Judge Amit Mehta
District of Columbia U.S. District Court
Amit Priyavadan Mehta was born in 1971 in Patan, Gujarat, India. He grew up in Reisterstown, Maryland. He received his undergraduate degree in political science and economics from Georgetown University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law. He worked in private practice, then clerked at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Following his clerkship, he returned to private practice. He joined the District of Columbia Public Defender Service as a staff attorney, serving five years, before returning to private practice where he focused on white-collar criminal defense, among other things.
He was appointed to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia by President Barack Obama and received his commission in December 2014.
In the News…
Judge Amit Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia recently refused to issue a preliminary injunction requested by five organizations that filed suit against President Trump’s administration for the cancellation of $800 million in grant awards for violence reduction and crime victims. The judge then granted the government’s motion to dismiss the case.
Judge Mehta stated that the court lacked jurisdiction and that the plaintiffs had not proved any constitutional protection or violation, though he decried the Justice Department’s actions.
“Defendants’ rescinding of these awards is shameful. It is likely to harm communities and individuals vulnerable to crime and violence,” Judge Mehta wrote. “But displeasure and sympathy are not enough in a court of law.”
The Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs stated, at the time it canceled the grants, that its focus has shifted to directly supporting law enforcement operations, to address violent crime, and support Americans victimized by trafficking and sexual assault.
In its request for dismissal, the Justice Department argued there was “no legal basis for the Court to order DOJ to restore lawfully terminated grants and keep paying for programs that the Executive Branch views as inconsistent with the interests of the United States.”
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Judge Mehta today? You can let him know at:
The Honorable Amit Mehta
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse
333 Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20001
