Carlton W. Reeves facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carlton Reeves
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Reeves in 2022
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| Chair of the United States Sentencing Commission | |
| Assumed office August 5, 2022 |
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| President | Joe Biden Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Charles Breyer (acting) |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi | |
| Assumed office December 20, 2010 |
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| Appointed by | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | William H. Barbour Jr. |
| Personal details | |
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Carlton Wayne Reeves
April 11, 1964 Fort Hood, Texas, U.S. |
| Education | Jackson State University (BA) University of Virginia (JD) |
| Awards | Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal (2019) |
Carlton Wayne Reeves (born April 11, 1964) is an important judge in the United States. He serves as a federal judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. He is also the leader, or chair, of the United States Sentencing Commission. This commission helps set rules for how people are sentenced in federal courts.
Judge Reeves was involved in a very important case called Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. This case led to a major change in how the Supreme Court viewed certain laws about health decisions.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Carlton Reeves was born in 1964 in Fort Hood, Texas. He grew up in a small town called Yazoo City, Mississippi. He was one of seven children in his family.
Reeves was part of the first group of students to attend public schools in Mississippi that were integrated. This means students of all races could go to school together. When he was a teenager, he even cleaned the office of Judge William H. Barbour Jr.. Years later, he would take over Judge Barbour's position as a federal judge.
Reeves was the first person in his family to go to a four-year college. He graduated with high honors from Jackson State University in 1986. He then went to the University of Virginia School of Law, finishing in 1989. After law school, he worked for Justice Reuben V. Anderson. Justice Anderson was the first African American judge on the Supreme Court of Mississippi.
Career as a Lawyer
Reeves started his legal career in 1991. He worked for the Supreme Court of Mississippi. Later that year, he joined a private law firm in Jackson, Mississippi.
From 1995 to 2001, Reeves worked for the United States Attorney's Office. He was the Chief of the Civil Division for the Southern District of Mississippi. In 2001, he started his own law firm called Pigott Reeves Johnson. While working in private practice, he also helped many community groups. These included the ACLU of Mississippi and the Mississippi Center for Justice.
Federal Judicial Service
On April 28, 2010, President Barack Obama chose Carlton Reeves to become a federal judge. He was nominated to fill a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. The United States Senate approved his nomination on December 19, 2010.
Judge Reeves officially started his role on December 20, 2010. He is the second African American person to serve as a federal judge in Mississippi.
Important Decisions
Judge Reeves has made several important rulings during his time on the bench. These decisions have often dealt with important issues like equal rights and justice.
Campaign for Southern Equality v. Bryant
In 2014, Judge Reeves made a ruling about Mississippi's ban on same-sex marriage. He decided that the ban went against the Fourteenth Amendment. This amendment ensures that all citizens have equal protection under the law.
Reeves explained that denying rights to people based on who they love was wrong. He said it was time to give all citizens their fundamental rights.
United States v. Butler
In 2015, Judge Reeves sentenced three young men for a terrible crime. They had attacked and killed a Black man named James Craig Anderson. Reeves gave a powerful speech during the sentencing. He talked about how this crime reminded people of Mississippi's difficult past with racism.
He said that the modern justice system in Mississippi, which treats everyone equally, was the best way to reject the racism of the past. He gave the defendants sentences ranging from 7 to 50 years in prison.
Barber v. Bryant
In 2016, Judge Reeves stopped a Mississippi law called the Religious Liberty Accommodations Act. This law would have allowed people or businesses to refuse services to LGBT individuals based on religious beliefs.
Reeves stated that religious freedom is important, but it should not take away the equal dignity of all citizens. He said the law did not respect everyone's rights. However, a higher court later reversed his ruling, saying the people who brought the case did not have the right to sue.
Moore v. Bryant
In 2016, Judge Reeves dismissed a lawsuit about the Mississippi state flag. The flag included a symbol from the Confederacy. The lawsuit wanted the flag to be declared unconstitutional. Reeves dismissed the case because the people suing could not show they had been directly harmed by the flag.
Jackson v. Currier
In 2018, Judge Reeves made a ruling about a Mississippi law. This law aimed to limit certain health decisions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Reeves ruled that the law was unconstitutional. He said it limited the rights of women.
His decision was supported by a higher court. However, in 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to review the case. In June 2022, the Supreme Court overturned its previous rulings on similar issues. This meant that Judge Reeves' original decision was reversed.
Jackson Women's Health Org. v. Dobbs
In 2019, Mississippi passed another law that aimed to limit health decisions even earlier in pregnancy. Judge Reeves noted that this new law was even more restrictive than the previous one he had ruled against. He pointed out that the law did not allow for exceptions in cases of difficult circumstances.
This case eventually went to the Supreme Court as Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.
Jamison v. McClendon
In 2020, Judge Reeves wrote an opinion about a case involving a police officer. The case was about whether the officer was protected by something called "qualified immunity." This rule often protects government officials from lawsuits unless their actions clearly violate established law.
Reeves' opinion discussed the history of how this rule has affected minority groups. He argued that the rule of qualified immunity should be changed. He wrote that the Constitution says everyone deserves equal protection, even from law enforcement.
J.W. v. City of Jackson
In 2023, Judge Reeves issued a long opinion about the City of Jackson. He found that the city had violated the rights of over 1,000 children. The city had misled them into drinking water that was contaminated with lead.
Reeves criticized how difficult it was to hold government officials responsible for dangers they create. He said that the city's actions had "nightmarish consequences" for its citizens.
United States of America v. Bullock
In 2023, Judge Reeves made a ruling about a law that prevents people with past criminal records from owning guns. He questioned how this law applied to the defendant, Jesse Bullock. His opinion also discussed how the Supreme Court has expanded gun rights.
Green v. Thomas
In another case, Judge Reeves again criticized the rule of qualified immunity. He denied qualified immunity for a police detective named Jacquelyn Thomas. He argued against how the Supreme Court has expanded this rule.
Appointment to United States Sentencing Commission
On May 11, 2022, President Joe Biden announced that he wanted to nominate Judge Reeves for a new role. He wanted Reeves to become a member and the chair of the United States Sentencing Commission. This commission helps create fair sentencing guidelines for federal crimes.
The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on his nomination in June 2022. On August 4, 2022, the United States Senate confirmed his nomination. He officially took on this important role.
See also
