Judge Bonner is graduate of the University of Maryland and Georgetown Law School. After clerking for a U.S. District Judge, he served for three years on active duty in the United States Navy, Judge Advocate General's Corp. Following his years in the military, Judge Bonner spent four and one half years as an Assistant United States Attorney in Los Angeles before turning to private practice in 1975. In 1984, Judge Bonner returned to public service as the United States Attorney for the Central District of California (1984-1989). He was subsequently appointed to the United States District Court for the Central District of California by former President Bush in 1989 (1989-1990). Former President Bush went on to appoint him as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Agency in 1993 (1990-1993). Most recently, Judge Bonner was a partner in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.

Judge Bonner is also a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a past president of the Federal Bar Association, Los Angeles Chapter. He was the Chairman of California's Commission on Judicial Performance, and is a member of the California and District of Columbia bars. He is on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, and he recently served as co-chair of California Lawyers for Bush-Cheney.

Judge Bonner is a native of Wichita, Kansas. He and his wife of thirty-one years, Kimiko, have one daughter, Justine.