Senior District Judge
USDC Northern District of California
Phillip Burton Federal Building & US Courthouse
United States District Court for the Northern District of California
Department/Division:
6
Days:
M-F
Courtroom/Floor:
17th
450 Golden Gate Ave
San Francisco , CA 94102
(415) 522-2062
Assumed senior status, 2011; appointed by President Bill Clinton as a Northern District of California judge, 1997; partner, Coblentz, Cahen, McCabe & Breyer, 1980-1997; chief assistant district attorney, San Francisco County, 1979-1980; associate, Jacobs, Sills & Coblentz, 1974-1979; assistant special prosecutor, Watergate Special Prosecution Force, 1973-1974; assistant district attorney, San Francisco, 1968-1973; staff attorney, Legal Aid Society of San Francisco, 1967-1968; law clerk, Hon. Oliver J. Carter, 1966-1967
UC Berkeley School of Law, 1966
Judicial Profiles
| Title | Court | Published |
|---|---|---|
| Deep Respect | Northern District of California (San Francisco) | Mar. 9, 2018 |
| Relishing the Spar | U.S. District Court (San Francisco) | Aug. 20, 2009 |
Columns
| Title | Category | Published |
|---|---|---|
| Column misunderstands limited purpose of sentencing tool | Criminal, Letters | Nov. 30, 2021 |
Rulings
| Case | Category | Published |
|---|---|---|
|
Sikousis Legacy, Inc., V. B-Gas Limited et al
affirmed
|
Civil Procedure | Mar. 25, 2024 |
|
Amended Opinion: No on E v. David Chiu
affirmed
|
Constitutional Law | Oct. 26, 2023 |
|
Polanco v. Diaz
affirmed
|
Civil Rights | Aug. 7, 2023 |
|
Alexis Hunley, et al. v. Instagram, LLC
affirmed
|
Copyright | Jul. 17, 2023 |
| Amended Opinion: Hernandez Avilez v. Garland | Immigration | Jun. 6, 2023 |
|
Omar Gay v. Amy Parsons
affirmed
|
Immunity | Mar. 13, 2023 |
|
O'Handley v. Weber
affirmed
|
Constitutional Law | Mar. 10, 2023 |
|
No on E v. David Chiu
affirmed
|
Constitutional Law | Mar. 8, 2023 |
|
Amended Opinion: Matias Rauda v. Jennings
affirmed
|
Immigration | Dec. 13, 2022 |
|
Riley v. Volkswagen Group of America
vacated and remanded
|
Remedies | Oct. 18, 2022 |
|
U.S. v. Saelee
affirmed
|
Criminal Law and Procedure | Oct. 11, 2022 |
|
Hernandez Avilez v. Garland
vacated and remanded
|
Immigration | Sep. 8, 2022 |
|
In re Google Inc. Street View Electronic Communications Litigation
affirmed
|
Remedies | Dec. 28, 2021 |
|
U.S. v. Prasad
affirmed
|
Criminal Law and Procedure | Nov. 9, 2021 |
|
In re: Berkovich
author
|
Bankruptcy | Oct. 15, 2021 |
|
Matias Rauda v. Jennings
affirmed
|
Immigration | Aug. 16, 2021 |
|
In re Volkswagen Litigation
reversed
|
Securities | Jun. 28, 2021 |
|
Friedman v. Tesla
affirmed
|
Securities | Jan. 27, 2021 |
|
U.S. v. Dixon
vacated and remanded
|
Criminal Law and Procedure | Jan. 4, 2021 |
|
U.S. v. Ngumezi
vacated and remanded
|
Criminal Law and Procedure | Nov. 23, 2020 |
|
U.S. v. Alhaggagi
vacated and remanded
|
Criminal Law and Procedure | Oct. 23, 2020 |
|
In re Volkswagen Clean Diesel Litigation
affirmed
|
Civil Procedure | Sep. 11, 2020 |
|
California Parents for the Equalization of Educational Materials v. Torlakson
affirmed
|
Civil Rights | Sep. 4, 2020 |
|
U.S. v. Hussain
affirmed
|
Criminal Law and Procedure | Aug. 27, 2020 |
|
In re Grand Jury Investigation, USAO No. 2018R01761
affirmed in part
|
Civil Procedure | Jul. 28, 2020 |
|
In re Volkswagen "Clean Diesel" Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation
affirmed in part
|
Environmental Law | Jun. 3, 2020 |
|
U.S. v. Lindsay
affirmed
|
Criminal Law and Procedure | Jul. 24, 2019 |
|
In re Volkswagen "Clean Diesel" Litigation
affirmed
|
Attorneys | Jan. 23, 2019 |
|
Dutta v. State Farm
affirmed
|
Constitutional Law | Jul. 16, 2018 |
|
In re Volkswagen "Clean Diesel" Litigation
affirmed
|
Civil Procedure | Jul. 10, 2018 |
|
In re Volkswagen Litigation
affirmed
|
Civil Procedure | Jul. 5, 2018 |
|
Jackson v. Fong
reversed and remanded
|
Prisoners' Rights | Sep. 1, 2017 |
Verdicts & Settlements
