Litigation
Jun. 20, 2015
LA judge, ex-prosecutor could be headed for federal bench
President Obama intends to nominate Superior Court Judge Mark A. Young to a seat on the Central District of California, sources familiar with the nomination process said this week.
Daily Journal Staff Writer
LOS ANGELES - President Barack Obama intends to nominate Superior Court Judge Mark
A. Young to a seat on the Central District of California, sources familiar with the
nomination process said this week.
A former federal prosecutor in the Central District who worked at White & Case, Young,
46, has served on the state court since 2008. He grew up in Australia and graduated
from UCLA and Gould School of Law at USC.
"He understands federal criminal law, has been an extremely well-regarded state judge
for a long time, and he's no-nonsense," said James W. Spertus of Spertus Landes &
Umhoffer LLP, who worked with Young in the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles.
"I think the U.S. attorney's office would celebrate his nomination, along with the
defense bar," Spertus added.
Sources said the FBI and American Bar Association are doing background checks before
Obama formally nominates Young.
Young could not be reached for comment. A spokesperson for Sen. Barbara Boxer also
could not be reached.
Young would replace Audrey B. Collins, who moved to the state 2nd District Court of
Appeals.
Young worked at the U.S. attorney's office from 1998 to 2008. He prosecuted gangs,
including the Vineyard Boys, for crimes ranging from intimidation to murder to drug
trafficking. He also prosecuted a bounty hunter three times for the same crime of
impersonating a federal agent on three separate occasions.
On the Superior Court, he heard a criminal docket in the East Los Angeles Courthouse
and now sits in Airport Courthouse, near the Los Angeles International Airport.
For a time, he presided over the criminal case of actress Lindsay Lohan.
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