Jeffrey Stuart Sutton (born October 31, 1960) is an American lawyer and jurist serving as the Chief United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Jeffrey Sutton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit | |
| Assumed office May 1, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | R. Guy Cole Jr. |
| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit | |
| Assumed office May 5, 2003 | |
| Appointed by | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | David Aldrich Nelson |
| 2nd Solicitor General of Ohio | |
| In office 1995–1998 | |
| Attorney General | Betty Montgomery |
| Preceded by | Richard Cordray |
| Succeeded by | Edward B. Foley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jeffrey Stuart Sutton October 31, 1960 Dhahran, Saudi Arabia |
| Education | Williams College (BA) Ohio State University (JD) |
Early life and career edit
Sutton received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Williams College in 1983.[1] Sutton worked as a paralegal in Washington, D.C., and spent a summer at an archaeological dig site in Jordan as part of a United States Department of State cultural exchange program, then returned to Ohio to be a high school history teacher and varsity soccer coach at the Columbus Academy, a private school in Gahanna, Ohio.[1]
Sutton received his Juris Doctor from Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law in 1990. He then clerked for Judge Thomas Meskill of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 1990 to 1991. Next he clerked at the United States Supreme Court from 1991 to 1992, primarily working under Antonin Scalia, who later said Sutton was "one of the very best law clerks [he] ever had",[2] as well as for Lewis F. Powell Jr., who had assumed senior status.
Sutton was in private practice in Columbus from 1992 to 1995 and 1998 to 2003, serving as Solicitor General of Ohio from 1995 to 1998. He has also served as an adjunct professor of law at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law[3] since 1994 and more recently as a visiting lecturer at Harvard Law School.[4] He teaches state constitutional law, a subject in which he is particularly interested and about which he has written extensively.[5]
Federal judicial service edit
Sutton was first nominated by President George W. Bush on May 9, 2001, to a seat on the Sixth Circuit vacated by David A. Nelson, who assumed senior status on October 1, 1999. That nomination, made during the 107th United States Congress, never received a floor vote in the United States Senate. Sutton was not confirmed until almost two years later, on April 29, 2003, when the Senate of the 108th United States Congress confirmed him by a 52–41 vote.[6] He received his commission on May 5, 2003.[7] He became Chief Judge on May 1, 2021.[8]
Notable opinions edit
In 2007, Sutton dissented in part when the Sixth Circuit held that a police officer did not have qualified immunity for arresting a speaker for using foul language at a town meeting.[9] In June 2011, Sutton became the first judge appointed by a Republican to rule in favor of the health care mandate in President Barack Obama's Health Care law.[10]
In November 2014, Sutton authored the 2–1 opinion ruling upholding same-sex marriage bans in Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee in the Sixth Circuit reversing six previous federal district court rulings. The ruling was the second federal court ruling and the only Federal Court of Appeals ruling[11] to uphold same-sex marriage bans after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a portion of the Defense of Marriage Act in United States v. Windsor in June 2013. This ran counter to rulings by the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 4th, 7th, 9th and 10th circuits, which then led the U.S. Supreme Court to grant writ of certiorari to review same-sex marriage bans when it previously declined to do so.[12][13] In Obergefell v. Hodges the Supreme Court reversed the decision of the Sixth Circuit.
On July 8, 2023, Sutton temporarily halted a lower court injunction[14] on Tennessee's law banning gender affirming care for minors.[15][16][17][18][19] Sutton reasoned that there is no "deeply rooted" historical or traditional evidence that the treatment is allowed.[20][21] He did note that the current ruling allowing the ban on gender-affirming care to go into effect is temporary, saying, "We may be wrong."[22] He has currently set forth a tentative date of September 30, 2023 to have a final judgement on the matter.[23]
Feeder Judge edit
Since joining the bench, Judge Sutton has been one of the most prolific feeder judges, sending a number of his law clerks to the Supreme Court.[24]
Other edit
Sutton chaired the Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules of the Judicial Conference of the United States from 2009 to 2012, and served on the committee beginning in 2005. He went on to chair the Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure from 2012 to 2015.[25]
Other views edit
On a podcast with Harvard Law School professor Noah Feldman, Judge Sutton, a conservative originalist, expressed the view that the United States Supreme Court's December 2000 decision in Bush v. Gore was wrongly decided.[26]
Published works edit
- Sutton, Jeffrey S. Browning Symposium Opening Comments. (15 April 2023). Montana Law Review. 84 (2): 9–18.
