Robert Okun | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia | |
| Assumed office November 8, 2013 | |
| President | Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Linda Kay Davis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Daniel Okun[1] January 6, 1960[1] Great Neck, New York, U.S. |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BA) Harvard University (JD) |
Robert Daniel Okun (born January 6, 1960) is an associate judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.[2]
Education and career
Okun earned his Bachelor of Arts, ‘’magna cum laude,’’ from the University of Pennsylvania in 1981, his Juris Doctor, ‘’cum laude,’’ from the Harvard Law School in 1984.[3]
After graduating, he clerked for Judge Frank E. Schwelb of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. He had a career in public service working as an attorney for various government departments and later served as Chief of the Special Proceedings Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.[3]
D.C. superior court service
President Barack Obama nominated Okun on September 20, 2012, to a 15-year term as an associate judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.[3] On November 20, 2012, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held a hearing on his nomination.[4] His nomination expired on January 3, 2013, following the Adjournment sine die of the United States Congress.[5]
On March 19, 2013, President Barack Obama renominated Okun to the same court to the seat vacated by Linda Kay Davis. On May 22, 2013, the Committee reported his nomination favorably to the Senate floor and on the following day, May 23, 2013, the full Senate confirmed his nomination by voice vote.[6] He was sworn in on November 8, 2013.[7]
Notable rulings
In 2020, Okun signed off on the early release of Darrell Moore as part of D.C’s Incarnation Reduction Amendment Act despite Moore not completing a number of the Act’s metrics, including earning a high school equivalency diploma behind bars, completing vocational training and having housing and a job lined up. Moore was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to 66 years to life. Moore was released after serving 26 years and would soon after be indicted for the murder of Julius Hayes.[8]
In 2021, Okun signed off on the early release of Michael Garrett as part of COVID-19-based compassionate release in March. Garrett, of no fixed address, was arrested and charged with assault with intent to kill for the murder of a 71-year-old woman in December 2021.[9]
References
- 1 2 "Questionnaire for Nominees to the District of Columbia Courts" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs. May 15, 2013. p. 42. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
- ↑ "Bio" (PDF). www.dccourts.gov. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
- 1 2 3 "President Obama Nominates Robert Okun to Serve on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia". White House. September 20, 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. - ↑ "Opening Statement of Robert Okun" (PDF). United States Congress. November 20, 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
- ↑ "PN1962 — Robert D. Okun — The Judiciary". United States Congress. January 3, 2013. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
- ↑ "PN204 — Robert D. Okun — The Judiciary". United States Congress. May 23, 2013. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
- ↑ "Former prosecutor to be sworn in as superior court judge". www.dccourts.gov. November 5, 2013. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
- ↑ "Released early after a murder conviction, D.C. man is charged in new homicide". www.washingtonpost.com. November 5, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
- ↑ Ward, Derrick (December 6, 2021). "DC Woman Killed by Man Who Threatened Her Decades Earlier: Family". NBC4 Washington. Retrieved December 19, 2021.