Ronald Gould | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Gould in 2013 | |
| Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit | |
| Assumed office November 22, 1999 | |
| Appointed by | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Robert Beezer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ronald Murray Gould 1946 (age 78–79) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BS) University of Michigan (JD) |
Ronald Murray Gould (born in 1946) is an American lawyer and jurist serving as aU.S. circuit judge of theU.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit since 1999.
Gould was born in 1946 inSt. Louis,Missouri. He graduated from theUniversity of Pennsylvania with aBachelor of Science. He attended theUniversity of Michigan Law School, graduating in 1973 with aJuris Doctor.
After graduating from law school, Gouldclerked for JudgeWade H. McCree of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit from 1973 to 1974 and for JusticePotter Stewart of theU.S. Supreme Court from 1974 to 1975.[1]Gould was in private practice forPerkins Coie inSeattle,Washington from 1975 to 1999 and served as anadjunct professor at theUniversity of Washington Law School from 1986 to 1989. He was a partner atPerkins Coie at the time of his appeals court nomination. He also was president of the Washington State Bar Association.[1]
Gould was nominated byPresidentBill Clinton for a seat vacated by JudgeRobert Beezer of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on January 26, 1999. He was confirmed by theUnited States Senate on November 17, 1999, in a voice vote and received his commission on November 22, 1999.[1]
On July 13, 2013, Gould dissented from a denial ofen banc rehearing when the Ninth Circuit upheld a ban onGreenpeace's protest against shell drilling. Gould, who was joined by Pregerson, Reinhardt, Wardlaw, Fletcher, and Milan Smith, saw this as a violation of First Amendment rights, writing "The panel majority's contrary conclusion will undermine the freedom of an organization to "stimulate [its] audience with spontaneous and emotional appeals for unity and action in a common cause.""[2]
On August 23, 2019, Gould was one of three judges to rule that a prisoner withgender dysphoria had a right to sex reassignment surgery under theEighth Amendment.[3] JudgeMargaret McKeown and district judgeRobert Lasnik, sitting by designation, joined the opinion. The fullNinth Circuit refused to rehear the case en banc, although eight judges, all Republican appointees, dissented from the denial of rehearing.[4]
On September 18, 2019, Gould dissented from a 9th circuit ruling holding that the government could not exert its state secrets privilege over a pair of subpoenas.[5] The Supreme Court reversed the 9th circuit inUnited States v. Zubaydah, affirming Gould's position.
On September 6, 2022, Gould wrote the 9th Circuit decision upholding Washington's ban onconversion therapy for minors.[6] The Supreme Court deniedcertiorari on December 11, 2023.[7]
On October 30, 2023, Gould revived a lawsuit over an Arizona abortion law banning abortions of fetuses with "fetal abnormalities". AlthoughRoe v. Wade has been overturned, the healthcare providers' lawsuit focused on both the vagueness of the law (forcing them to err on the side of not providing abortions) and economic loss from not being able to perform abortions.[8][9]
On November 13, 2023, Gould was in a 7-4 majority that temporarily blocked Idaho's abortion ban due to its lack of exceptions for medical emergencies.[10] On January 5, 2024, the Supreme Court said it would take up the case and dissolved the 9th circuit's temporary injunction.[11] Then, in June 2024, the Supreme Court reinstated the 9th circuit's injunction inMoyle v. United States.
On February 25, 2025, Gould (joined by Wardlaw) struck down two proof-of-citizenship laws in Arizona. One would have prohibited voters who don't prove citizenship from voting for president, and the other would have prohibited them from voting by mail.[12][13]
On July 23, 2025, Gould issued a nationwide injunction blocking Trump's executive order that sought to end birthright citizenship for various people.[14][15]
On August 1, 2025, Gould ruled that ICE cannot detain people based on their race, language, accent, occupation, or location.[16][17]
While still in private practice, Gould was diagnosed withmultiple sclerosis. During his time on the bench, he lost the use of his arms and legs; he now relies on a wheelchair for mobility, and with the aid of other technologies and of assistants and clerks is able to "get a good result in the work I'm doing."[18] Gould isJewish.[19]
| Legal offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Judge of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit 1999–present | Incumbent |
| International | |
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| National | |
