Esther Salas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Esther Salas
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey | |
| Assumed office June 14, 2011 |
|
| Appointed by | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Katharine Sweeney Hayden |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 29, 1968 Monterey Park, California, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Mark Anderl
(m. 1993) |
| Children | 1 son (deceased) |
| Education | Rutgers University, New Brunswick (BA) Rutgers University, Newark (JD) |
Esther Salas (born December 29, 1968) is a United States district judge. She works for the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey in Newark, New Jersey. Before this, she was a United States magistrate judge for the same court from 2006 to 2011. Judge Salas is the first Hispanic woman to hold both these important judge roles in New Jersey.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Esther Salas was born in Monterey Park, California. Her mother was from Cuba, and her father was of Mexican-Jewish background. When she was five, she moved to Union City, New Jersey, with her mother and siblings. Growing up, she often helped her mother by translating at the welfare office. This experience, and helping friends with their problems, made her want to work in human services.
She went to Emerson High School in Union City, where she was a cheerleader. After graduating in 1987, she attended Rutgers University. She earned her first degree from Rutgers in 1991. Then, in 1994, she graduated from Rutgers University School of Law with a law degree. She often says that the Minority Student Program helped her succeed in her studies and career.
Career as a Judge
After law school, Salas worked for a judge in the Superior Court of New Jersey. From 1995 to 1997, she worked at a law firm. There, she handled criminal cases in different courts. From 1997 to 2006, she was an Assistant Federal Public Defender. In this role, she helped people who could not afford a lawyer in federal cases.
She was also very active in legal groups. She led the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey from 2001 to 2002. She also led the Hispanic Bar Foundation of New Jersey.
Becoming a Federal Judge
In 2006, Esther Salas became a United States magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. She was the first Latina to hold this position. She served in this role for five years.
In 2010, two senators suggested her name to President Barack Obama to become a federal district judge. President Obama nominated her for the position. The American Bar Association, which checks how qualified judges are, said she was "well qualified." This is their highest rating. The Senate confirmed her by a vote on June 14, 2011. This made her the first Latina to be a district judge in New Jersey.
Important Cases
Judge Salas handles many cases. In 2018, she was in charge of about 485 civil cases and 50 criminal cases at one time.
- In 2013, she oversaw a case where a former city official hacked into the mayor's email. Judge Salas sentenced the person to five years of probation.
- She was the judge for the trial of reality TV star Teresa Giudice and her husband, Giuseppe "Joe" Giudice. They were sentenced for financial crimes in 2014.
- In 2018, Judge Salas temporarily stopped the government from deporting some Indonesian Christians in New Jersey. These individuals had fled persecution and lived in New Jersey for many years. They were trying to get legal status in the U.S.
- Judge Salas is also overseeing a large lawsuit against Deutsche Bank. This case claims that the bank did not report its finances correctly. It also suggests the bank made misleading statements to investors.
Personal Life
Judge Salas is married to attorney Mark A. Anderl. They married in 1993. They had one son, Daniel Anderl (born July 13, 2000). The family is Catholic.
Home Attack and New Law
On July 19, 2020, a terrible event happened at Judge Salas's home. An attacker targeted her family. Her son, Daniel, was killed, and her husband, Mark, was injured. Judge Salas was in the basement and was not hurt.
This tragedy led to a new law called the Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act of 2021. This law helps protect judges and their families. President Joe Biden signed it into law on December 23, 2022.
See also
In Spanish: Esther Salas para niños
- List of Hispanic and Latino American jurists
- List of first women lawyers and judges in New Jersey