- Levi, David F., Lohier Jr., Raymond J., Sutton, Jeffrey S., & Wood, Diane P. Losing Faith: Why Public Distrust in the Judiciary Matters - And What Judges Can Do about It. (2022). Judicature. 106 (2): 71–77.
- Sutton, Jeffrey S. What Should Be National and What Should Be Local in American Judicial Review.(2022). The Supreme Court Review. 2022: 191-218
- Rockenbach, John L. & Sutton, Jeffrey S. Respect and Deference in American Administrative Law. (17 November 2022). Boston University Law Review. 102 (6): 1937–1948.
- Sutton, Jeffrey S. 21st Century Federalism: A View from the States. (5 March 2022). Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy. 46: 31–41.
- Sutton, Jeffrey S. Who Decides?: States as Laboratories of Constitutional Experimentation (Oxford Univ. Press 2021) ISBN 9780197582183
- Scalia, Antonin. 2020. Sutton, Jeffrey S., & Whelan, Edward, ed.s The Essential Scalia: On the Constitution, the Courts, and the Rule of Law (Forum Books 2020) ISBN 9781984824103
- Sutton, Jeffrey S. Response to the University of Illinois Law Review Symposium on 51 Imperfect Solutions. (2020). Illinois Law Review. 2020 (5): 1393–1400.
- Sutton, Jeffrey S. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Great Proceduralist. (2020). Ohio State Law Review. 81 (4): 605–609.
- Sutton, Jeffrey S. The Enduring Salience of State Constitutional Law. (12 November 2019). Rutgers University Law Review. 70 (4): 791–801.
- Sutton, Jeffrey S. A Response to Justice Goodwin Liu. (28 March 2019). The Yale Law Journal Forum. 936–942.
- Sutton, Jeffrey S. 51 Imperfect Solutions: States and the Making of American Constitutional Law (Oxford Univ. Press 2018). ISBN 9780190088811
- Sutton, Jeffrey S. Change Agents: Looking to State Constitutions for Rights Innovations. (2018). Judicature. 102 (2): 27–30.
- Sutton, Jeffrey S. 2018 James R. Browning Distinguished Lecture in Law. (16 November 2018). Montana Law Review. 79 (2): 1–12.
- Jones, Brittany & Sutton, Jeffrey S. The Certiorari Process and State Court Decisions. (May 2018). Harvard Law Review. 131 (7): 167–178.
- Sutton, Jeffrey S. Remembering Justice Scalia. (June 2017). Stanford Law Review. 69: 1595–1601.
- Sutton, Jeffrey S. & Webb, Derek A. Bold and Persistent Reform: The 2015 Amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the 2017 Pilot Projects. (Fall 2017). Judicature. 101 (3): 13–21.
- Garner, Bryan A., Bea, Carlos, Berch, Rebecca White, Gorsuch, Neil M., Hartz, Harris L., Hecht, Nathan L., Kavanaugh, Brett M., Kozinski, Alex, Lynch, Sandra L., Pryor Jr., William H., Reavley, Thomas M., Sutton, Jeffrey S., & Wood, Diane P. The Law of Judicial Precedent (Thomson Reuters, 2016). ISBN 9780314634207
- Sutton, Jeffrey S. Courts, Rights, and New Technology: Judging in an Ever-Changing World. (17 September 2014). NYU Journal of Law & Liberty. 8: 260-278
- Sutton, Jeffrey S. Courts as Change Agents: Do We Want More — Or Less?. (14 March 2014). Harvard Law Review. 127 (5): 1419–1445.
- Sutton, Jeffrey S. Barnette, Frankfurter, and Judicial Review. (Fall 2012). Marquette Law Review. 96 (1): 133–150.
- Sutton, Jeffrey S. What Does—and Does Not—Ail State Constitutional Law. (14 May 2011). University of Kansas Law Review. 59: 687–714.
- Holland, Randy J., McAllister, Stephen R., Shaman, Jeffrey M., & Sutton, Jeffrey S. State Constitutional Law: The Modern Experience. (2010). ISBN 9781634596824
- Sutton, Jeffrey S. Hon. David A. Nelson U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. (11 October 2010). Federal Bar Association.
