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Edward Davila

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Edward Davila
Official portrait, 2011
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 11, 2024
Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
In office
March 3, 2011 – December 11, 2024
Appointed byBarack Obama
Preceded byMarilyn Hall Patel
Succeeded byNoël Wise
Judge of the Santa Clara County Superior Court
In office
August 8, 2001 – March 3, 2011
Appointed byGray Davis
Preceded byDonald Clark
Succeeded byAllison Danner
Personal details
Born
Edward John Davila

(1952-06-21) June 21, 1952 (age 72)
Palo Alto, California, U.S.
SpouseMary Greenwood
EducationSan Diego State University (BA)
University of California, Hastings
College of the Law (JD)

Edward John Davila (born June 21, 1952) is an American lawyer who serves as a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. He was previously a California state court judge of the Santa Clara County Superior Court from 2001 to 2011.

Early life and education

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Davila was born in Palo Alto, California. He received a Bachelor of Arts from San Diego State University in 1976.[1] He then attended the University of California, Hastings College of the Law and earned his Juris Doctor in 1979.[1][2]

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From 1981 to 1988, he served as a deputy public defender in the Santa Clara County Public Defender's Office and later in private practice at the law firm of Davila & Polverino from 1988 to 2001.[1]

Judicial career

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State judicial service

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On August 8, 2001, Governor Gray Davis appointed Davila to serve as a judge on the Superior Court of Santa Clara County.[3][4] Davila replaced Judge Donald Clark.[3][2]

While a superior court judge, Davila presided over the high-profile case of a Las Vegas couple,[5] Anna Ayala and Jaime Placencia, who planted a severed human finger in a bowl of Wendy's chili.[6] On January 18, 2006, Davila sentenced Ayala to nine years in prison and Placencia to 12 years and 4 months in prison.[6] However, the Sixth District California Court of Appeal ordered Davila to resentence Ayala in 2007 on the grounds that Davila improperly added years to the sentence based on extenuating circumstances without a jury's findings.[7] Davila subsequently modified the sentence to four years in 2008.[8]

Federal judicial service

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During the 111th Congress, Senator Barbara Boxer recommended Davila to fill the United States District Court for the Northern District of California vacancy created by Judge Marilyn Hall Patel, who assumed senior status.[9][10] On May 20, 2010, President Barack Obama formally nominated Davila to the Northern District of California.[1] The Senate Judiciary Committee recommended his confirmation on December 1, 2010, but the Senate decided to recess without confirming him.[10][11][12] Obama renominated Davila on January 5, 2011.[12][13] That nomination was approved by the Judiciary Committee on February 3, and he was confirmed by the Senate on February 14, 2011, by a 93–0 vote.[14] He received his commission on March 3, 2011. He assumed senior status on December 11, 2024, when his successor was confirmed.[2]

Davila presided over the criminal trial of former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes and COO Sunny Balwani.[15][16] Holmes was found guilty on four counts on fraud in January 2022 and sentenced to 11.25 years (135 months) in prison on November 18, 2022,[17] while Balwani was convicted of 12 counts of fraud in July 2022 and sentenced to nearly 13 years (155 months) in prison on December 7, 2022.[16]

Personal life

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Davila is married to Mary Greenwood, who formerly served as Santa Clara County Public Defender and is presiding justice of the California Court of Appeal for the Sixth District. They reside in Menlo Park, California.[11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "President Obama Names Three to United States District Court". whitehouse.gov. May 20, 2010. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Edward Davila at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  3. ^ a b New judges named, Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal (August 8, 2001).
  4. ^ "Davis Appoints Commissioner, Attorney to Fill Vacancies on Santa Clara Superior Court". www.metnews.com. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  5. ^ "Anna Ayala Faces New Charge". KLAS-TV news. Associated Press. May 13, 2005. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  6. ^ a b Glater, Jonathan D. (January 19, 2006). "Couple Sentenced to Prison for Wendy's Chili Scheme". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 17, 2006. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  7. ^ Lee, Henry K. (September 22, 2007). "Chili finger woman Anna Ayala wins appeal, may get sentence reduced". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  8. ^ People v. Ayala, No. H0033444, (Cal. Ct. App. Aug. 17, 2009)
  9. ^ Bob Egelko, Obama nominates Edward Davila for federal bench, San Francisco Chronicle (May 21, 2010).
  10. ^ a b Presidential Nomination no. PN1813-111[permanent dead link‍], Edward J. Davila, of California, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of California, vice Marilyn Hall Patel, retired, May 20, 2010 (111th Congress)
  11. ^ a b Mintz, Howard (December 1, 2010). "Edward Davila wins key senate endorsement for federal judge". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
  12. ^ a b Mintz, Howard (February 3, 2011). "Santa Clara County judge Davila another step closer to joining federal bench". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
  13. ^ Presidential Nomination no. PN21-112 Archived December 19, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Edward J. Davila, of California, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of California, vice Marilyn Hall Patel, retired, January 5, 2011 (112th Congress)
  14. ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation Edward J. Davila, of California, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of California)". United States Senate. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  15. ^ "United States v. Elizabeth A. Holmes, et al. 18-CR-00258-EJD". United States District Court Northern District of California. Archived from the original on September 1, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  16. ^ a b Huang, Kalley (December 7, 2022). "No. 2 Theranos Executive Is Sentenced to More Than 12 Years for Fraud". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022.
  17. ^ Paul, Kari (November 18, 2022). "Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes sentenced to more than 11 years for defrauding investors". The Guardian. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
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Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California
2011–2024 		Succeeded by
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