March 18, 2005
Immigration Judges Take Oath of Office
In New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS, La. – James A. Nugent and William Stogner were sworn in today as immigration judges during an investiture ceremony at 1 p.m. at the Federal Courthouse Building, 500 Poydras Street, New Orleans. Chief Immigration Judge Michael J. Creppy, from the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) in Falls Church, Va., administered the oath of office.
They join the ranks of more than 200 immigration judges located in 53 immigration courts throughout the nation. Immigration judges are responsible for conducting formal administrative proceedings to determine whether foreign-born individuals who are charged with violations of federal immigration law should be removed from the United States or may be granted relief from removal. Immigration judges decide each case independently and their decisions are final unless appealed or certified to the Board of Immigration Appeals. In the past year, immigration judges completed more than 250,000 matters. They also are authorized to administer oaths of citizenship to candidates for naturalization.
James A. Nugent was appointed as an immigration judge for the Oakdale Immigration Court in February 2005. He received his undergraduate degree in 1978 from the University of Southwestern Louisiana and his juris doctorate in 1987 from Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University. From July 2003 to February 2005, Judge Nugent was an examining attorney for the Delta Title Corporation in New Orleans. He was in private practice from December 2000 to July 2003 with the Law Offices of James A. Nugent and was a special partner with Deutsch, Kerrigan & Stiles, L.L.P., from June 1997 to December 2003, both in New Orleans. Judge Nugent is a member of the Louisiana Bar.
William (Wayne) Stogner was appointed as an immigration judge for the New Orleans Immigration Court in January 2005. He received his undergraduate degree in 1971 and his juris doctorate in 1974, both from the University of Mississippi. Judge Stogner held positions as a staff attorney, deputy chief attorney examiner, and senior panel attorney with the Board of Immigration Appeals in Falls Church, Va., from 1978 to 2005. He served as a captain in the U.S. Army, Office of the Judge Advocate General, Washington, D.C., from 1974 to 1978. Judge Stogner is a member of the Mississippi State Bar.
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