Senate Confirms Superior Court Judge Fred W. Slaughter as United States District Judge for the Central District of California

On March 17, 2022, the United States Senate confirmed President Joe Biden’s nomination of Orange County Superior Court Judge Fred W. Slaughter to serve as a federal district judge for the United States District Court for the Central District of California.  Judge Slaughter will preside over matters in Santa Ana in the Court’s Southern Division.

Judge Slaughter has served as a Superior Court Judge for Orange County Superior Court since February 2014 following his appointment by Governor Jerry Brown.  Judge Slaughter has presided over civil, criminal, juvenile, and other state law matters, including presiding over bench and jury trials.  Most recently, Judge Slaughter was assigned to the unlimited civil panel.  As a Superior Court Judge, he spent two years presiding over Juvenile Recovery Court, which provides individualized and comprehensive solutions to juveniles facing addiction and mental health issues.  He also served as Supervising Judge for the Superior Court’s North Justice Center from January 2019 through February 2021.

Prior to his appointment as a Superior Court Judge, Judge Slaughter served as an Assistant United States Attorney from 2002 to 2014 in the District of Arizona (2002–2004), the Central District of California (2004–2008, 2010–2014), and the District of Oregon (2008–2010).  As an Assistant United States Attorney, Judge Slaughter investigated, charged, and prosecuted a broad range of federal offenses, including drug trafficking, firearm, child exploitation, violent crime (including bank robberies and violent offenses committed on Native American lands), organized crime committed by street and prison gang members, human trafficking, identity theft, and fraud.  He appeared regularly before the grand jury, participated in hearings, tried bench and jury trials, wrote appellate briefs and appeared before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  Additionally, from 2004 to 2006, he served as the Central District of California’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Coordinator, overseeing the prosecution of federal firearm offenses, forming a task force to address issues related to firearm offenses, and conducting regular trainings with law enforcement officials.  In 2007, he became the Central District of California’s Anti-Gang Coordinator.  In that capacity, he implemented gang-related prevention, intervention, enforcement, and reentry strategies throughout the District, and coordinated with other districts on similar initiatives.  In 2012, Judge Slaughter became the Deputy Chief of the Central District of California’s Santa Ana office.

From 2000 to 2002, before joining the United States Attorney’s Office, Judge Slaughter served as a Deputy City Attorney in the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office.  There he prosecuted a variety of cases, including domestic violence, theft, and firearm offenses.  He also tried bench and jury trials.

Throughout his career, Judge Slaughter has been involved in several bar and judges associations. 

Judge Slaughter received his Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from University of California, Los Angeles, in 1996, and his Juris Doctor degree from University of California, Los Angeles, in 1999.

Judge Slaughter fills the vacancy that arose when former District Judge Andrew J. Guilford assumed senior status in July 2019.  Including the appointment of Judge Slaughter, the Central District of California has 28 authorized Article III judgeships, 5 of which are currently unfilled.  The Central District of California is comprised of the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo.  It serves more than 19.3 million people, nearly half the population of the State of California.

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KIRY K. GRAY
DISTRICT COURT EXECUTIVE / CLERK OF COURT