Robert Frederick Collins
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Robert Frederick Collins (born 1931) is a former United States federal judge.
Collins was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He received a B.A. from Dillard University in 1951. He received an LL.B. from Louisiana State University Law School in 1954. He was in the United States Army from 1954 to 1956. He was in private practice in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1956 to 1972. He was an Instructor, Southern University Law School from 1959 to 1961. He was a Magistrate judge, Criminal District Court, New Orleans, Louisiana from 1972 to 1978.
Collins was a federal judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Collins was nominated by President Jimmy Carter on January 26, 1978, to a seat vacated by Alvin B. Rubin. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 17, 1978, and received his commission on May 19, 1978. Collins resigned on August 6, 1993, due to his impending impeachment hearings the next day. He had been in jail for two years on a bribery conviction.
In 1991, Judge Robert Frederick Collins was convicted of receiving money from a twice-convicted drug dealer, Gary Young, who was seeking a lighter sentence for his crimes. Young was also cooperating with federal prosecutors with whom he had signed a plea agreement. Marked bribe money was passed to the judge through an unsuspecting mutual acquaintance, John Ross, a longtime friend of the judge. Collins was sentenced to 82 months in a Florida prison and Ross was convicted and sentenced to 88 months in a New Mexico prison. Because federal judges have lifetime appointments, Collins continued to receive his $133,600 salary while in prison.[1]
On May 19, 1993, Rep. James Sensenbrenner introduced H.RES.176 , impeaching Judge Collins. It was referred to the House Judiciary Committee and died there. Later, in June, Jack Brooks tried again with H RES 207. With impeachment hearings looming, Collins resigned two months later.
Sources
- Robert Frederick Collins at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.