![]() ![]() "His opinions suggest a very inflated view of the right to guns and a very deflated view of the right of Americans to live," said Jonathan Lowy, the chief counsel of Brady, the nonprofit against gun violence. His rhetorical flourishes, dramatic anecdotes and a tendency toward gun-related puns seem at times designed to troll gun-safety advocates, who view his rulings and his expansive view of the 2nd Amendment with a mixture of outrage and alarm. (Kristian Carreon / For the San Diego Union-Tribune) District Judge Roger Benitez as a saint is sold at Hiram's Guns/Firearms Unknown in El Cajon. Bush nominated him for the lifetime district court position.Ī sticker depicting U.S. gave Benitez a rare "not qualified" rating when President George W. The Los Angeles Times and San Diego Union-Tribune interviewed 30 attorneys and judges and reviewed court transcripts, appellate records, congressional testimony and published interviews. Some attorneys say he is a prickly jurist, especially toward defense attorneys who've overturned his rulings on appeal. ![]() Fellow judges say he has been an ethical, conscientious worker and a team player.īut Benitez, who once called himself "tough all the time," stands apart from most other judges in the Southern District of California for doling out the toughest sentences, according to a review of his court record. Benitez compared the AR-15 rifle to a Swiss Army knife, describing it as "a perfect combination of home defense weapon and homeland defense equipment." He released the decision on Gun Violence Awareness Day.Ī bespectacled man who fled Cuba as a child, Benitez serves on the board of a local law school, holds a prestigious position on the national Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation and is well-respected in some corners of the San Diego legal community. To many gun control advocates and victims of gun violence, the last decision in particular provoked anger and incredulity. ![]()
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