
