Wesley Hsu

Wesley Liu Hsu (born 1971)[2] is an American judge who is serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California. He previously served as a judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court from California from 2017 to 2023.

Wesley Hsu
Judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California
Assumed office
May 12, 2023
Appointed byJoe Biden
Preceded byVirginia A. Phillips
Judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court
In office
2017 – May 12, 2023
Appointed byJerry Brown
Personal details
Born
Wesley Liu Hsu

1971 (age 51–52)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic[1]
EducationYale University (BA, JD)

Early life and education

While in high school, Hsu's parents were struck and severely injured by a drunk driver while crossing a street. His father suffered a broken rib and his mother went into a coma that lasted for two and a half months. The driver was sentenced to eight months in jail. Hsu, who thought the light sentence was an injustice to his parents, decided to pursue a legal career.[3] Hsu received a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University in 1993 and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 1996.[4]

Career

From 1996 to 1997, he served as a law clerk for Judge Mariana Pfaelzer of the United States District Court for the Central District of California. From 1997 to 2000, he was an associate at Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher LLP in Los Angeles. From 2000 to 2017, he served as an assistant United States attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California, including from 2008 to 2015 as chief of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes section and from 2015 to 2017 as executive assistant U.S. attorney.[4] On November 2, 2017, Hsu was appointed as a judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court by Governor Jerry Brown.[1] He left in 2023 when he was commissioned as a federal judge.

Notable cases

In 2009, Hsu prosecuted Michael Barrett, who pled guilty to secretly filming ESPN reporter Erin Andrews while she was nude. Barrett was accused of altering peepholes in the doors of two hotel rooms.[5][6]

In 2010, Hsu prosecuted Gilberto Sanchez, who was accused of pirating the movie The Wolverine.[7][8]

In 2015, Hsu prosecuted Hunter Moore, who pled guilty to federal computer hacking and identity theft charges for hiring another man to hack into e-mail accounts to steal nude photos that were later posted on his website. Moore created the site IsAnyoneUp.com, which allowed for widespread publication and dissemination of revenge porn.[9][10]

Federal judicial service

On December 21, 2022, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Hsu to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California. On January 23, 2023, his nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated him to the seat vacated by Judge Virginia A. Phillips, who assumed senior status on February 14, 2022.[11] On February 15, 2023, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[12] On April 20, 2023, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 13–8 vote.[13] On May 3, 2023, the United States Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 54–45 vote.[14] Later that day, his nomination was confirmed by a 53–43 vote.[15] He received his judicial commission on May 12, 2023.[16]

References
  1. "Governor Brown Appoints 34 Superior Court Judges". www.ca.gov. November 2, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  2. "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  3. Hill, Kashmir. "The Cyber Prosecutor Sending Nude-Photo Thieves To Prison". Forbes.
  4. "President Biden Names Twenty-Eighth Round of Judicial Nominees" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. December 21, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2022. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. "Westmont man held in nude-video case". Chicago Tribune.
  6. "Westmont Man Pleads Guilty to Stalking ESPN Reporter".
  7. Wilson, Michael (January 12, 2010). "Adventures of the 'Wolverine' Leaker" – via NYTimes.com.
  8. Voruganti, Harsh (February 2, 2023). "Judge Wesley Hsu – Nominee to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California".
  9. "Man Who Operated 'Revenge Porn' Website Pleads Guilty in Hacking Scheme That Yielded Nude Photos from Google E-Mail Accounts — FBI". www.fbi.gov.
  10. "Central District of California | Operator of 'Revenge Porn' Website Sentenced to 2½ Years in Federal Prison in Email Hacking Scheme to Obtain Nude Photos | United States Department of Justice". www.justice.gov. December 3, 2015.
  11. "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. January 23, 2023.
  12. "Nominations". Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. February 14, 2023.
  13. "Results of Executive Business Meeting – April 20, 2023" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  14. "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Wesley L. Hsu to be United States District Judge for the Central District of California)". United States Senate. May 3, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  15. "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Wesley L. Hsu, of California, to be United States District Judge for the Central District of California)". United States Senate. May 3, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  16. Wesley Hsu at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
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