Roger T. Benitez
Encyclopedia
Early life and education
Born in Havana, Cuba, Benitez received an A.A. from Imperial Valley CollegeImperial Valley College
Imperial Valley College is a college in Imperial County, California, USA. Founded in 1962 the college currently enrolls around 7,000 students per year. Currently, Ed Gould is President of the college. The main campus is located on a site in the city of Imperial...
in 1971, a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
in 1974, 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 Western State University College of Law
Western State University College of Law
Western State University, College of Law is a private, for-profit American law school in Fullerton, California. It was the first law school established in Orange County and has over 11,000 alumni....
in 1978.
Career
Benitez was in private practice in Imperial County, CaliforniaImperial County, California
Imperial County is a county located in the Imperial Valley, in the far southeast of the U.S. state of California, bordering both Arizona and Mexico. It is part of the El Centro Metropolitan Area, which encompasses all of Imperial County. The population as of 2000 was 142,361. The county seat is the...
from 1978 to 1997. He was a judge on the California Superior Court from 1997 to 2001, also serving as an instructor for Imperial Valley College
Imperial Valley College
Imperial Valley College is a college in Imperial County, California, USA. Founded in 1962 the college currently enrolls around 7,000 students per year. Currently, Ed Gould is President of the college. The main campus is located on a site in the city of Imperial...
from 1998 to 1999.
In 2001, Benitez was appointed by the United States District Court for the Southern District of California
United States District Court for the Southern District of California
The United States District Court for the Southern District of California is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the following counties in California: Imperial and San Diego. In terms of filed indictments, it is one of the busiest criminal districts in the United States...
to serve as a U.S. Magistrate Judge. Then, on May 1, 2003, he was nominated by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
to a new seat on the Southern District of California created by 116 Stat. 1758. Benitez 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 June 17, 2004, and received his commission on June 21, 2004.