Fort Towson

Catherine Delores Perry (born September 6, 1952)[1] is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.

Education and career

Born in Hobart, Oklahoma, Perry received a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Oklahoma in 1977, and a Juris Doctor from Washington University in St. Louis in 1980. After graduation she became an adjunct professor of law at Washington University School of Law and taught there intermittently from 1981 to 1994. She also served as a United States magistrate judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri from 1990 to 1994.[2]

Federal judicial service

On July 15, 1994, Perry was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri vacated by Judge Clyde S. Cahill. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 6, 1994, and received her commission the following day. She served as chief judge from 2009 to 2016. Perry assumed senior status on December 31, 2018.[2]

Notable ruling

On August 18, 2014 Perry denied motions by the ACLU for temporary restraining orders against six police officers to prevent the enforcement of a 5-second rule in Ferguson, Missouri. Perry cited the need for law enforcement's protection of property and the availability of a "free-speech zone".[3] However, at the time of this ruling the free speech zone was off-limits to the public.[4]

References

  1. ^ Hearings before the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, One Hundred Third Congress, Second Session, on Confirmations of Appointees to the Federal Judiciary, August 17, 18, 25; September 14 and 21, 1994. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1996. p. 1098.
  2. ^ a b Catherine D. Perry at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  3. ^ Gillerman, Margaret S. (18 August 2014). "Judge denies ACLU motion for an order to stop police tactics". Archived from the original on 2018-07-08. Retrieved 2014-08-23.
  4. ^ Rowland, Lee (August 21, 2014). "There Is No 5-Second Rule for the First Amendment, Ferguson". Archived from the original on September 29, 2018. Retrieved September 11, 2019.

Sources

Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
1994–2018
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
2009–2016
Succeeded by