- Sutton, Jeffrey S. A Review of Richard A. Posner How Judges Think. (2008). Michigan Law Review. 108 (6): 859–876.
- Sutton, Jeffrey S. The Role of History in Judging Disputes About the Meaning of the Constitution. (17 September 2008). Texas Tech Law Review. 41: 1173–1192.
- Sutton, Jeffrey S. Why Teach—And Why Study—State Constitutional Law. (Summer 2009). Oklahoma City University Law Review. 34 (2): 165–178.
- Sutton, Jeffrey S. San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez and its Aftermath. (December 2008). Virginia Law Review. 94 (8): 1963–1986.
- Sutton, Jeffrey S. An Appellate Perspective on Federal Sentencing After Booker and Rita. (1 January 2007). Denver University Law Review. 79: 79-91
- Sutton, Jeffrey S. Measuring Damages Under the United Nations Convention on the International Sale of Goods. (1989). Ohio State Law Journal. 50 (3): 737-752.
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b "1983, Jeff Sutton – Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit". Williams College History Majors, Past and Present. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
- ^ Dish, The Daily (August 31, 2010). "Justice Scalia and How Elites Are Hired". The Atlantic. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
- ^ Moritz College of Law – Faculty: The Honorable Jeffrey S. Sutton Archived February 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Moritzlaw.osu.edu. Retrieved on June 25, 2012.
- ^ Harvard Law School - Faculty: Jeffrey S. Sutton. Law.harvard.edu. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
- ^ See, e.g., Holland, McAllister, Shaman, and Sutton, State Constitutional Law: The Modern Experience (2010); What Does—and Does Not—Ail State Constitutional Law, 59 U. Kan. L. Rev. 687 (2011).
- ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation Jeffrey S. Sutton, of Ohio, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit.)".
- ^ Jeffrey Sutton at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- ^ "The Honorable Jeffrey S. Sutton assumed the position of Chief Judge". www.ca6.uscourts.gov. May 3, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
- ^ Recent Case: Sixth Circuit Denies Qualified Immunity to Police Officer for Arrest for Speech at Public Meeting, 120 Harv. L. Rev. 2238 (2007)
- ^ 6th Circuit Court of Appeals panel upholds individual mandate – Jennifer Haberkorn. Politico.Com. Retrieved on June 25, 2012.
- ^ Denniston, Lyle (October 21, 2014). "Puerto Rico ban on same-sex marriage upheld". SCOTUSblog. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
- ^ Wolf, Richard (November 7, 2014). "Gay marriage bans in four states upheld, Supreme Court review likely". USA Today. Gannett. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
- ^ Wolf, Richard (January 16, 2015). "Supreme Court agrees to rule on Gay Marriage". USA Today. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
- ^ Brown, Melissa (June 28, 2023). "Court halts Tennessee's ban on gender affirming care, at least for now". The Tennessean. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ "Case No. 3:23-cv-00376" (PDF). July 8, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ Barakat, Matthew (July 9, 2023). "Tennessee can enforce ban on transgender care for minors, court says". Williamson Herald. Associated Press. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
- ^ Rummler, Orion (July 10, 2023). "Trans youth in Tennessee can no longer access gender-affirming care after court ruling". The 19th. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ Hodgman, Lucy (July 8, 2023). "Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for minors to go into effect for now". Politico. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ Riess, Rebekah; Jordan, Jessica; Sottile, Zoe (July 8, 2023). "Federal appeals court allows Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors to take effect". CNN. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ Bacallao, Marianna (July 10, 2023). "Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors takes effect, after court ruling". NPR. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ "Court Allows Tennessee Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Minors to Take Effect Immediately". Mother Jones. July 8, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ Heath, Brad (July 10, 2023). "Court reinstates Tennessee ban on care for transgender youth". Reuters. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ Bakarat, Matthew (July 8, 2023). "Tennessee can enforce ban on transgender care for minors, court says". Associated Press. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ "Supreme Court Clerk Hiring Watch: Is October Term 2014 Filled Up? Plus A List Of Top Feeder Judges". Above the Law. May 5, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
- ^ "Past Members of the Rules Committees". Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. October 12, 2017. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- ^ "Fareed Zakaria: Let's avoid another Bush v. Gore". November 1, 2020.
External links edit
- Jeffrey Sutton at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- Appearances at the U.S. Supreme Court from the Oyez Project
- Federalist Society membership
- American Law Institute