Thomas Patrick Barber (born December 1, 1966)[1] is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

Thomas Barber
Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
Assumed office
July 11, 2019
Appointed byDonald Trump
Preceded byJames D. Whittemore
Judge of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida
In office
2008 – July 11, 2019
Appointed byCharlie Crist
Succeeded byJared Smith
Judge of the Hillsborough County Court
In office
2004–2008
Appointed byJeb Bush
Personal details
Born
Thomas Patrick Barber

(1966-12-01) December 1, 1966 (age 57)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Florida (BA)
University of Pennsylvania (JD)
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Barber was born on December 1, 1966, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[2][1] He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Florida, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and his Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. After graduating law school, he practiced for five years in the trial and business litigation department of Carlton Fields, P.A. in Tampa. He then served as an Assistant Statewide Prosecutor in the Office of Statewide Prosecution and as an Assistant State Attorney for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit. Upon completion of his service as a prosecutor he returned to Carlton Fields, P.A., where his practice focused on business litigation until his appointment to the bench.[3]

State court service

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In 2004, Florida Governor Jeb Bush appointed Barber to the Hillsborough County Circuit Court. Barber was elevated to the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida by Charlie Crist in 2008.[1] He was most recently re-elected to a new six-year term in 2016.[4] His state court service ended when he was commissioned as a federal judge.

Federal judicial service

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On April 26, 2018, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Barber to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. On May 7, 2018, his nomination was sent to the Senate. He was nominated to the seat vacated by Judge James D. Whittemore, who assumed senior status on August 29, 2017.[5] On October 17, 2018, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[6]

On January 3, 2019, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate. On January 23, 2019, President Trump announced his intent to renominate Barber for a federal judgeship.[7] His nomination was sent to the Senate later that day.[8] On February 7, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 20–2 vote.[9] On June 11, 2019, the Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 75–21 vote.[10] On June 12, 2019, his nomination was confirmed by a 77–19 vote.[11] He received his judicial commission on July 11, 2019.[12]

Notable cases

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In 2021, Barber sentenced Christopher Buonocore, a cyberstalker who shared nude photos of women without their consent, to 15 years in prison. [13]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "BIOGRAPHIES OF STATE AND COUNTY COURT JUDGES IN FLORIDA" (PDF). June 1, 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 30, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  2. ^ United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: Thomas P. Barber
  3. ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Thirteenth Wave of Judicial Nominees and Seventh Wave of United States Marshal Nominees, White House, April 26, 2018   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ^ "Candidates and Races". Florida Department of State.
  5. ^ "Fifteen Nominations Sent to the Senate Today" White House, May 7, 2018
  6. ^ United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for October 17, 2018
  7. ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Judicial Nominees", White House, January 23, 2019
  8. ^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, January 23, 2019
  9. ^ Results of Executive Business Meeting – February 7, 2019, Senate Judiciary Committee
  10. ^ On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of Thomas P. Barber, of Florida, to be United States District Judge for the Middle District of Florida), United States Senate, June 11, 2019
  11. ^ On the Nomination (Confirmation Thomas P. Barber, of Florida, to be U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Florida), United States Senate, June 12, 2019
  12. ^ Thomas Barber at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  13. ^ "Ignored by police, twin sisters took down their cyberstalker themselves". Washington Post. August 26, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
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Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
2019–present
Incumbent