Gregory F. Van Tatenhove
From Ballotpedia
Gregory F. Van Tatenhove
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky
Tenure
2006 - Present
Years in position
19
Education
Personal
Contact
Gregory Frederick Van Tatenhove is an Article III federal judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. He joined the court in 2006 after being nominated by President George W. Bush.[1]
Early life and education
A native of California, Van Tatenhove graduated from Asbury College with his bachelor's degree in 1982, and from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1989.[1]
Professional career
Van Tatenhove started his legal career as a law clerk for Judge Eugene Siler of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, where he worked from 1989 to 1990. From 1990 to 1994, Van Tatenhove served as a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice. In 1994, Van Tatenhove became Chief of Staff and Legal Counsel to Kentucky Congressman Ron Lewis until 2001, when he was appointed by President George W. Bush as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Van Tatenhove served in that role until his appointment to the federal bench in 2005.[1]
Judicial career
Eastern District of Kentucky
On the recommendation of Senators Jim Bunning and Mitch McConnell, Van Tatenhove was nominated by President George W. Bush on September 13, 2005, to a seat vacated by Karl Forester as Forester went on senior status. Van Tatenhove was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on December 21, 2005, on a Senate vote and received commission on January 5, 2006.[1][2]
Noteworthy cases
Tabernacle Baptist Church, Inc. v. Beshear (2020)
Tabernacle Baptist Church, Inc. v. Beshear: On May 8, 2020, Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, temporarily blocked the state from enforcing its ban on mass gatherings as applied to religious groups. The plaintiffs had alleged that state orders restricting mass gatherings and closing churches as non-essential businesses violated their First Amendment rights to the freedom of assembly and the free exercise of religion. Tatenhove sided with the plaintiffs, writing the following in his order: "Plaintiffs have established a likelihood of success on the merits with respect to their free exercise claim, and the Court grants their motion for a [temporary restraining order] on that basis. ... To stay the prohibition on mass gatherings with respect to religious services which observe the social distancing guidelines promulgated by the Centers for Disease Control, as Tabernacle has promised to do, does not harm the Defendants. Finally, the public interest favors the enjoinment of a constitutional violation." Tatenhove's full opinion and order can be accessed here.[3]
In a press conference on May 9, 2020, Gov. Andy Beshear (D) did not indicate whether his administration would appeal the decision.[4]
Teenager sentenced for threatening to kill federal judge and prosecutor (2014)
On February 27, 2014, Judge Van Tatenhove sentenced 19-year-old Michael A. Collins for threats made against District Judge David Bunning, Magistrate Judge Edward Atkins, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Denney.[5]
In the underlying case, Collins' father, John Collins, was sentenced to eleven years in prison following his conviction for possession of child pornography. Collins was enrolled in a National Guard program for at-risk teens at the time of his father's sentencing, and in December 2012, he disclosed to a program counselor that he intended to spend Christmas with his family before killing the judges, prosecutors, and police involved in his father's case.[5]
After he was indicted on three counts of threatening to kill federal officers, mental health professionals assessed Collins as a significant threat. Collins asserted an insanity defense in January 2013, but later changed his plea in February 2014 when he reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors to drop one of the charges he faced.[6][7] Judge Van Tatenhove sentenced Collins to two years in prison.[5]
See also
External links
- Eastern District of Kentucky, "Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove," accessed May 14, 2014 (dead link)
- Federal Judicial Center, "Biography of Gregory Van Tatenhove"
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Federal Judicial Center, "Biography of Gregory Van Tatenhove"
- ↑ THOMAS, "Presidential Nominations 109th Congress: Gregory Van Tatenhove (USDC, EDKY)," accessed May 14, 2014
- ↑ United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, "Tabernacle Baptist Church, Inc. v. Beshear: Opinion and Order," May 8, 2020
- ↑ Associated Press, "Court halts ban on mass gatherings at Kentucky churches," May 9, 2020
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Lexington Herald-Leader, "Kentucky teen who threatened to kill federal judge sentenced to two years in prison," March 3, 2014
- ↑ Daily Court Review, "Ky. man charged with threat claims insanity," January 17, 2013 (dead link)
- ↑ U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Kentucky, "Press Release: Greenup County, Kentucky, Teen Sentenced To 24 Months For Threatening To Kill A Federal Judge And A Federal Prosecutor," February 28, 2014
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