Nominated by Jimmy Carter Preceded by Charles B. Fulton | Succeeded by Alan Stephen Gold Name Jose Gonzalez, | |
Alma mater University of Florida
Fredric G. Levin College of Law (formerly University of Florida College of Law) | ||
Jose Alejandro Gonzalez Jr. (born 1931) is an American lawyer and federal judge.
Gonzalez was born in 1931 in Tampa, Florida. He graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1952. At UF he was a member of Florida Blue Key, Sigma Chi, Phi Eta Sigma, and Phi Alpha Delta, and was elected to the UF Hall of Fame. Gonzalez served in the United States Army as a lieutenant from 1952 to 1954 before attending the University of Florida College of Law, where he graduated with a J.D. in 1957. Gonzalez served as a captain in the Army Reserve from 1954 to 1960.
Gonzalez was a claims representative for State Farm Mutual in Lakeland from 1957 to 1958. He moved to Fort Lauderdale and was in private practice from 1958 to December 1964 with the firm of Watson, Hubert and Sousley. Gonzalez served as assistant state attorney for the 15th Circuit of Florida in Fort Lauderdale from 1961 to 1964. He was appointed a circuit judge on the 17th Circuit of Florida for Fort Lauderdale and was reelected twice, serving from 1964 to 1978. He served two terms as administrative judge of the civil division and as a past chief judge of the 17th Circuit.
President Jimmy Carter nominated Gonzalez on July 6, 1978, to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, to the seat vacated by Charles B. Fulton. Confirmed by the Senate on July 26, 1978, Gonzalez received commission on July 28, 1978.
While on the district court, Gonzalez presided over the bankruptcy proceedings of ESM Government Securities, which was at the time the largest securities fraud case ever to come before a federal court. Gonzalez also presided over the trials of those accused of judicial corruption in Dade County courts, in the 1990s FBI sting, Operation Court Broom. He also ruled that the 2 Live Crew album As Nasty As They Wanna Be, which was controversial for its sexually explicit lyrics, was obscene, but his ruling was overturned on appeal.
Gonzalez assumed senior status on November 30, 1996.