--- title: "John F. Walter | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-f-walter" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-08" --- # John F. Walter U.S. District Court for the Central District of California · U.S. District Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Central District of California - State: California - Role: U.S. District Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-08-16 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, District Court, C.D. California, 2002-present - On January 23, 2002, Walter was nominated by President George W. Bush to a seat on the United States District Court for the Central District of California, vacated by Judge John Davies - He returned to private practice from 1972 to 2002, gaining extensive experience in civil and criminal law. - Assistant U.S. attorney, Central District of California, 1970-1972 - Began his legal career in private practice in California from 1969 to 1970, then held the role of an Assistant United States Attorney for the Central District of California from 1970 to 1972 - Judge Walter conducts in-person hearings in Courtroom 7A of the Central District of California ### Education - Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, California — J.D. (1969) - Loyola University of Los Angeles School of Law in — J.D. (1969) - Loyola University of Los Angeles in — B.A. (1966) - Loyola Marymount University ### Additional information - received his commission on May 1, 2002. - John F. Walter was born on November 3, 1944, in Buffalo, New York. - Date of birth: 1944-01-01 - Remote appearances are allowed only under specific circumstances with prior court approval. - Counsel must follow detailed procedures for filing motions, submitting exhibits, and requesting continuances United States Courts. - Seasoned federal judge with decades of legal experience, known for handling complex civil, criminal, and intellectual property cases. - Cassirer v. - Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection Foundation: Involved art restitution and international law matters. - His tenure on the Central District of California bench has been marked by careful adherence to procedural rules and significant rulings in high-profile matters. - He has also ruled on cases involving major corporations, intellectual property disputes, and class-action lawsuits, reflecting his broad judicial experience. - He has served on the court since then, presiding over a wide range of civil and criminal cases. - Birth place: Buffalo, NY ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### civil remote testimony Scope: courtwide In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards. Evidence excerpt: For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location. [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### criminal recording and broadcasting Scope: courtwide Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception. Evidence excerpt: Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom. [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://apps.cacd.uscourts.gov/Jps/) - [Official roster](https://apps.cacd.uscourts.gov/Jps/) - [apps.cacd.uscourts.gov judicial profile or roster](https://apps.cacd.uscourts.gov/Jps/) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3361/john-f-walter/) - [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) - [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) - [Federal Judicial Center — Biographical Directory of Federal Judges](https://www.fjc.gov/sites/default/files/history/judges.csv) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3361/john-f-walter/) - [Wikidata: John F. Walter](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16106839) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/3361/john-f-walter/) - [Wikidata: John F. Walter](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16106839) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-f-walter", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-f-walter", "name": "John F. Walter | KnowJudges", "description": "John F. Walter, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-08", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-f-walter#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-f-walter#judge", "name": "John F. 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Walter", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/john-f-walter" } ] } ] } ``` ## Federal civil docket activity Dataset updated through 2026-06-30. | Period | Assigned cases | Terminated cases | Median disposition (months) | Median sample | | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | | 1y | 314 | 48 | 1.5 | 48 | | 2y | 755 | 380 | 2.1 | 380 | | 5y | 2142 | 1748 | 3 | 1748 | | 10y | 5004 | 4607 | 3.5 | 4607 | Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/ ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-651872d6e45e0d82319ecccc) — Civil actions in United States District Courts; Rule 81 exceptions apply. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.