Judge R. Gary Klausner: Professional Background and Legal Expertise

Overview

The Hon. R. Gary Klausner is a judge for the United States District Court for the Central District of California[1]. Klausner was appointed to the bench by former President George W. Bush on November 15, 2002, after nomination on July 18, 2002, and confirmation by the United States Senate on November 14, 2002[2].

Before his federal appointment, Klausner served as a court commissioner for the Pasadena Municipal Court from 1974 to 1980[1]. Former Governor Jerry Brown appointed him to the Pasadena Municipal Court in 1980[1]. Five years later, former Governor George Deukmejian appointed him to the Los Angeles County Superior Court[1]. On the superior court, he served as supervising judge of the criminal departments in 1991, assistant presiding judge in 1993, and presiding judge from 1995 to 1996[1].

On the federal bench, he sentenced James Ancheta to nearly five years in federal prison in 2006 after Ancheta was charged with installing malicious software on government computers. The matter was described at the time as the first botnet-related prosecution in United States history. In July 2026, Klausner declared a plaintiff in a series of digital-privacy suits a vexatious litigant and entered a pre-filing order for future California Invasion of Privacy Act cases in the Central District[3].

Educational background

Klausner earned a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame in 1963[1]. He then completed a B.S. at the University of Notre Dame in 1964[1]. At Loyola Law School, he completed a J.D. in 1967[1]. He was admitted to the State Bar of California (January 1969).

Career history

After law school, Klausner served as a captain in the United States Army from 1967 to 1969, including service during the Vietnam War[1]. In 1969, he joined the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office as a deputy district attorney and remained there until 1974[1].

Personal life

Klausner was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1941[2]. He graduated from Loyola High School[1].

Klausner is registered as a Republican.

References

[1] U.S. District Court for the Central District of California — Honorable R. Gary Klausner
[2] Federal Judicial Center — Robert Gary Klausner
[3] Duane Morris Alert — Central District of California Declares Serial CIPA Plaintiff Vexatious Litigant