Juan Pérez-Giménez facts for kids

Juan Manuel Pérez-Giménez (born March 28, 1941 – died December 10, 2020) was an important United States federal judge. He served on the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. This court handles federal legal cases in Puerto Rico.

Early Life and Education

Juan Manuel Pérez-Giménez was born in Río Piedras, which is part of San Juan, Puerto Rico. He worked hard in his studies.

College and Law School

• He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Puerto Rico in 1963.
• Then, he got a Master of Business Administration from George Washington University in 1965.
• He finished his law studies at the University of Puerto Rico School of Law in 1968. There, he earned a Bachelor of Laws degree.

Career as a Lawyer and Judge

After finishing law school, Juan Pérez-Giménez began his career. He worked in different legal roles before becoming a federal judge.

Early Legal Work

• From 1968 to 1971, he worked as a private lawyer in San Juan.
• He then became an Assistant United States Attorney for Puerto Rico. This job lasted from 1971 to 1975. In this role, he helped represent the U.S. government in court.
• From 1975 to 1979, he served as a United States magistrate judge. Magistrate judges help district judges with many tasks.

Becoming a Federal Judge

• On October 23, 1979, President Jimmy Carter chose him for a new judge position.
• The United States Senate approved his nomination on December 5, 1979.
• He officially became a judge on December 6, 1979.
• He served as the Chief Judge of the court from 1984 to 1991. The Chief Judge manages the court's operations.
• On March 28, 2006, he took on a "senior status" role. This means he could still hear cases but with a lighter workload.
• Judge Pérez-Giménez passed away on December 10, 2020, at 79 years old. He had served as a district court judge for 41 years.

Important Court Cases

Throughout his career, Judge Pérez-Giménez handled many important cases. One particular case involved a complex legal question about marriage laws in Puerto Rico.

A Challenging Legal Decision

• In 2014, Judge Pérez-Giménez made a ruling about marriage laws in Puerto Rico.
• After a major decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015, his case was sent back for review. The higher court asked him to "further consider" the matter.
• However, in March 2016, he made a similar ruling again. He believed the Supreme Court's decision did not apply to Puerto Rico.
• On April 7, 2016, a higher court, the Court of Appeals, disagreed with his ruling. They overturned his decision.
• The case was then given to a different judge to finalize. This shows how different courts can interpret laws in different ways.

See also

• List of Hispanic/Latino American jurists