John A. Houston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Allen Houston
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| Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California | |
| Assumed office February 6, 2018 |
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| Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California | |
| In office October 7, 2003 – February 6, 2018 |
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| Appointed by | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Seat established by 116 Stat. 1758 |
| Succeeded by | Ruth Bermudez Montenegro |
| Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California | |
| In office 1998–2003 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Allen Houston
February 6, 1952 Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Education | North Carolina A & T State University (BS) University of Miami (JD) |
John Allen Houston was born on February 6, 1952. He is a special kind of judge called a senior United States district judge. He works for the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. This means he has served for a long time and still helps with court cases.
Contents
Early Life and School
John Allen Houston was born in Greensboro, North Carolina. As a young person, he went to Lincoln Junior High School. He also attended Ben L. Smith High School.
After high school, he went to North Carolina A & T State University. In 1974, he earned a college degree there called a Bachelor of Science. This degree showed he had completed his studies in a specific field.
Later, in 1977, he went to law school. He earned a law degree called a Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law. This degree is needed to become a lawyer.
His Career Journey
John Allen Houston has had an interesting career helping the law.
Working for the Army
From 1978 to 1981, he worked as a lawyer for the United States Army. He was part of a group called the Judge Advocate General Corps. This group provides legal help to the Army.
After that, he continued to serve in the Army Reserve. He was part of the Reserve from 1981 until 2003.
A Lawyer for the Government
From 1981 to 1998, Mr. Houston worked as an assistant United States attorney. This means he was a lawyer who represented the U.S. government. He worked for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Southern California.
During this time, he led a special team. From 1987 to 1994, he was the Chief of the Asset Forfeiture Unit. This unit deals with taking away money or property that was gained illegally.
He also held other important roles. From 1994 to 1996, he was a senior counsel for Asset Forfeiture. Then, from 1996 to 1998, he was a senior financial litigation counsel.
Becoming a Federal Judge
In 1998, John Allen Houston became a United States magistrate judge. He served in this role for the United States District Court in San Diego. He held this position until 2003.
On May 1, 2003, President George W. Bush chose him for a higher judge position. He was nominated to be a United States district judge for the same court.
The United States Senate approved his nomination on October 2, 2003. He officially started his new role as a judge on October 7, 2003.
On February 6, 2018, Judge Houston took on a new role called senior status. This means he can still hear cases but with a reduced workload.
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