Thomas J. Whelan (judge)
Thomas J. Whelan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California | |
| In office October 22, 1998 – August 15, 2010 | |
| Appointed by | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | John S. Rhoades |
| Judge of the Superior Court of California, San Diego County | |
| In office 1990–1998 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1940 (age 84–85) |
| Alma mater | University of San Diego (B.A.) University of San Diego School of Law (J.D.) |
Thomas J. Whelan (born 1940) is a United States federal judge.
Early life and education
Born in San Diego, California, Whelan received a B.A. from the University of San Diego in 1961 and a J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1965.
Career
Whelan was a Contracts administrator, planner, and estimator, for General Dynamics Corp. from 1961 to 1969. He was a Deputy district attorney of San Diego, CA from 1969 to 1989.
Judicial service
Whelan was a judge on the Superior Court of California, San Diego County, CA from 1990 to 1998. As a superior court judge, Whelan presided over the infamous Betty Broderick trials in San Diego.
Whelan was a federal judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. Whelan was nominated by President Bill Clinton on June 4, 1998, to a seat vacated by John S. Rhoades. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 21, 1998, and received his commission on October 22, 1998. He assumed senior status on August 15, 2010.
Sources
- Thomas J. Whelan at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.