Appointed By: Pres. William J. Clinton
The Hon. Raner C. Collins (Ret.) is a senior judge on the United States District Court for the District of Arizona. Collins was nominated to the bench by former President Bill Clinton on May 11, 1998, filling a seat vacated by the Hon. William D. Browning. His nomination was confirmed by the United States Senate on July 31, 1998. He assumed senior status on March 4, 2019.
Collins has presided over a number of noteworthy cases during the course of his federal judicial career. For example, in Flores v. Arizona, he ordered the Arizona State Legislature to pay for adequate English language instruction in public schools or face mounting monetary sanctions. He also presided over United States v. Scott Warren, wherein a human rights activist was acquitted of charges of illegally harboring undocumented immigrants.
Prior to his appointment, Collins was a judge on the Pima County Superior Court, a position to which he was named in 1988. Before that, he spent three years as a judge pro tempore for the Superior Court of Arizona (1985 to 1988).
Collins earned a B.A. from Arkansas Polytechnic College in 1973. He then completed a J.D. at the University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law, in 1975, where he was one of two African American students in his graduating class.
He is licensed to practice in Arizona (1976).
After graduating from law school, Collins began his legal career as a deputy county attorney with the Pima County Attorney’s Office. He served in that capacity until 1981, at which time he became a magistrate on the Tucson City Court. Then, in 1983, he was named County Attorney for Pima County.
Collins was born in Malvern, Arkansas. He and his wife, Theresa, raised two children.
| Current Appointment U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona | U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona |
| Previous Appointment Pima County Superior Court | Pima County Superior Court |
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Education
J.D., University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law - 1975 B.A., Arkansas Polytechnic College - 1973 |
J.D., University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law - 1975 B.A., Arkansas Polytechnic College - 1973 |
| Official Website www.azd.uscourts.gov | www.azd.uscourts.gov |
| Current Court: | AZ - U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona |
|---|---|
| Previous Court: | AZ - Pima County Superior Court |
| Clerk phone: | +1 (520) 205-4540 |
| Role | Employer | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Deputy County Attorney | Office of the Pima County Attorney | Pima County, Arizona |
| Magistrate | Tucson City Court | Pima County, Arizona |
| County Attorney | Office of the Pima County Attorney | Pima County, Arizona |
| Judge Pro Tempore | Pima County Superior Court | Pima County, Arizona |
| Judge | Pima County Superior Court | Pima County, Arizona |
| Judge | United States District Court for the District of Arizona | None |
| Senior Judge | United States District Court for the District of Arizona | Pima County, Arizona |
Martindale: Judge Profile: Hon. Raner C Collins
Wikipedia: Raner Collins
Wildcat Wednesday Letter of the Law: Lifetime Achievement Awardee Judge Raner Collins ('75)
Ballotpedia: Raner Collins
Federal Judicial Center: Collins, Raner Christercunean
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