Roger Gregory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roger Gregory
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Gregory in 2012
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| Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit | |
| In office July 8, 2016 – July 8, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | William Byrd Traxler Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Albert Diaz |
| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit | |
| Assumed office December 27, 2000 |
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| Appointed by | Bill Clinton (recess) George W. Bush (commission) |
| Preceded by | Seat established by 104 Stat. 5089 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 17, 1953 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Education | Virginia State University (BA) University of Michigan (JD) |
Roger Lee Gregory, born on July 17, 1953, is an American lawyer. He serves as a United States circuit judge. He works for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. This court hears appeals from lower courts.
Early Life and Education
Roger Gregory was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He grew up in Petersburg, Virginia. He studied at Virginia State University. In 1975, he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree with highest honors.
After that, he went to University of Michigan Law School. He earned his law degree, called a Juris Doctor, in 1978.
He started his career as a lawyer. From 1978 to 1982, he worked for two law firms. In 1982, he helped start a new law firm in Richmond, Virginia. He co-founded Wilder & Gregory with L. Douglas Wilder. Mr. Wilder was the first African-American to be elected governor in the United States. Roger Gregory became the head of the firm's court cases section in 1985.
Becoming a Judge
On June 30, 2000, President Bill Clinton chose Roger Gregory to be a judge. He was nominated for a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. This judge position had been empty for almost ten years.
The Senate did not vote on his nomination right away. So, on December 27, 2000, President Clinton appointed him as a judge. This was a special type of appointment called a recess appointment. It meant he could serve as a judge until the end of the next Congressional session.
Then, President George W. Bush took office. On May 9, 2001, President Bush nominated Roger Gregory again. The Senate confirmed Gregory on July 20, 2001. This means the Senate voted to approve him. The vote was 93 to 1. He became the first Black judge to serve on the Fourth Circuit. He officially started his job on July 25, 2001.
Roger Gregory became the chief judge of the Fourth Circuit on July 8, 2016. He served in that important role for seven years. His term as chief judge ended on July 8, 2023.
Important Decisions
As a judge, Roger Gregory has been part of many important decisions.
- Same-Sex Marriage: On July 28, 2014, Judge Gregory joined a decision in a case called Bostic v. Schaefer. The court said that Virginia's ban on same-sex marriage was against the Constitution. This decision helped make same-sex marriage legal in Virginia. It also affected other states in the Fourth Circuit.
- Travel Ban Case: On May 25, 2017, Judge Gregory wrote the main opinion for a court decision. The court upheld a lower court's decision to block a travel ban. This ban was an order from the President. The court voted 10 to 3 against the ban in the case Int'l Refugee Assistance Project v. Trump.
- Bladensburg Peace Cross: In October 2017, Judge Gregory disagreed with a court decision. The court said a World War I memorial, the Bladensburg Peace Cross, violated the Constitution. He wrote a separate opinion explaining why he disagreed. Later, the highest court, the Supreme Court of the United States, reversed this decision in 2019.
See also
- Bill Clinton judicial appointment controversies
- George W. Bush judicial appointment controversies
- List of African-American federal judges
- List of African-American jurists
- List of first minority male lawyers and judges in the United States
- List of first minority male lawyers and judges in Virginia
