Gonzalo Paul Curiel

American judge (born 1953)

"Gonzalo Curiel" redirects here. For the Mexican film composer, see Gonzalo Curiel (composer) .

Gonzalo Paul Curiel (born September 7, 1953) is a Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California .

Early life and education

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Curiel was born in East Chicago, Indiana , the youngest of four children. His parents, Salvador and Francisca, had emigrated from Mascota , a small Mexican town near Puerto Vallarta in the state of Jalisco . Salvador worked as a laborer in Arizona before moving to Indiana where he worked in the steel mills. Curiel's parents married in 1946 and later became American citizens.

Curiel graduated from high school at the Bishop Noll Institute . He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University in 1976 and his Juris Doctor from the Indiana University School of Law in 1979 and is a member of the fraternity Kappa Alpha Psi .

Pre-judicial career

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Curiel worked in private practice, first at James, James & Manning from 1979 to 1986 and then at Barbosa & Vera from 1986 to 1989.

He was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of California from 1989 to 2002.

While in the Southern District, he served as Deputy Chief (1996–1999) and then Chief (1999–2002) of the Narcotics Enforcement Division.

During his tenure with the Narcotics Enforcement Division, Curiel handled a case involving two alleged members of the Arellano Felix cartel of Tijuana, Mexico .

U.S. law enforcement arrested the two alleged murderers in California, based on information from Mexican authorities, and Curiel sought their extradition to Mexico. The two men objected to extradition by arguing that the information used to track them down had been obtained in Mexico via torture . Curiel argued: "The [U.S.] Government is not here to deny there is a possibility of torture. ... There are serious allegations of torture. But the forum for those allegations to be aired is the Government of Mexico."

While still in United States custody, one of the men allegedly threatened Curiel's life, so that Curiel had to live under federal protection for a time.

The extradition case went up to a federal appeals court, with Curiel arguing the case. The appeals court decided that the extradition could proceed, saying that there was enough evidence to support it without using the evidence allegedly obtained via torture. Curiel hailed the ruling, which he said might lead to greater cooperation between the two countries in the fight against the drug cartel .

Curiel then worked as an assistant United States attorney in the Central District of California from 2002 to 2006.

Judicial career

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California superior court

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In 2006, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Curiel to the San Diego County Superior Court .

He held that position until his appointment to the federal bench.

Federal judicial service

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On November 10, 2011, President Barack Obama nominated Curiel to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. He replaced Judge Thomas J. Whelan , who had taken senior status . Curiel was rated "well qualified" by a substantial majority of the American Bar Association 's Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary , which evaluates federal judicial nominees.

Curiel received a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 28, 2012, which reported his nominati

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Judicial Career

Biography