---
title: "Philip S. Gutierrez | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/philip-s-gutierrez-1308"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-10-09"
---

# Philip S. Gutierrez

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: 2026-06-30

## Biography

### Professional career

- Judge, District Court, C.D. California, 2007-present
- Judge, Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, 2000-2007
- Following the unification of the Los Angeles court system in 2000, he held the role of a Los Angeles Superior Court judge until 2007
- Judge, Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, 1997-2007

### Education

- University of Notre Dame — B.A. (1981)

### Additional information

- He retired from active service on October 22, 2024.
- Gutierrez became Chief Judge on June 26, 2020, following the end of Cormac J. Carney’s tenure, and served in that role until March 30, 2024, when Judge Dolly M. Gee succeeded him.
- received his commission on February 16, 2007.
- Gutierrez began his judicial career in 1997 when he was appointed to the Whittier Municipal Court by Governor Pete Wilson.
- Private practice, California, 1986-1997
- Date of birth: 1959-01-01
- Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary High School
- During his federal judicial service, Gutierrez presided over a wide range of complex civil cases and was a founding member of the U.S. District Court’s Patent Pilot Program, designed to enhance expertise in patent litigation.
- He also handled high-profile cases, including the trial of Xbox modding defendant Matthew Crippen, where he criticized the prosecution for presenting witnesses who had illegally recorded evidence and had previously modified Xbox consoles themselves, leading to the dismissal of the case.
- Birth place: Los Angeles, CA

## Sources

- [Official profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1308/philip-s-gutierrez/)
- [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1308/philip-s-gutierrez/)
- [U.S. District Court for the Central District of California current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1308/philip-s-gutierrez/)
- [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1308/philip-s-gutierrez/)
- [Judge Dolly M. Gee Succeeds Judge Philip S. Gutierrez as Chief Judge of the Central District Of California | Central District of California | United States District Court](https://www.cacd.uscourts.gov/news/judge-dolly-m-gee-succeeds-judge-philip-s-gutierrez-chief-judge-central-district-california)
- [Gutierrez, Philip S. | Federal Judicial Center](https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/gutierrez-philip-s)
- [Wikidata: Philip S. Gutierrez](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7184330)

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## 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.