SACRAMENTO — President Obama has nominated André Birotte Jr., the U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, to the Central District bench. Birotte has overseen the seven-county district, headquartered in Los Angeles, for the last four years.
His tenure has been marked by the controversial pursuit of medical marijuana dispensaries—operating legally in California, but not under federal law—and the prosecution of two high-profile public corruption cases. In December, his office announced charges against 18 current and former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies in connection with alleged civil rights abuses at the county jail. One month later, state Sen. Ron Calderon, D-Montebello, and his brother, Thomas Calderon, a former assemblyman, were indicted on money laundering and other charges stemming from an alleged bribery and kickback scheme.
