José A. Fusté

José Antonio Fusté (born November 3, 1943) is a former United States District Judge and former Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico.

Education and career

Born on November 3, 1943, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Fusté received a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Puerto Rico in 1965, and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Puerto Rico Law School in 1968. He was in private practice in San Juan from 1968 to 1985, and began teaching Admiralty law at the University of Puerto Rico School of Law in 1972.

Federal judicial service

On September 27, 1981, Fusté was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico vacated by Judge Juan R. Torruella. Fusté was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 25, 1985, and received his commission on October 28, 1985. He served as Chief Judge from 2004 to 2011. He retired on June 1, 2016. Fusté's partners include former federal law clerks, including Damian LaPlaca, who worked for Fusté when he was a judge. Fusté's PLF biography indicates that he "can handle all types of civil and criminal federal court litigation and can handle white collar criminal defense in the local courts as well."

Withdrawal from the bar Fusté's request to withdraw as a member of the Puerto Rico Bar Association, a compulsory membership organization, was approved by the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico.