Federico A. Moreno

Federico A. Moreno (born 1952) is an American lawyer and judge. He is the current chief judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Moreno was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with an Bachelor of Arts degree in 1974 and from the University of Miami School of Law with an J.D. in 1978.

Moreno was in private practice in Miami from 1978 to 1979. He served as assistant federal public defender in the Office of the U.S. Public Defender from 1979 to 1981 before returning to private practice in Miami from 1982 to 1986. Moreno served as a judge on the Dade County Court from 1986 to 1987. He served as a judge on the 11th Judicial Circuit Court from 1987 to 1990.

Moreno was nominated by George H.W. Bush on June 5, 1990 to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida to the seat vacated by Alcee Hastings, who was impeached. Confirmed by the Senate on July 13, 1990, he received commission on July 16, 1990. On the court Moreno has presided over several notable cases:

*In 2006, Moreno ruled that the government should not have returned to 15 Cuban immigrants that were found "standing on the pilings of an abandoned bridge in the Florida Keys." The federal government argued that the bridge "was rooted under water and was not United States territory," and thus the wet foot/dry foot policy did not apply. Moreno ordered the government to make "best efforts to help the immigrants return to the United States." [Aguayo, Terry. " [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9905E7DD1731F932A35750C0A9609C8B63 National Briefing | South: Florida: Judge Orders Help For Cubans] ." "New York Times" 1 March 2006.]
*In 2001, Moreno presided over the criminal trial of former Miami city manager, Donald Warshaw. Moreno sentenced Warshaw to a year in prison, fined him $30,000, and ordered him to pay $51,000 in restitution after he was convicted of stealing $69,788 from a children's charity. [" [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F01EED91238F934A35754C0A9679C8B63 National Briefing | South: Florida: Miami's Ex-City Manager Sentenced] ." "New York Times" 7 July 2001.]
*In 2000, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation sent Moreno more than 50 lawsuits against HMOs. [" [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0CE5D81531F936A15753C1A9669C8B63 Panel Sends 50 H.M.O. Suits to One Judge] ." "New York Times" 25 October 2000.] . In 2001, Moreno issued a mixed ruling. [Freudenheim, Milt. " [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9504E0DC113EF930A25755C0A9679C8B63 Judge Issues Mixed Rulings In Suits Against H.M.O.'s] ." "New York Times" 13 June 2001.] In 2002, Moreno "dismissed several charges against the nation's largest health insurance companies, but he said plaintiffs could proceed with accusations that the insurers had violated federal fraud and pension laws." The Moreno ruled that plaintiffs, who were health plan subscribers, could proceed with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act fraud claims against Aetna, Cigna, and United Healthcare, in addition to Humana. [Freudenheim, Milt. " [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9906E3DD153EF932A15751C0A9649C8B63 U.S. Judge Dismisses Several Accusations Against Health Insurers] ." "New York Times" 21 February 2002.] In 2003, Moreno ruled with 700,000 doctors over HMOs in a related case. [Freudenheim, Milt. " [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D02E4D81F3DF933A25751C1A9659C8B63 Judge Sides With Doctors Over Insurers] ." "New York Times" 10 December 2003.]

Moreno has served as chief judge on the court since 2007.

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