Melinda Harmon
Melinda Sue (Furche) Harmon (born November 1, 1946 in Port Arthur, Texas) is a U.S. District Court Judge, best known as the lead judge in the subsequently overruled Arthur Andersen trial. Civil lawsuits against Enron were consolidated in her court; she oversaw class action lawsuits on behalf of both Enron shareholders and its employees.
Born in Port Arthur, Texas, Harmon attended high school in Justin, Texas, then received an A.B. from Radcliffe College in 1969, followed by a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 1972. Harmon worked as a trial lawyer for Exxon Company, USA for 12 years during the 1970s and 1980s. In 1986 she ran unsuccessfully for election to a state district court bench, but was appointed by the Governor of Texas to a vacancy in the district court of Harris County, Texas, in 1987, a seat that she successfully retained by election in 1988.
On February 28, 1989, Harmon was nominated by President George H. W. Bush to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas vacated by John V. Singleton, Jr. Harmon was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 18, 1989, and received her commission on May 22, 1989.
Major Cases
Sources
- Melinda Harmon at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
External links
- BBC article mentioning her role in Arthur Anderson trial
- Procedures for Her court at the Wayback Machine (archived August 17, 2000) - Pdf form
- Granted David Duncan's plea change to obstruction of justice
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Virgil Singleton, Jr. |
Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas 1989–present |
Incumbent |