David C. Joseph

David C. Joseph
Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana
Assumed office
July 31, 2020
Appointed byDonald Trump
Preceded byDee D. Drell
United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana
In office
March 30, 2018 – August 3, 2020
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byStephanie A. Finley
Succeeded byBrandon B. Brown
Personal details
Born
David Cleveland Joseph

(1977-05-06) May 6, 1977 (age 47)
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Oklahoma (BBA)
Louisiana State University (JD)
Civilian awards EPA Bronze Medal for Commendable Service
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service Oklahoma Army National Guard (1997–2000)
Louisiana Army National Guard (2000–2003)
 United States Army (2005–2008)
United States Army Reserve (2011–2013)
Rank Captain
Unit 239th Military Police Company, 3rd Cavalry Regiment
United States Army Judge Advocate General's Corps
Military awards[1]

David Cleveland Joseph (born May 6, 1977)[1] is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. He was previously United States Attorney for the same district.

Education

Joseph received his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Oklahoma and his Juris Doctor from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University, where he was a member of the Louisiana Law Review and was inducted into the Order of the Coif. After graduating, he clerked for Associate Justice Jeffrey P. Victory of the Louisiana Supreme Court and Judge John Victor Parker of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana.[2]

Career

Prior to joining the Department of Justice, he served as a prosecutor in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps, as an attorney in the Professional Liability & Financial Crimes Section of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and as an associate in the law firms Fulbright & Jaworski and Kane, Russell, Coleman & Logan, PC.

Joseph previously served as an assistant United States attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, where he prosecuted a wide variety of offenses, with a focus on fraud, public corruption, white-collar crime, and crimes committed on the district's military installations.[2]

United States attorney

On February 16, 2018, President Trump announced Joseph as the nominee to be United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana.[2] On March 22, 2018, his nomination was reported out of Senate Judiciary Committee by voice vote.[3] He was confirmed by voice vote later the same day.[4] He was sworn in on March 30, 2018. During his tenure, he created a human trafficking task force. [5] His service as U.S. Attorney ended on August 3, 2020, when he resigned to become a federal judge.[6]

Federal judicial service

On November 20, 2019, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Joseph to serve as a United States district judge for the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.[7]

On December 2, 2019, his nomination was sent to the United States Senate. President Trump nominated Joseph to the seat vacated by Judge Dee D. Drell, who assumed senior status on November 30, 2017.[8] On January 3, 2020, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate.[9]

On January 6, 2020, his renomination was sent to the Senate.[10] A hearing on his nomination before the Senate Judiciary Committee was held on January 8, 2020.[11] On May 14, 2020, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote.[12] On July 28, 2020, the Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 55–42 vote.[13] His nomination was confirmed later that day by a 55–42 vote.[14] He received his judicial commission on July 31, 2020.[15]

On January 10, 2024, he upheld the National Firearms Act as applied to silencers by saying that they are "dangerous and unusual weapons" in denying a motion to dismiss.[16][17]

References

  1. ^ a b United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: David Joseph
  2. ^ a b c "President Donald J. Trump Announces Eleventh Wave of United States Attorney Nominees". whitehouse.gov. February 16, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2018 – via National Archives. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ Results of Executive Business Meeting – March 22, 2018, Senate Judiciary Committee
  4. ^ PN1660 — David C. Joseph — Department of Justice, congress.gov
  5. ^ "U.S. Attorney David Joseph announces a new task force that focuses on human trafficking".
  6. ^ "United States Attorney David C. Joseph Announces Departure from Office" (Press release). United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana. August 3, 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  7. ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominee" White House, November 20, 2019 Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  8. ^ "Eight Nominations and One Withdrawal Sent to the Senate", White House, December 2, 2019
  9. ^ "PN1315 – Nomination of David Cleveland Joseph for The Judiciary, 116th Congress (2019–2020)". www.congress.gov. January 3, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  10. ^ "Twenty-one Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, January 6, 2020
  11. ^ United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for January 8, 2020
  12. ^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – May 14, 2020" (PDF). Senate Judiciary Committee.
  13. ^ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: David Cleveland Joseph to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Louisiana)". United States Senate. July 28, 2020.
  14. ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: David Cleveland Joseph, of Louisiana, to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Louisiana)". United States Senate. July 28, 2020.
  15. ^ David C. Joseph at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  16. ^ "US v. Comeaux Denial of Motion to Dismiss" (PDF). CourtListener. January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  17. ^ Weingarten, Dean (January 25, 2024). "Louisiana Judge Finds Silencers are NOT Protected by Second Amendment". AmmoLand Shooting Sports News. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
Legal offices
Preceded by United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana
2018–2020
Succeeded by
Alexander C. Van Hook
Acting
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana
2020–present
Incumbent