Stephen C. Robinson facts for kids

Stephen Craig Robinson (born January 25, 1957) is a former federal judge from the United States. He served as a judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York from 2003 to 2010.

Early Life and Education

Stephen Robinson was born in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in a neighborhood called Bedford–Stuyvesant.

He finished John Dewey High School in 1975. Later, he went to Cornell University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1979. He then studied law at Cornell Law School, getting his law degree in 1984.

Career Highlights

After finishing law school, Stephen Robinson worked as a lawyer in New York City from 1984 to 1987. He then became an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York in 1987. This means he was a lawyer who worked for the government.

In 1991, he worked for a company called Kroll Associates. Then, in 1993, he joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). At the FBI, he was a principal deputy general counsel, which is a senior legal advisor.

Later, in 1995, he became a chief compliance officer for Aetna U.S. Healthcare in Middletown, Connecticut. This role involved making sure the company followed all the rules and laws.

Serving as a United States Attorney

From 1998 to 2001, Stephen Robinson served as the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut. In this important role, he was the chief federal prosecutor for the state of Connecticut. He was appointed to this position by President Bill Clinton.

After this, he worked as an interim manager for an organization called Empower New Haven.

Federal Judicial Service

On March 5, 2003, President George W. Bush nominated Stephen Robinson to become a federal judge. He was chosen for a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The United States Senate approved his nomination on September 17, 2003. He officially became a judge on September 22, 2003.

Even though he was a member of the Democratic Party, he was recommended for the judge position by Senator Charles Schumer from New York.

On August 11, 2010, Stephen Robinson resigned from his position as a federal judge. He then joined a law firm called Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom as a partner in their litigation department.

Important Decisions as a Judge

During his time as a judge, Stephen Robinson made several important decisions.

In May 2009, he sentenced a former New York City Police Commissioner, Bernard Kerik, to four years in federal prison for serious offenses.

Also in 2009, Judge Robinson made a ruling about voting practices in Port Chester, New York. He decided that these practices did not follow the Voting Rights Act. The Voting Rights Act is a very important law that protects the right of all citizens to vote. He then applied a special way of voting called cumulative voting to help fix the issue.

See also

• List of African-American federal judges
• List of African-American jurists