Thomas J. Whelan (judge)
Thomas John Whelan is a Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California.Early life and education
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Whelan received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of San Diego in 1961 and a Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1965.Career
Whelan was a contracts administrator, planner and estimator for General Dynamics Corp. from 1961 to 1969. He was a deputy district attorney of San Diego from 1969 to 1989.Judicial service
Whelan was a judge on the Superior Court of California, San Diego County from 1990 to 1998. As a superior court judge, Whelan presided over the infamous Betty Broderick trials in San Diego.
Whelan is a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. Whelan was nominated by President Bill Clinton on June 4, 1998, to a seat vacated by John Skylstead Rhoades Sr. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 21, 1998, and received his commission on October 22, 1998. He assumed senior status on August 15, 2010.