| Case Name | Topic | Role | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Levin, Maria Levin, Parklane Associates L.P., San Francisco Apartment Association, Coalition for Better Housing v. City and County of San Francisco | Real Property | judge | Dec. 1, 2017 |
| Wayne Vernon v. City and County of San Francisco, George Perez | Civil Rights | judge | Dec. 13, 2008 |
| Confidential | Intellectual Property | judge | Jul. 13, 2002 |
| Confidential | Torts | judge | Nov. 11, 2000 |
| Title | Court | Published |
|---|---|---|
| Deep Respect | Northern District of California (San Francisco) | Mar. 9, 2018 |
| Relishing the Spar | U.S. District Court (San Francisco) | Aug. 20, 2009 |
| Title | Category | Published |
|---|---|---|
| Column misunderstands limited purpose of sentencing tool | Criminal, Letters | Nov. 30, 2021 |
| Case | Category | Published |
|---|---|---|
|
Sikousis Legacy, Inc., V. B-Gas Limited et al
affirmed
|
Civil Procedure | Mar. 25, 2024 |
|
Amended Opinion: No on E v. David Chiu
affirmed
|
Constitutional Law | Oct. 26, 2023 |
|
Polanco v. Diaz
affirmed
|
Civil Rights | Aug. 7, 2023 |
|
Alexis Hunley, et al. v. Instagram, LLC
affirmed
|
Copyright | Jul. 17, 2023 |
| Amended Opinion: Hernandez Avilez v. Garland | Immigration | Jun. 6, 2023 |
|
Omar Gay v. Amy Parsons
affirmed
|
Immunity | Mar. 13, 2023 |
|
O'Handley v. Weber
affirmed
|
Constitutional Law | Mar. 10, 2023 |
|
No on E v. David Chiu
affirmed
|
Constitutional Law | Mar. 8, 2023 |
|
Amended Opinion: Matias Rauda v. Jennings
affirmed
|
Immigration | Dec. 13, 2022 |
|
Riley v. Volkswagen Group of America
vacated and remanded
|
Remedies | Oct. 18, 2022 |
|
U.S. v. Saelee
affirmed
|
Criminal Law and Procedure | Oct. 11, 2022 |
|
Hernandez Avilez v. Garland
vacated and remanded
|
Immigration | Sep. 8, 2022 |
|
In re Google Inc. Street View Electronic Communications Litigation
affirmed
|
Remedies | Dec. 28, 2021 |
|
U.S. v. Prasad
affirmed
|
Criminal Law and Procedure | Nov. 9, 2021 |
|
In re: Berkovich
author
|
Bankruptcy | Oct. 15, 2021 |
|
Matias Rauda v. Jennings
affirmed
|
Immigration | Aug. 16, 2021 |
|
In re Volkswagen Litigation
reversed
|
Securities | Jun. 28, 2021 |
|
Friedman v. Tesla
affirmed
|
Securities | Jan. 27, 2021 |
|
U.S. v. Dixon
vacated and remanded
|
Criminal Law and Procedure | Jan. 4, 2021 |
|
U.S. v. Ngumezi
vacated and remanded
|
Criminal Law and Procedure | Nov. 23, 2020 |
|
U.S. v. Alhaggagi
vacated and remanded
|
Criminal Law and Procedure | Oct. 23, 2020 |
|
In re Volkswagen Clean Diesel Litigation
affirmed
|
Civil Procedure | Sep. 11, 2020 |
|
California Parents for the Equalization of Educational Materials v. Torlakson
affirmed
|
Civil Rights | Sep. 4, 2020 |
|
U.S. v. Hussain
affirmed
|
Criminal Law and Procedure | Aug. 27, 2020 |
|
In re Grand Jury Investigation, USAO No. 2018R01761
affirmed in part
|
Civil Procedure | Jul. 28, 2020 |
|
In re Volkswagen "Clean Diesel" Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation
affirmed in part
|
Environmental Law | Jun. 3, 2020 |
|
U.S. v. Lindsay
affirmed
|
Criminal Law and Procedure | Jul. 24, 2019 |
|
In re Volkswagen "Clean Diesel" Litigation
affirmed
|
Attorneys | Jan. 23, 2019 |
|
Dutta v. State Farm
affirmed
|
Constitutional Law | Jul. 16, 2018 |
|
In re Volkswagen "Clean Diesel" Litigation
affirmed
|
Civil Procedure | Jul. 10, 2018 |
|
In re Volkswagen Litigation
affirmed
|
Civil Procedure | Jul. 5, 2018 |
|
Jackson v. Fong
reversed and remanded
|
Prisoners' Rights | Sep. 1, 2017 |
| Case Name | Topic | Role | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Levin, Maria Levin, Parklane Associates L.P., San Francisco Apartment Association, Coalition for Better Housing v. City and County of San Francisco | Real Property | judge | Dec. 1, 2017 |
| Wayne Vernon v. City and County of San Francisco, George Perez | Civil Rights | judge | Dec. 13, 2008 |
| Confidential | Intellectual Property | judge | Jul. 13, 2002 |
| Confidential | Torts | judge | Nov. 11, 2000 |