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U.S. Atty. Andre Birotte confirmed by Senate for federal judgeship

U.S. Atty. Andre Birotte Jr., shown in 2013, was confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate on Tuesday to serve as a district court judge in Los Angeles.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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The U.S. Senate on Tuesday unanimously confirmed the nomination of Andre Birotte Jr., U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, to serve as a district court judge in Los Angeles.

President Obama nominated Birotte, who has served as the L.A. area’s top federal prosecutor since 2010, to the federal bench in April. Birotte began his career as a deputy public defender in Los Angeles and later served for six years as the Los Angeles Police Department’s inspector general.

Birotte will replace Judge Gary Allen Feess, a Clinton appointee who retired in March.

In a statement, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who recommended Birotte for both the U.S. attorney’s post and the district court judgeship, called his service as U.S. attorney “exemplary.”

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“Throughout his career, Andre Birotte has shown a profound commitment to fairness and the rule of law, and he has earned the respect of the diverse communities of the Central District,” she said. “I’m confident that his tenure as U.S. district judge will be equally impressive.”

As U.S. attorney, Birotte oversaw a civil rights and obstruction of justice investigation into the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department’s operation of county jails and a public corruption probe of state Sen. Ronald S. Calderon (D-Montebello). Also under his watch, the office dropped prosecutions against cyclist Lance Armstrong and former Countrywide Financial Chairman Angelo R. Mozilo.

Birotte, 47, is a native of New Jersey. He graduated from Tufts University in 1987 and received his law degree from Pepperdine in 1991.

For news on the courts, follow @vicjkim.

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