Stephen Craig Robinson (born 1957) is a former United States District Judge who served on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York from 2003 to 2010.

Early life and education

Robinson was born in Brooklyn,

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. He was raised in a

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in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford–Stuyvesant. Robinson graduated from John Dewey High School in 1975, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University in 1979 and a

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

from

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in 1984.

Career

Robinson was in private practice in New York City from 1984 to 1987 before becoming an

Assistant United States Attorney An assistant United States attorney (AUSA) is an official career civil service position in the U.S. Department of Justice composed of lawyers working under the U.S. Attorney of each U.S. federal judicial district. They represent the federal gove ...

in the Southern District of New York in 1987. In 1991, he was managing director & associate general counsel for

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before moving to the

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

in 1993 where he was principal deputy general counsel & special assistant to the director. In 1995, he became counsel & chief compliance officer for Aetna U.S. Healthcare in Middletown, Connecticut. Appointed

United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut The United States District Court for the District of Connecticut (in case citations, D. Conn.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Connecticut. The court has offices in Bridgeport, Hartford, and New Haven. Appeals ...

in 1998, he served until 2001 after which he was interim manager of Empower New Haven.

Federal judicial service

Robinson was nominated by President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

on March 5, 2003, to a seat vacated by

John S. Martin Jr. John S. Martin Jr. (born May 31, 1935) is a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Education and career Born in Brooklyn, New York, Martin received a Bachelor of Arts degr ...

on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 17, 2003, and received commission on September 22, 2003. Robinson, a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, had been recommended to the post by

New York Senator The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan com ...

Charles Schumer. On June 25, 2010, '' The American Lawyer'' reported that Robinson would be leaving the bench and joining the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom as a partner in Skadden's litigation department. He resigned from the bench on August 11, 2010.

Notable decisions

In May, 2009, Robinson sentenced disgraced former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik to four years in federal prison on eight felonies, including lying to the White House and filing false taxes. In 2009, Robinson ruled that voting practices in Port Chester, New York violated the Voting Rights Act and applied a controversial remedy allowing cumulative voting.Fitzgerald, Jim. Associated Press. Residents get six votes each in suburban NY election. Access Date June 201

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Stephen Craig 1957 births Living people John Dewey High School alumni Cornell Law School alumni People from Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn United States Attorneys for the District of Connecticut Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York United States district court judges appointed by George W. Bush 21st-century American judges African-American judges Assistant United States Attorneys