John G. Koeltl
Encyclopedia
John George Koeltl is a judge
of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
in Manhattan
.
in New York City in 1963. He then studied history
at Georgetown University
and then obtained his law degree from Harvard University School of Law, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review
. After graduating from law school Koeltl served as a law clerk for Judge Edward Weinfeld
of the Southern District of New York and then for Justice Potter Stewart
of the U.S. Supreme Court
.
. During these years, Koeltl served on several committees of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York
and American Bar Association
and was the author of several published articles on securities law and other topics.
Bill Clinton
nominated Koeltl as a U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York, a position he still holds today.
to 28 months in prison for providing material assistance to a terrorist. Her client, 1993 World Trade Center bombing mastermind Omar Abdel-Rahman
, by secretly passing messages to his radical followers in Egypt. Stewart was sentenced to 28 months in prison, rather than the 30 years sought by prosecutors.
More recently, he presided over the case involving Raffaello Follieri, who pled guilty to conspiracy, fraud and money laundering in connection with purchases of property from the Catholic Church. The Follieri case received significant media scrutiny due to his relationship with celebrities, notably Anne Hathaway
and several politicians, including former president Bill Clinton
and 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain
. Koeltl also is the judge hearing a case brought by Citigroup against Wells Fargo to halt the latter's purchase of Wachovia, which Citi had earlier announced plans to purchase.
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York is a federal district court. Appeals from the Southern District of New York are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
.
Education
Koeltl graduated from Regis High SchoolRegis High School (New York City)
Regis High School is a private Jesuit university-preparatory school for academically gifted Roman Catholic young men located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Annual class enrollment is limited to approximately 135 male students from the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut tri-state area...
in New York City in 1963. He then studied history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
and then obtained his law degree from Harvard University School of Law, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review
Harvard Law Review
The Harvard Law Review is a journal of legal scholarship published by an independent student group at Harvard Law School.-Overview:According to the 2008 Journal Citation Reports, the Review is the most cited law review and has the second-highest impact factor in the category "law" after the...
. After graduating from law school Koeltl served as a law clerk for Judge Edward Weinfeld
Edward Weinfeld
Edward Weinfeld was a longtime federal judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, from 1950 to 1988....
of the Southern District of New York and then for Justice Potter Stewart
Potter Stewart
Potter Stewart was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. During his tenure, he made, among other areas, major contributions to criminal justice reform, civil rights, access to the courts, and Fourth Amendment jurisprudence.-Education:Stewart was born in Jackson, Michigan,...
of the U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
.
Legal career
Koeltl then worked briefly in the office of the Watergate special prosecutor before entering private law practice in New York. For several years, Koeltl was a partner at the New York law firm of Debevoise & PlimptonDebevoise & Plimpton
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a prominent international law firm based in New York City. Founded in 1931 by Eli Whitney Debevoise and William Stevenson, Debevoise has been a long established leader in corporate litigation and large financial transactions. In recent years, its practice has taken on an...
. During these years, Koeltl served on several committees of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York
Association of the Bar of the City of New York
The New York City Bar Association , founded in 1870, is a voluntary association of lawyers and law students. Since 1896, the organization, formally known as the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, has been headquartered in a landmark building on 44th Street, between Fifth and Sixth...
and American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...
and was the author of several published articles on securities law and other topics.
Judicial service
In 1994, PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
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...
nominated Koeltl as a U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York, a position he still holds today.
Notable decisions
Judge Koeltl is best known for his October 2006 decision to sentence civil rights lawyer Lynne StewartLynne Stewart
Lynne Irene Stewart is a former attorney who represented controversial, poor, and often unpopular defendants who was convicted on charges of conspiracy and providing material support to terrorists in 2005, and sentenced to 28 months in prison. Her felony conviction led to her being automatically...
to 28 months in prison for providing material assistance to a terrorist. Her client, 1993 World Trade Center bombing mastermind Omar Abdel-Rahman
Omar Abdel-Rahman
Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman , commonly known in the United States as "The Blind Sheikh", is a blind Egyptian Muslim leader who is currently serving a life sentence at the Butner Medical Center which is part of the Butner Federal Correctional Institution in Butner, North Carolina, United...
, by secretly passing messages to his radical followers in Egypt. Stewart was sentenced to 28 months in prison, rather than the 30 years sought by prosecutors.
More recently, he presided over the case involving Raffaello Follieri, who pled guilty to conspiracy, fraud and money laundering in connection with purchases of property from the Catholic Church. The Follieri case received significant media scrutiny due to his relationship with celebrities, notably Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway (actress)
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway is an American actress. After several stage roles, she appeared in the 1999 television series Get Real. She played Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries...
and several politicians, including former 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...
and 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
. Koeltl also is the judge hearing a case brought by Citigroup against Wells Fargo to halt the latter's purchase of Wachovia, which Citi had earlier announced plans to purchase.
Sources
- Individual Practices of Judge Koeltl from the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.