Judge John D. Bates
District of Columbia U.S. District Court
John Deacon Bates was born in October 1946 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He earned an undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University, after which he served in the U.S. Army. He later received his Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. He clerked for a judge of the Maryland U.S. District Court.
Bates went into private practice before he served as the assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. He became chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Division. He served as deputy independent counsel for the Whitewater investigation. He returned to private practice. He served as deputy independent counsel during the investigation into President Bill Clinton.
President George W. Bush nominated Bases to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in September 2001. He was confirmed by the Senate and received his commission in December. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts appointed Bates to serve on the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court in 2006.
Bates is married to Carol Ann, and they have three children.
In the News…
Judge John D. Bates of the District of Columbia U.S. District Court issued an injunction requiring President Donald Trump’s administration to comply with the Presidential Records Act, including retaining text messages. The injunction comes as a lawsuit from the American Oversight and the American Historical Association seeks to ensure the administration preserves all presidential and vice presidential records under the act.
“The Records Act follows in a tradition, dating back to the Founding, of laws promoting integrity in public service,” Judge Bates wrote. “Plaintiffs allege injury from ongoing failures to preserve or decisions to improperly dispose of records that they intend later to seek under FOIA, as provided for by the Act.“
“The government argues that ‘informal conversations‘ and text messages ‘that contain no unique information‘ fall outside the Act’s ambit because it is ‘implausible that Congress intended‘ to cover such communications,“ Judge Bates noted. “However, provided that material meets the statutory definition of a presidential record under section 2201(2), the plain text of section 2209 admits of no such exception.“
Judge Bates continued, “Plaintiffs have likely established a substantial risk of injury because the [administration’s] 2026 Records Guidance on text messages conflicts with section 2209 of the Records Act and because it is uncertain whether the government intends either to preserve records created by the President or Vice President themselves or to comply with section 2203(c) in disposing of records.“
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Judge Bates today? You can let him know at:
The Honorable John D. Bates
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse
333 Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20001
