Stanley Bastian
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
Assumed office
July 27, 2020
Preceded byThomas O. Rice
Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington
Assumed office
May 1, 2014
Appointed byBarack Obama
Preceded byEdward F. Shea
Personal details
Born
Stanley Allen Bastian

(1958-04-03) April 3, 1958 (age 66)
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Oregon (BS)
University of Washington (JD)

Stanley Allen Bastian (born April 3, 1958) is an American attorney and jurist serving as chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington.

Early life and education

Bastian was born in Seattle, Washington on April 3, 1958.[1] He received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1980 from the University of Oregon and a Juris Doctor from the University of Washington School of Law in 1983.

Career

After graduating from law school, he worked as an associate at the law firm of Bergman & Bauer from 1983 to 1984. He served as a law clerk to Judge Ward Williams of the Washington State Court of Appeals from 1984 to 1985 and as an Assistant City Attorney in Seattle, from 1985 to 1988. In 1988, he joined the law firm of Jeffers, Danielson, Sonn & Aylward, P.S. in Wenatchee, Washington, where he primarily handled civil employment cases. From 2012 to 2014, he was the managing partner of the law firm.[2] He also served as the president of the Washington State Bar Association in 2007.[3] Bastian was selected as a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2007, and chaired the Equal Justice Coalition from 2010 to 2013.[4] Over the course of his career Bastian tried hundreds of cases before juries and judges.[5][6]

Federal judicial service

On September 19, 2013, President Barack Obama nominated Bastian to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, to the seat vacated by Judge Edward F. Shea, who assumed senior status on June 7, 2012.[7] The American Bar Association's committee on federal judicial recommendations unanimously rated Bastian as well-qualified for the position.[8] On January 16, 2014, his nomination was reported out of committee.[9] On April 11, 2014, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid filed a motion to invoke cloture on the nomination. On April 29, 2014, the United States Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 55–41 vote.[10] On April 30, 2014, his nomination was confirmed by a 95–0 vote.[11] He received his judicial commission on May 1, 2014.[6] He became chief judge on July 27, 2020.[12]

On September 17, 2020, Bastian issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against the United States Postal Service to reverse changes that had occurred in early July that had slowed down mail delivery and removed sorting machines. Bastian called it a "politically-motivated attack on the efficiency of the postal service".[13][14][15]

References

  1. ^ "Attorney Stanley A Bastian – Lawyer in Wenatchee WA". www.lawyercentral.com. Archived from the original on 2018-11-06. Retrieved 2016-03-28.
  2. ^ "President Obama Nominates Eight to Serve on the United States District Courts". whitehouse.gov. 19 September 2013. Archived from the original on 17 January 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2023 – via National Archives.
  3. ^ "WSBA Presidents". www.wsba.org. Archived from the original on 2018-11-06. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
  4. ^ ""Stanley Bastian" BallotPedia, Retrieved February 24, 2016". Archived from the original on November 4, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  5. ^ "Senate Questionnaire" US Senate, Retrieved July 18, 2016
  6. ^ a b Stanley Bastian at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  7. ^ "Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate". whitehouse.gov. 19 September 2013. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2023 – via National Archives.
  8. ^ ""Ratings of Article III Judicial Nominees 113th Congress" Am. Bar Assoc., last updated February 6, 2014" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  9. ^ "Executive Business Meeting". United States Senate. Committee on the Judiciary. Archived from the original on 5 March 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  10. ^ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of Stanley Bastian, of WA, to be U.S. District Judge)". United States Senate. Archived from the original on 30 April 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  11. ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation Stanley Allen Bastian, of Washington, to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Washington)". United States Senate. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  12. ^ "Chief Judge Stanley A. Bastian". www.waed.uscourts.gov. Archived from the original on February 26, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  13. ^ Freifeld, Karen (2020-09-17). "Judge blocks 'politically motivated' changes to U.S. Postal Service ahead of election". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2020-09-18. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
  14. ^ Behrmann, Savannah (2020-09-17). "'A politically motivated attack': Federal judge says he'll block USPS changes after mail delays". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on 2020-09-18. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
  15. ^ State of Washington, et al. v. Donald J. Trump, et al., no. 20-3127 (E.D. Wash. September 17, 2020), order Archived 2023-07-16 at the Wayback Machine

External links

Legal offices Preceded byEdward F. Shea Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington 2014–present Incumbent Preceded byThomas O. Rice Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington 2020–present
Active district judges of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
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