Sharon Johnson Coleman

Last updated
Sharon Johnson Coleman
Sharon Johnson Coleman (cropped).jpg
Coleman in 2019
Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Assumed office
July 13, 2010

Judge Coleman has presided over a number of high-profile cases. Among those are a ruling that enabled same sex couples to marry in February 2014 in advance of the June 2014 effective date for same sex marriages in Illinois. [6]

In 2015, Judge Coleman sentenced former state Representative Derrick Smith to five months in prison for a bribery conviction related to pocketing a bribe from a purported day care. Smith also was ordered to serve a year of supervised release and complete 360 hours of community service. [7]

During a patent infringement case revolving around electronic trading software patents in 2011, Judge Coleman granted default judgment to Chicago-based Trading Technologies International Inc. after Rosenthal Collins and Trading Technologies counter-sued each other and litigated for nearly six years. Judge Coleman also ordered sanctions against Rosenthal Collins after finding that a company witness had wiped computer disks that allegedly contained evidence relevant to the case and misrepresented his actions to the court. [8]

In March 2024, Judge Coleman ruled that a federal statute, 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(5), [9] which prohibits aliens who are either illegally or unlawfully in the United States or admitted to the United States under a nonimmigrant visa (the latter class has some exceptions listed at 18 U.S.C. 922(y)(2)) from possessing firearms was facially constitutional, but unconstitutional as applied to the defendant in United States v. Carbajal-Flores. [10] Judge Coleman previously denied the defendant's motion to dismiss on two separate occasions, but reconsidered her previous denials after the United States Supreme Court's new test for gun restrictions in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, was clarified by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Atkinson v. Garland. [11] The decision was also based on United States v. Meza-Rodriguez, in which the Seventh Circuit held that the Second Amendment applies in some circumstances to unauthorized noncitizens. [12] Judge Coleman's ruling did not strike down the noncitizen-in-possession statute, but instead invalidated one provision as it was applied to the specific defendant in Carbajal-Flores. [13] However, her ruling was reported as holding that "illegal migrants can carry guns." [14] In United States v. Sing Ledezman, decided before Judge Coleman's Carbajal-Flores ruling, a Texas federal judge applied Bruen and found the same noncitizen-in-possession statute facially unconstitutional. [15] [16]

Judge Coleman previously criticized the Supreme Court's Bruen test in United States v. Griffin, stating, "This Court is disheartened by the Supreme Court's decision to rely on an analysis of laws that existed at this nation's founding to determine the constitutionality of modern gun regulations. Indeed, to interpret modern regulations pertaining to the critically important Second Amendment right to bear firearms for self-defense, the Supreme Court requires that this Court rely on a history and tradition of a nation that at the time would have regarded individuals, including Griffin and this Judge, as three-fifths of a person at best and property at worst. As demonstrated below, the Bruen test causes the government to make uncomfortable arguments to justify the constitutionality of modern gun regulations. Regrettably, this Court must acknowledge that Breun is the law." [17]

Personal

Coleman and her husband, Wheeler Coleman, live in Chicago. [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996</span> US federal immigration legislation

The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 made major changes to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). IIRIRA's changes became effective on April 1, 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M. Margaret McKeown</span> American judge (born 1951)

Mary Margaret McKeown is a Senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit based in San Diego. McKeown has served on the Ninth Circuit since her confirmation in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Open carry in the United States</span> Practice of carrying a visible firearm in some US states

In the United States, open carry refers to the practice of visibly carrying a firearm in public places, as distinguished from concealed carry, where firearms cannot be seen by the casual observer. To "carry" in this context indicates that the firearm is kept readily accessible on the person, within a holster or attached to a sling. Carrying a firearm directly in the hands, particularly in a firing position or combat stance, is known as "brandishing" and may constitute a serious crime, but is not the mode of "carrying" discussed in this article.

United States v. Shipp, 203 U.S. 563 (1906), were rulings of the Supreme Court of the United States with regard to Sheriff Joseph F. Shipp and five others of Chattanooga, Tennessee, having "in effect aided and abetted" the lynching of Ed Johnson. They were held in contempt of court and sentenced to imprisonment. It remains the only Supreme Court criminal trial in history.

In the United States, the right to keep and bear arms is modulated by a variety of state and federal statutes. These laws generally regulate the manufacture, trade, possession, transfer, record keeping, transport, and destruction of firearms, ammunition, and firearms accessories. They are enforced by state, local and the federal agencies which include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gun laws in California</span> Californias gun law

Gun laws in California regulate the sale, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition in the state of California in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Benitez</span> American judge (born 1950)

Roger Thomas Benitez is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. He is known for his rulings striking down several California gun control laws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kimba Wood</span> American judge (born 1944)

Kimba Maureen Wood is an American judge who is a senior district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Reno v. Flores, 507 U.S. 292 (1993), was a Supreme Court of the United States case that addressed the detention and release of unaccompanied minors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlton W. Reeves</span> American judge (born 1964)

Carlton Wayne Reeves is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi and chair of the United States Sentencing Commission.

Francis August Schaeffer Cox, known as Schaeffer Cox, is an American political activist, convicted felon, and founder of an organization called the Alaska Peacemakers Militia.

