Reggie Walton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Reggie Walton
Walton in 2021
Presiding Judge of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
In office February 22, 2013 – May 19, 2014
Preceded by	John D. Bates
Succeeded by	Thomas F. Hogan
Judge of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
In office May 19, 2007 – May 19, 2014
Appointed by	John Roberts
Preceded by	Claude M. Hilton
Succeeded by	James Boasberg
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
Incumbent
Assumed office December 31, 2015
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia
In office October 29, 2001 – December 31, 2015
Appointed by	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Stanley Sporkin
Succeeded by	Dabney Friedrich
Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
In office 1991–2001
Appointed by	George H. W. Bush
Preceded by	Sylvia Bacon
Succeeded by	Robert Rigsby
In office 1981–1989
Appointed by	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Leonard Braman
Succeeded by	Zinora Mitchell
Personal details
Born	Reggie Barnett Walton (1949-02-08) February 8, 1949 (age 76) North Charleroi, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Education	West Virginia State University (BA) American University (JD)

Reggie Barnett Walton (born February 8, 1949) is a senior United States district judge for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. This is one of the most important federal courts in the country. He has also served as the head judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, a special court that handles secret intelligence matters.

Early Life and Education

Reggie Walton grew up in Pennsylvania. He was a talented football player and earned a scholarship to West Virginia State College. He graduated in 1971.

After college, he decided to study law. He went to the Washington College of Law at American University and earned his law degree (called a JD) in 1974. Walton is also a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, a historic organization for African American men.

Career as a Judge

Judge Walton has had a long and respected career. He started as a judge for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in 1981. He was appointed by President Ronald Reagan. He served there for many years.

In 2001, President George W. Bush chose him to become a federal judge. The United States Senate approved his position, and he began serving on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

In 2007, Chief Justice John Roberts appointed him to the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (also known as the FISA Court). This court makes decisions about collecting information for national security. He served on this court until 2014.

In 2015, Judge Walton took on senior status, which is a type of semi-retirement for judges. This allows him to continue hearing cases but with a lighter workload.

A Story of Bravery

Judge Walton is known for being tough on crime. Lawyers who have appeared in his court say his decisions are based on the law, not politics.

There is a famous story about his bravery. In 2005, he was driving his family to the airport when he saw a man attacking a taxi driver. Judge Walton stopped his car, jumped out, and held the attacker down until the police arrived. A police spokesperson later said, "God bless Judge Walton. I surely wouldn't want to mess with him."

Notable Cases

Walton in his office

As a federal judge, Reggie Walton has overseen many important and high-profile cases. Here are a few examples of his work.

The Scooter Libby Case

Judge Walton was the judge in the trial of Scooter Libby, who was the chief of staff for Vice President Dick Cheney. In 2007, a jury found Libby guilty of serious charges, including lying to investigators.

Judge Walton sentenced Libby to 30 months in prison and a large fine. The case received a lot of media attention. After the sentencing, Judge Walton received threatening letters, but he continued to do his job.

The Roger Clemens Case

In 2010, Judge Walton was in charge of the case against famous baseball pitcher Roger Clemens. Clemens was accused of lying to the U.S. Congress about his career.

The first trial ended in a mistrial, which means it had to be stopped because of a legal error. A new trial was held, and in 2012, the jury found Clemens not guilty of all charges. Judge Walton accepted the jury's decision.

The Mueller Report Case

In 2019, news organizations like BuzzFeed went to court to ask for the full, unedited version of the Mueller Report. This report was about an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. The public version had many parts blacked out, or "redacted."

Judge Walton reviewed the case. In 2020, he said that the Attorney General's summary of the report had been "misleading." He ordered the Department of Justice to give him the complete, unedited report so he could review it himself and decide what could be released to the public.

See also

• List of African-American federal judges
• List of African-American jurists
• CIA leak grand jury investigation