Appointed by Bill Clinton | Name Peter Messitte | |
Alma mater Amherst College
University of Chicago Law School Education Amherst College, University of Chicago Law School | ||
Preceded by Joseph C. Howard, Sr. Succeeded by George Levi Russell III | ||
Peter Jo Messitte (born 1941) is a Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.
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Education and career
Born in Washington, D.C., Messitte received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College in 1963 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School in 1966. He was a Peace Corps volunteer in São Paulo, Brazil from 1966 to 1968. He was in private practice in Washington, D.C., from 1969 to 1971. He was in private practice in Chevy Chase, Maryland from 1971 to 1985. He was an Associate judge, Circuit Court, Montgomery County, Maryland from 1985 to 1993.
Federal judicial service
On August 6, 1993, Messitte was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Maryland vacated by Joseph C. Howard, Sr. Messitte was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 18, 1993, and received his commission on October 20, 1993. He assumed senior status on September 1, 2008.
Notable ruling
On July 15, 2014, in a procedural order for a lawsuit against the Washington, D.C. football team, Judge Messitte banned the use of the word "Redskins" in his courtroom and in court documents. The judge did not explain the reason for his order, but it was assumed to be due to the Washington Redskins name controversy.