Ivan L. R. Lemelle is a United States federal judge

United States federal judge

In the United States, the title of federal judge usually means a judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article II of the United States Constitution....

.

Born in Opelousas, Louisiana

Opelousas, Louisiana

Opelousas is a city in and the parish seat of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies at the junction of Interstate 49 and U.S. Route 190. The population was 22,860 at the 2000 census. Although the 2006 population estimate was 23,222, a 2004 annexation should put the city's...

, Lemelle received a B.S.

Bachelor of Science

A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...

 from Xavier University of Louisiana

Xavier University of Louisiana

Xavier University of Louisiana , located in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States, is a private, coeducational, liberal arts college with the distinction of being the only historically black Roman Catholic institution of higher education...

 in 1971 and a J.D.

Juris Doctor

Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...

 from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law in 1974. He was a law clerk

Law clerk

A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...

 for Robert Collins of the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court from 1972 to 1974. He was an Assistant district attorney of Orleans Parish from 1974 to 1977. He was in private practice in New Orleans from 1977 to 1981. He was an assistant city attorney of New Orleans from 1977 to 1978. He was an assistant state attorney general of Louisiana Department of Justice from 1980 to 1984.

Lemelle served as U.S. Magistrate of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana from 1984 to 1998.

On February 12, 1997, Lemelle was nominated by President Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton

William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...

 to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana is a federal trial court based in New Orleans. Like all U.S...

 vacated by Veronica D. Wicker. He was confirmed by the United States Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

 on April 3, 1998, and received his commission on April 7, 1998.

During 2009, Lemelle was assigned the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act

Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act

The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, commonly referred to as the RICO Act or simply RICO, is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization...

 (RICO) case alleged against Renée Gill Pratt

Renée Gill Pratt

Renée Gill Pratt is a local politician from New Orleans. She was also Director of the Center for Student Retention and Success in Southern University at New Orleans...

 and Mose Jefferson

Mose Jefferson

Mose Oliver Jefferson was a member of the New Orleans family that includes his younger brother, convicted felon and former U.S. Representative William J. Jefferson...

, brother of former U.S. representative William J. Jefferson

William J. Jefferson

William Jennings "Bill" Jefferson is a former American politician, and a published author from the U.S. state of Louisiana. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for nine terms from 1991 to 2009 as a member of the Democratic Party. He represented , which includes much of the...

, who simultaneously stood indicted on 16 counts in federal court in Virginia. On 2009 July 28, Lemelle delayed the start of the racketeering trial to 2010 January 25. In two separate trials during August 2009, William J. Jefferson was convicted on 11 felony counts related to bribery; Mose Jefferson, on four.

On September 11, 2009, Lemelle visited Kentwood High School and O. W. Dillon Memorial Elementary School (both in Kentwood, Louisiana), Roseland Elementary School (in Roseland, Louisiana

Roseland, Louisiana

Roseland is a town in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,162 at the 2000 census. It is the birthplace of Cajun chef and storyteller Justin Wilson.Roseland is part of the Hammond Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

), and Northwood Preparatory High School (in Amite, Louisiana)—all in Tangipahoa Parish

Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana

Tangipahoa Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, one of the Florida Parishes. The parish seat is Amite City, but the major city is Hammond. As of 2006, the population was 113,137...

. The three schools are subject to potential changes, depending on Lemelle's ruling on a 4-decades-old desegregation-related settlement.

Sources