Janet T. Neff | |
|---|---|
| Senior Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Western District of Michigan | |
| Assumed office March 1, 2021 | |
| Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Western District of Michigan | |
| In office August 6, 2007 – March 1, 2021 | |
| Appointed by | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | David McKeague |
| Succeeded by | Jane M. Beckering |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Janet Theresa Nebiolo (1945-04-08)April 8, 1945 (age 80)[1] |
| Education | University of Pittsburgh (BA) Wayne State University (JD) |
Janet Theresa Neff (born April 8, 1945) is aseniorUnited States district judge of theUnited States District Court for the Western District of Michigan.
Neff was born inWilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. She graduated fromUniversity of Pittsburgh with aBachelor of Arts degree in 1967 and later fromWayne State University Law School with aJuris Doctor in 1970.[2]
Following law school graduation, Neff was an assistant city attorney for the city ofGrand Rapids, Michigan, from 1971 to 1973. She was in private practice in Michigan from 1973 to 1978 and from 1980 to 1988. She was a Commissioner,Michigan Supreme Court from 1978 to 1980. She became anassistant United States attorney of the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Michigan in 1980. She was a judge on theMichigan Court of Appeals from 1989 to 2007.[2]
Neff was nominated to theUnited States District Court for the Western District of Michigan by PresidentGeorge W. Bush on March 19, 2007, to a seat vacated by JudgeDavid McKeague.[2] Despite the blocking of her confirmation vote by U.S. SenatorSam Brownback from Kansas because she had attended a same-sex commitment ceremony,[3] Neff was confirmed by theSenate on July 9, 2007, by an 83–4 vote.[4] She received her commission on August 6, 2007.[2] She assumedsenior status on March 1, 2021.[2] Neff took inactive senior status on October 1, 2024.[5]
In 2015, Neff dismissed a lawsuit againstEaton County, Michigan. The lawsuit was brought by the family of two murder victims, Michael and Terri Greene, who were murdered during a home invasion by an Eaton County jail inmate, Christopher Perrien, who was released by the jail each day to go to a work release job at a company that did not exist. The county failed to verify that the company was real before releasing Perrien on work release status.[6]
In 2017, Neff sentenced serial sexual predator and former United States Gymnastics doctorLarry Nassar to 60 years in federal prison.[7]
In September 2019, Neff sentenced child sex trafficker Ricardo Urbina to 40 years in prison.[8]
On June 29, 2020, Neff ruled that Michigan's independent re-districting commission is constitutional, in a blow to the state GOP.[9]
On December 2, 2020, Neff declined to sanction theTrump campaign over an alleged disinformation tactic.[10]
In January 2021, Neff dismissed a lawsuit brought by 10 former Michigan officials who sought to overturn term limits for state offices.[11]
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Judge of theUnited States District Court for the Western District of Michigan 2007–2021 | Succeeded by |