Mariana Pfaelzer

Who is Mariana Pfaelzer?

Mariana R. Pfaelzer is a United States federal judge.

Born in Los Angeles, California, Pfaelzer received an A.B. from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1949 and a J.D. from the UCLA School of Law in 1957. She was in private practice in Los Angeles, California from 1957 to 1978.

On August 8, 1978, Pfaelzer was nominated by President Jimmy Carter to a seat on the United States District Court for the Central District of California vacated by Francis C. Whelan. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 22, 1978, and received commission the next day. She was the first female District Judge appointed to that District. She assumed senior status on December 31, 1997.

She is noted for her role in striking down California's Proposition 187, which would have denied services to illegal aliens. More recently, Judge Pfaelzer handed down a $600 million judgment against Countrywide Financial.