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Thelton Henderson

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Thelton Henderson
United States District Court for the Northern District of California
Tenure
1998 - Present
Years in position
27
Prior offices:
United States District Court for the Northern District of California
Years in office: 1980 - 1998
Education
Bachelor's
University of California, Berkeley, 1956
Law
University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, 1962
Personal
Birthplace
Shreveport, LA


Thelton Eugene Henderson is a federal judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. He joined the court in 1980 after being nominated by President Jimmy Carter. Henderson is serving on senior status.[1]

Early life and education

Henderson was born November 28, 1933 in Shreveport, Louisiana.[2] He served as a US Army Corporal from 1956 to 1958. He graduated from the University of California-Berkeley with his bachelor's degree in 1956 and his J.D. in 1962.[1]

Professional career

  • 1978-1980: Associate professor, Golden Gate University School of Law
  • 1977-1980: Attorney, private practice
  • 1968-1977: Assistant Dean, Stanford Law School
  • 1966-1967: Directing Attorney, East Bayshore Neighborhood Legal Center in East Palo Alto
  • 1964-1966: Attorney, private practice in California
  • 1962-1963: Attorney, Civil Rights Division, United States Department of Justice[1]

Judicial career

Northern District of California

On the recommendation of U.S. Senator Alan Cranston, Henderson was nominated by Jimmy Carter on May 9, 1980, to a seat vacated by Cecil F. Poole. He was confirmed by the Senate on June 26, 1980, and received commission on June 30, 1980. From 1990 to 1997, Henderson served as Chief Judge of the court. He assumed senior status on November 28, 1998 and was succeeded in this position by William Alsup.

Noteworthy cases

CA prison system violates inmates' human rights (2011)

See also: United States District Court for the Northern District of California (Marciano Plata, et al., v. Arnold Schwarzenegger, et al., cv-01-1351-TEH)

Judge Henderson was a member of a three-judge panel that over heard a case that involved lowering the prison population in California. The panel found that the correctional system has to reduce its numbers down to 137.5% of maximum capacity. The case was appealed all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States where it was affirmed.[3]

Immigrant class alleges U.S. charged illegal fees (2010)

See also: United States District Court for the Northern District of California (Juan Bautista-Perez, et al. v. Eric Holder, et al., 3:07-cv-04192-TEH)

Judge Henderson on July 14, 2009, granted class action status to a lawsuit by 400,000 Central American immigrants who said the United States illegally overcharged them for the right to stay in this country. Immigrants from Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador challenged a law that charges immigrants fees to stay in the nation. Attorneys for the immigrants sought $100 million in refunds. The Central American immigrants were allowed to stay in the United States under a 1990 law granting temporary residence to foreigners who fled their homelands because of war or natural disaster. The 1990 law limited individual registration fees to $50. However, immigration officials charged a separate "biometrics services fee" since 1998 for taking fingerprints, photos and electronic signatures at each re-registration which is $80. The fee was made to raise $25 million for the Government to pay for identity and background checks. Immigrants filed the lawsuit over the Government illegally collecting the fee by charging the fee multiple times.[4] On September 15, 2010, Judge Henderson dismissed the case on request of the defendants, it was dismissed without prejudice.[5]

See also

External links

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by:
Cecil F. Poole
Northern District of California
1980–1998
Seat #6
Succeeded by:
William Alsup