Henry Travillion Wingate facts for kids

Henry Travillion Wingate was born on January 6, 1947. He is a United States district judge who works for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. This means he helps make important decisions in legal cases for a part of Mississippi.

Early Life and Education

Henry Wingate was born in Jackson, Mississippi. He went to Grinnell College and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1969. After that, he studied law at Yale Law School and received his Juris Doctor degree in 1972. A Juris Doctor is a special degree that allows someone to become a lawyer.

After law school, he worked as a law clerk for Community Legal Aid in Jackson from 1972 to 1973. A law clerk helps judges and lawyers with their research and paperwork.

Henry Wingate's Career Path

Henry Wingate started his career in private practice in Jackson in 1973. This means he worked as a lawyer for himself or a law firm.

He then joined the United States Navy and worked in the Naval Legal Services Office from 1973 to 1976. During this time, he helped defend people in legal cases and also worked as a trial lawyer.

Wingate also taught law at different colleges:

• He was an adjunct instructor at Golden Gate University School of Law from 1975 to 1976.
• He was an adjunct lecturer at Tidewater Community College in 1976.
• He was an adjunct professor at the Mississippi College School of Law from 1978 to 1983.

Later, he worked for the State of Mississippi as a special assistant attorney general from 1976 to 1980. He also served as an assistant district attorney for the Seventh Circuit Court District from 1980 to 1984.

In 1983, he joined the United States Naval Reserve. Before becoming a judge, he was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi from 1984 to 1985.

Becoming a Federal Judge

President Ronald Reagan chose Henry Wingate to become a judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi on September 11, 1985. This was a new judge position that had just been created by a law.

The United States Senate approved his nomination on October 16, 1985. He officially became a judge on October 17, 1985. He served as the Chief Judge for this court from 2003 to 2010. The Chief Judge is like the leader of the other judges in that court.

Important Cases and Decisions

Judge Wingate has overseen many important cases during his time on the bench. For example, he handled a case involving a former official from the Mississippi Department of Corrections. In another significant decision, he allowed a new court to be created in Jackson, Mississippi, called the Capitol Complex Improvement District Court. This court's chief justice is chosen by the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court, and its prosecutors are chosen by the Mississippi Attorney General.

See Also

• List of African-American federal judges
• List of African-American jurists
• List of United States federal judges by longevity of service