Martin Leach-Cross Feldman
Encyclopedia
Martin Leach-Cross Feldman (born 1934) is a United States federal judge
on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
. He was nominated by President Ronald Reagan
on September 9, 1983, to a seat vacated by Jack M. Gordon. He was confirmed by the United States Senate
on October 4, 1983, and received his commission the following day.
Feldman was born in St. Louis, Missouri
. He received a B.A.
from Tulane University
in 1955 and a J.D.
from Tulane Law School in 1957. He was a United States Army
JAG Corps Reserve Captain from 1957 to 1963. Feldman also served as a law clerk
to the Hon. John Minor Wisdom
, U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit from 1957 to 1959. Feldman had a private practice in New Orleans, Louisiana
from 1959 to 1983.
blocking a six month moratorium on deep-water offshore drilling
in Hornbeck Offshore Services LLC v. Salazar
. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs
indicated that the Obama administration intended to immediately appeal the decision to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
.
Feldman's 2008 financial disclosure report http://www.judicialwatch.org/jfd/Feldman_Martin_L_C/2008.pdf indicates that in that year, he owned stock in Transocean
, the company that owned the Deepwater Horizon
rig, as well as in other oil companies which would be affected by the moratorium. A federal judge is required to consider recusal when he owns shares in one of the parties in the case before him, however none of the companies listed in Feldman's 2008 disclosure were directly involved in the action against Salazar
.
Feldman's 2009 financial disclosure report http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/feldman.pdf indicates that he had financial investments in BlackRock
, the largest holder of BP
stock. Feldman held stock in Exxon-Mobil during the hearing on the drilling moratorium and from June 8 to June 21, he issued several orders related to the moratorium case. On June 22, at the "opening of the stock market", he reportedly sold his Exxon-Mobil stock. Hours later, he issued his ruling lifting the moratorium.
As of the June 9, 2010 amended complaint, Transocean, Black Rock, BP and Exxon-Mobil were not plaintiffs in the action.http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/louisiana/laedce/2:2010cv01663/141146/5/
United States federal judge
In the United States, the title of federal judge usually means a judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article II of the United States Constitution....
on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana is a federal trial court based in New Orleans. Like all U.S...
. He was nominated by President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
on September 9, 1983, to a seat vacated by Jack M. Gordon. He was confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on October 4, 1983, and received his commission the following day.
Feldman was born in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. He received a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
in 1955 and a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Tulane Law School in 1957. He was a United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
JAG Corps Reserve Captain from 1957 to 1963. Feldman also served as a law clerk
Law clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
to the Hon. John Minor Wisdom
John Minor Wisdom
John Minor Wisdom , one of the "Fifth Circuit Four", and a liberal Republican from Louisiana, was a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit during the 1950s and 1960s, when that court became known for a series of decisions crucial in advancing the civil rights of...
, U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit from 1957 to 1959. Feldman had a private practice in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
from 1959 to 1983.
Deep Water Drilling
On June 22, 2010, Judge Feldman issued a preliminary injunctionInjunction
An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a court order that requires a party to do or refrain from doing certain acts. A party that fails to comply with an injunction faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
blocking a six month moratorium on deep-water offshore drilling
Offshore drilling
Offshore drilling refers to a mechanical process where a wellbore is drilled through the seabed. It is typically carried out in order to explore for and subsequently produce hydrocarbons which lie in rock formations beneath the seabed...
in Hornbeck Offshore Services LLC v. Salazar
Hornbeck Offshore Services LLC v. Salazar
Hornbeck Offshore Services v. Salazar is an on-going case in United States federal court. In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and the subsequent oil spill, the U.S. Department of the Interior issued a six month moratorium on exploratory drilling in deep water. Plaintiffs filed suit...
. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs
Robert Gibbs
Robert Lane Gibbs was the 28th White House Press Secretary. Gibbs was the communications director for then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama and Obama's 2008 presidential campaign...
indicated that the Obama administration intended to immediately appeal the decision to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Louisiana* Middle District of Louisiana...
.
Feldman's 2008 financial disclosure report http://www.judicialwatch.org/jfd/Feldman_Martin_L_C/2008.pdf indicates that in that year, he owned stock in Transocean
Transocean
Transocean Ltd. is one of the world's largest offshore drilling contractors. The company rents floating mobile drill rigs, along with the equipment and personnel for operations, to oil and gas companies at an average daily rate of US$282,700...
, the company that owned the Deepwater Horizon
Deepwater Horizon
Deepwater Horizon was an ultra-deepwater, dynamically positioned, semi-submersible offshore oil drilling rig owned by Transocean. Built in 2001 in South Korea by Hyundai Heavy Industries, the rig was commissioned by R&B Falcon, which later became part of Transocean, registered in Majuro, Marshall...
rig, as well as in other oil companies which would be affected by the moratorium. A federal judge is required to consider recusal when he owns shares in one of the parties in the case before him, however none of the companies listed in Feldman's 2008 disclosure were directly involved in the action against Salazar
Ken Salazar
Kenneth Lee "Ken" Salazar is the current United States Secretary of the Interior, in the administration of President Barack Obama. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a United States Senator from Colorado from 2005 to 2009. He and Mel Martinez were the first Hispanic U.S...
.
Feldman's 2009 financial disclosure report http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/feldman.pdf indicates that he had financial investments in BlackRock
BlackRock
BlackRock, Inc. is an American multinational investment management corporation and the world's largest asset manager. BlackRock is headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States and is the leading provider of investment, advisory, and risk management solutions...
, the largest holder of BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
stock. Feldman held stock in Exxon-Mobil during the hearing on the drilling moratorium and from June 8 to June 21, he issued several orders related to the moratorium case. On June 22, at the "opening of the stock market", he reportedly sold his Exxon-Mobil stock. Hours later, he issued his ruling lifting the moratorium.
As of the June 9, 2010 amended complaint, Transocean, Black Rock, BP and Exxon-Mobil were not plaintiffs in the action.http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/louisiana/laedce/2:2010cv01663/141146/5/