José A. Fusté

Who is José A. Fusté?

Judge José Antonio Fusté, a United States District Judge, is the former Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, a court which in recent years has seen the influx of three new, relatively young judges, including the court's second female member and current Chief Judge, former U.S. magistrate Aida Delgado, attorney Francisco Besosa and forty-something former U.S. magistrate Gustavo Gelpí.

Fusté received a B.B.A. from the University of Puerto Rico in 1965, and an LL.B. 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 in 1972.

On September 27, 1985, he was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico vacated by Juan R. Torruella. Fusté was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 25, 1985, and received his commission on October 28, 1985. He has served as chief since 2004.