<i>Moore v. Madigan</i> Pair of court cases

Moore v. Madigan is the common name for a pair of cases decided in 2013 by the U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit, regarding the constitutionality of the State of Illinois' no-issue legislation and policy regarding the carry of concealed weapons. The plaintiffs, Michael Moore, Mary Shepard and the Second Amendment Foundation, sought an injunction against Illinois attorney general Lisa Madigan, Illinois Governor Patrick Quinn, and other named defendants, barring them from enforcing two key provisions of the Illinois Statutes prohibiting public possession of a firearm or other weapon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 California Proposition 63</span> 2016 California ballot proposition

The 2016 Proposition 63, titled Firearms and Ammunition Sales, is a California ballot proposition that passed on the November 8, 2016 ballot. It requires a background check and California Department of Justice authorization to purchase ammunition, prohibits possession of high-capacity ammunition magazines over ten rounds, levies fines for failing to report when guns are stolen or lost, establishes procedures for enforcing laws prohibiting firearm possession by specified persons, and requires California Department of Justice's participation in the federal National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of concealed carry in the United States</span> Historical aspect of American gun law

The history of concealed carry in the United States is the history of public opinion, policy, and law regarding the practice of carrying concealed firearms, especially handguns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathryn Kimball Mizelle</span> American judge (born 1987)

Kathryn Kimball Mizelle is an American lawyer serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. At age 33, she was the youngest person chosen by President Donald Trump for a lifetime judicial appointment.

New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen, 597 U.S. 1 (2022), abbreviated NYSRPA v. Bruen and also known as NYSRPA II or Bruen to distinguish it from the 2020 case, is a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court related to the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. The case concerned the constitutionality of the 1911 Sullivan Act, a New York State law requiring applicants for a pistol concealed carry license to show "proper cause", or a special need distinguishable from that of the general public, in their application.

<i>Miller v. Bonta</i> 2021 pending federal appellate court case regarding Californias assault weapon ban

Miller v. Bonta is a pending court case before Judge Roger Benitez of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California concerning California's assault weapon ban, the Roberti–Roos Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989 (AWCA). Judge Roger Benitez struck down the ban in a ruling on June 5, 2021. A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit issued a stay of the ruling on June 21, 2021, which left the ban in place as appeals were litigated. The panel then vacated Judge Benitez’s ruling and remanded it back down after [] was decided. The case was known as Miller v. Becerra before Rob Bonta succeeded Xavier Becerra as Attorney General of California in April 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dana Douglas</span> American judge (born 1975)

Dana Marie Douglas is an American attorney who is a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. She previously served as a United States magistrate judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lindsay C. Jenkins</span> American judge (born 1977)

Lindsay Carole Jenkins is an American lawyer and former assistant United States attorney from Illinois who is serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

United States v. Rahimi is a pending United States Supreme Court case regarding the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and whether it confers the government's ability to prohibit firearm possession by a person with a civil domestic violence restraining order in the absence of a corresponding criminal domestic violence conviction or charge.

References

  1. "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. March 10, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-05-19. Retrieved 2010-03-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. 1 2 3 Sharon Johnson Coleman at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges , a publication of the Federal Judicial Center .
  4. "Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate, 2/24/10". whitehouse.gov . 24 February 2010. Archived from the original on 2017-02-16. Retrieved 2010-05-11 via National Archives.
  5. "On the Nomination (Confirmation Sharon Johnson Coleman, of Illinois, to be United States Judge)". Senate.gov. 2010-07-12. Retrieved 2017-02-27.
  6. "Wedding bells in clerk's office after ruling on same sex marriage". Chicago Tribune . 21 February 2014.
  7. "Former Illinois Rep. Derrick Smith sentenced to 5 months for bribery conviction". 23 April 2015.
  8. "Rosenthal Collins Group fined $1M for misconduct in patent case with Trading Technologies". 28 February 2011.
  9. "18 U.S. Code § 922 - Unlawful acts". LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  10. "United States v. Carbajal-Flores - Case No. 20-cr-00613 - 2024 WL 1013975" (PDF). CourtListener.com . March 8, 2024.
  11. "United States v. Carbajal-Flores, 20-cr-00613 | Casetext Search + Citator". casetext.com. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  12. "United States v. Meza-Rodriguez, No. 14-3271 (7th Cir. 2015)". Justia Law. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  13. Doherty, Brian (March 20, 2024). "Another Judge Says Illegal Immigrants Have Second Amendment Rights". Reason .
  14. Keane, Isabel (March 20, 2024). "Illinois judge rules illegal migrants can carry guns, New York Post". nypost.com.
  15. "United States v. Sing Ledezma, EP-23-CR-823(1)-KC (W.D. Tex. 2023)". December 11, 2023.
  16. "For Immigrants, Gun Rights Debate Goes Beyond Firearms - Law360". www.law360.com. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  17. "United States v. Griffin, 21-cr-00693 | Casetext Search + Citator". casetext.com. Retrieved 2024-03-22.
  18. "Women's Bar Association of Illinois". Archived from the original on 2010-08-09. Retrieved 2010-07-14.
Legal offices
Preceded byJudge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
2010–present
Incumbent