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James A. Soto

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James A. Soto

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United States District Court for the District of Arizona (senior status)

Tenure

2024 - Present

Years in position

Prior offices

United States District Court for the District of Arizona

Education

Personal

James A. Soto is a federal judge on senior status for the United States District Court for the District of Arizona. On December 19, 2013, Soto was nominated by President Barack Obama to fill a vacancy on the United States District Court for the District of Arizona.^[1] The United States Senate confirmed Soto on May 15, 2014, on a vote of 93-1.^[2]

Prior to joining the federal bench, Soto was the presiding judge for Division I of the Santa Cruz County Superior Court in Arizona.^[3] His term as presiding judge would have ended in 2016.^[4]

Education

Soto earned his B.S. and J.D. from Arizona State University in 1971 and 1975, respectively.^[1]

Military

Soto served in the Arizona National Guard from 1971 to 1977.^[5]

Professional career

2014-2024: Judge, United States District Court for the District of Arizona
- 2024-present: Senior judge
- 2014-2024: Judge
2001-2014: Presiding judge, Santa Cruz County Superior Court, Arizona
1992-2001: President and shareholder, Soto, Martin and Coogan, P.C.
1979-1992: Attorney in private practice
1979: Deputy county attorney, Santa Cruz County Attorney’s Office
1976-1979: Attorney, Sole Practitioner
1975-1992: Part-time town attorney, Patagonia, Arizona
1975-1983: Part-time deputy city attorney, Office of the Nogales City Attorney
1975-1976: Attorney, Law Offices of Nasib Karam^[1]^[5]

Judicial career

District of Arizona

Nomination Tracker

Nominee Information
Name: James A. Soto
Court: District of Arizona
Progress
Confirmed 147 days after nomination.
Nominated: December 19, 2013
ABA Rating: Unanimously Qualified
Questionnaire: Questionnaire
Hearing: January 28, 2014

QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more)

Reported: February 27, 2014
Confirmed: May 15, 2014
Vote: 93-1

Jame A. Soto was nominated on December 19, 2013, by President Barack Obama to fill a vacancy on the United States District Court for the District of Arizona. The vacancy was created when David Bury assumed senior status on December 31, 2012. On the nominations:

“	I am honored to put forward these highly qualified candidates for the federal bench... They will be distinguished public servants and valuable additions to the United States District Courts. ^[6]	”
—President Barack Obama, ^[1]

Soto was rated Unanimously Qualified by the American Bar Association.^[7]

Soto submitted his questionnaire on December 29, 2013, and can be found here.

Soto's nomination was returned by the Senate on January 3, 2014, and he was renominated on January 6th by President Obama.^[8]

James Soto had a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 28, 2014.^[9] The hearing comes after Senator Jeff Flake submitted his blue slip, which he had previously held on to.^[10] On February 27, 2014, Soto was reported to the full Senate by the Senate Judiciary Committee on a voice vote. The Senate confirmed Soto to the District of Arizona on May 15, 2014, by a vote of 93-1.^[2]

Awards and associations

Awards

2013: Appreciation Award from Santa Cruz Victims' Services Division
2012: Appreciation Award from Mariposa Community Health Center
2012: Appreciation Award from Arizona Supreme Court Leadership Conference
2012: Appreciation Award from Nogales Boys and Girls Club
2011: Appreciation Award from City of Nogales
2009: Appreciation Award from Nogales Boys and Girls Club
2001: Appreciation Award from Fresh Produce Association of the Americas

Associations

2000-2006: Board of directors, Santa Cruz Community Foundation
1999-2001: Governor's Task Force for the CANAMEX Trade Corridor
1999: Joint Legislative Review Committee on Transportation Between Sonora, Mexico and Arizona
1997-Present: Board of directors, Mariposa Community Health Center
1992: Arizona-Sonora Governors' Border Infrastructure Commission
1989-1995: State Transportation Board, Arizona Department of Transportation

1994-1995: Chairman

1981-1987: Board of directors, Carondolet Holy Cross Hospital
1976-1980: Elks Lodge No. 1387^[5]

Noteworthy cases

Wounded undocumented migrant awarded $500,000 in damages for shooting by border patrol agent (2015)

Jesus Castro Romo was shot and wounded by former border patrol agent Abel Canales in November 2010. Canales claimed he acted in self-defense, as Castro Romo was in the process of throwing a rock in his direction. Federal Judge James Soto, however, found that Canales version of events was not believable. Instead, he ruled in favor of Castro Romo and awarded him $500,000 in damages.

Judge Soto stated that the use of force exhibited by Canales was without justification given the circumstances. Further, Judge Soto made much of the difference between a rock and a gun. The fact that a person is holding a rock does not justify the use of force against that person; Judge Soto stated that agents must be certain that the rock, which is less likely to cause serious bodily injury or death than a gun, is going to be used against them.

According to ‘’The Arizona Republic’’, since 2010 nine people have been killed after allegedly throwing rocks at border patrol agents. None of the agents involved in those deadly shootings has been disciplined.

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