John F. Keenan
John F. Keenan | |
|---|---|
| Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York | |
| In office December 31, 1996 – October 27, 2024 | |
| Judge of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court | |
| In office July 24, 1994 – May 18, 2001 | |
| Appointed by | William Rehnquist |
| Preceded by | Frank Harlan Freedman |
| Succeeded by | Nathaniel M. Gorton |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York | |
| In office September 20, 1983 – December 31, 1996 | |
| Appointed by | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | Lloyd Francis MacMahon |
| Succeeded by | Colleen McMahon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Fontaine Keenan November 23, 1929 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | October 27, 2024 (aged 94) New York City, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Diane Nicholson (m. 1956) |
| Children | One child, two grandchildren |
| Education | Manhattan College (BBA) Fordham University (LLB) |
John Fontaine Keenan (November 23, 1929 – October 27, 2024) was an American judge for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Background
Born in Manhattan, New York City, on November 23, 1929,[1] Keenan graduated from Regis High School in 1947. He received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Manhattan College in 1951. He received a Bachelor of Laws from Fordham University School of Law in 1954. He was in the United States Army from 1954 to 1956.[2]
Early career
Keenan was in private practice of law in New York City in 1956. He was an assistant district attorney of New York County from 1956 to 1976.[2] He was an assistant district attorney in charge of Supreme Court Bureau of New York County from 1968 to 1969. He was an assistant district attorney in charge of homicide bureau in New York County from 1970 to 1973. He was the chief assistant district attorney of Queens County in 1973. He was an administrative assistant district attorney in charge of trials in New York County in 1974. He was the chief assistant district attorney of New York County from 1974 to 1976. He was a deputy state attorney general/special prosecutor of corruption in New York City from 1976 to 1979.[2] He was the Chairman and President of New York City Off-Track Betting Corporation from 1979 to 1982. He was the criminal justice coordinator of New York City from 1982 to 1983. He was a member of the Republican Party.[3][4][5]
Federal judicial service
Keenan was nominated by President Ronald Reagan on September 13, 1983, to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York vacated by Judge Lloyd Francis MacMahon. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 20, 1983, and received commission the same day. He assumed senior status on December 31, 1996. He served as a Judge of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court from 1994 to 2001. He was a member of the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation from 1998 to 2006.[4][6][5]
Notable cases
Reversed cases
On August 16, 2010, Keenan sentenced Mahmoud Reza Banki to 30 months in prison.[7] This sentence was overturned on October 24, 2011, at which time the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled in favor of Banki reversing the sanctions charges against him.[8] Appellate court ruled that Judge John F. Keenan had erred at trial; in denying Banki's defense request to instruct the jury on the law that specifically exempts family money as an exception to the sanctions law, permitting such transfers without the need for a license. The final appellate court brief stated: "Banki's conviction [on the sanctions charges] cannot stand".[9]
Personal life and death
In 1956, Keenan married Diane Nicholson, and they had a daughter.[2] He died at his home in the Bronx on October 27, 2024, at the age of 94.[2][10]
References
- ↑ Confirmation Hearings on Federal Appointments: July 22, August 1, September 28, October 5, November 2, 7, 9, and 16, 1983. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Publishing Office. 1984. p. 30.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Fried, Joseph P. (October 28, 2024). "John F. Keenan, U.S. Judge in Myerson and Marcos Trials, Dies at 94". The New York Times. Retrieved October 28, 2024. (subscription required)
- ↑ Werner, Leslie Maitland (April 23, 1984). "Getting the Judge Ready for the Bench". New York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lynn, Frank (July 21, 1983). "Nominee for U.S. Judge: John Fontaine Keenan". New York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Keenan, John Fontaine - Federal Judicial Center". www.fjc.gov.
- ↑ "Keenan Approved for Bench". New York Times. September 21, 1983. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
- ↑ "Man Gets 2 ½ Years for Breaking Iran Embargo" by Benjamin Weiser, New York Times, August 16, 2010
- ↑ "2nd Circ. Nixes Conviction For Iran Money Transfer System" By Abigail Rubenstein Law360 October 24, 2011
- ↑ US Court of Appeals Decision
- ↑ "John Keenan, Senior U.S. District Judge in Manhattan Federal Court, Has Died". Law.com. 28 October 2024. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
Sources
- John Fontaine Keenan at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
- 1929 births
- 2024 deaths
- Manhattan College alumni
- Fordham University School of Law alumni
- Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
- United States district court judges appointed by Ronald Reagan
- 20th-century American judges
- Regis High School (New York City) alumni
- Judges of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
- 21st-century American judges
- United States Army soldiers
- New York (state) Republicans
- Lawyers from New York City