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Diane Gujarati

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Diane Gujarati
Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Incumbent
Assumed office
September 18, 2020
Appointed byDonald Trump
Preceded byJohn Gleeson
Personal details
Born (1969-07-06) July 6, 1969 (age 55)
New York City, U.S.
EducationBarnard College (BA)
Yale University (JD)

Diane Gujarati (born July 6, 1969) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. She was nominated by both former US President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump, but she was only confirmed under Trump.

Biography

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Gujarati's father was an economics professor and her mother was a high school social studies teacher. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, from the Barnard College of Columbia University in 1990 and her Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 1995. She began her legal career as a law clerk to Judge John M. Walker Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 1995 to 1996.

After completing her clerkship, Gujarati was an associate in the New York City office of Davis Polk & Wardwell from 1996 to 1999. She was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1999 to 2020, where she served as Deputy Chief of the Appeals Unit in the Office's Criminal Division from 2006 to 2008. She was Deputy Chief of the Office's White Plains Division from 2008 to 2010, and then Chief from 2010 to 2012. From 2012 to 2020, Gujarati was the Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.[1] She previously served as an adjunct professor of clinical law at New York University School of Law from 2015 to 2018.[2]

Federal judicial service

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Expired nomination to district court under Obama

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On September 13, 2016, President Barack Obama nominated Gujarati to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, to the seat vacated by Judge John Gleeson, who resigned on March 9, 2016. She was recommended to Obama by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.[3] Gujarati's nomination drew no controversy, but it occurred late in Obama's presidency and was not acted upon. Her nomination expired on January 3, 2017, with the end of the 114th Congress.[4]

Renomination to district court under Trump

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In August 2017, Gujarati was one of several candidates pitched to U.S. Senators from New York Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand by the White House as part of a bipartisan package of judicial candidates for vacancies on the federal courts in New York.[5] On May 10, 2018, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Gujarati to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. On May 15, 2018, her nomination was sent to the Senate. On August 1, 2018, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[6] On September 13, 2018, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 21–0 vote.[7]

On January 3, 2019, her nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the Senate.[8] On April 8, 2019, President Trump announced the renomination of Gujarati to the district court.[9] On May 21, 2019, her nomination was sent to the Senate, she was renominated to the same seat.[10] On June 20, 2019, her nomination was reported out of committee by voice vote.[11] On September 9, 2020, the Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 94–2 vote.[12] On September 10, 2020, her nomination was confirmed by a 99–0 vote, with Senator Kamala Harris, who was on the campaign trail for her vice-presidential bid as the Democratic nominee, being the only Senator not to vote.[13] She received her judicial commission on September 18, 2020.[14] Upon taking office, Gujarati became the first Indian American to serve as an Article III federal judge in New York.[15]

Notable cases

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The OneTaste case (United States v. Cherwitz and Daedone, 23-CR-146) is among the more high-profile cases overseen by Judge Gujarati, given its media attention and legal complexity.[16][17] OneTaste, a wellness company founded by Nicole Daedone, promoted "Orgasmic Meditation" but faced allegations of misconduct following a 2018 Bloomberg article.[18][19] In June 2023, Daedone and former head of sales Rachel Cherwitz were indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit forced labor, with allegations spanning from 2006 to 2018, including economic, emotional, and psychological abuse, as well as coercion and intimidation.[20]

The case has sparked controversy over the prosecution's conduct, particularly regarding FBI Special Agent Elliot McGinnis. Defense attorneys have accused the FBI of mishandling evidence, improperly accessing privileged materials, and pressuring witnesses.[21] They also raised concerns about the alleged fabrication of evidence and the timing of Netflix's Orgasm Inc. documentary, which aired shortly before the indictment.[22] Despite these challenges, Judge Gujarati has denied defense motions for dismissal or evidentiary hearings, allowing the case to proceed toward trial.[23][24][25]

Personal life

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Gujarati has been married since 2000 to Charles Chesnut, who was a web site builder as of their wedding,[26] and who as of 2024 is a vice president at Integral, a communications firm.[27]

References

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  1. ^ "President Obama Nominates Diane Gujarati to Serve on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York". whitehouse.gov. September 13, 2016 – via National Archives.
  2. ^ Faculty at NYU Law: Diane Gujarati
  3. ^ "Gillibrand Statement: Four Years After Original Nomination, Diane Gujarati Is Confirmed For U.S. District Judge For The Eastern District Of New York" (Press release). September 10, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2020. "Diane Gujarati is a smart, fair and accomplished litigator with substantial experience in criminal prosecutions and appellate proceedings and an outstanding public servant," said Senator Gillibrand. "I was honored to recommend Ms. Gujarati and I applaud her confirmation to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, where I know she will distinguish herself through her continued service to New Yorkers."
  4. ^ "Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate". whitehouse.gov. September 13, 2016 – via National Archives.
  5. ^ Tillman, Zoe (August 7, 2017). "The White House Has Pitched A Nominee For Manhattan's Powerful US Attorney Opening". BuzzFeed. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  6. ^ "Nominations | United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary". www.judiciary.senate.gov. August 2018.
  7. ^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – September 13, 2018 Senate Judiciary Committee" (PDF).
  8. ^ "Trump Drops Obama Picks, N.Y., Calif. Names From Judges List". Bloomberg Law. January 23, 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  9. ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominations". whitehouse.gov – via National Archives.
  10. ^ "Twelve Nominations Sent to the Senate". whitehouse.gov – via National Archives.
  11. ^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – June 20, 2019, Senate Judiciary Committee" (PDF).
  12. ^ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Diane Gujarati to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of New York)". www.senate.gov.
  13. ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Diane Gujarati, of New York, to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of New York)". www.senate.gov.
  14. ^ Diane Gujarati at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  15. ^ Schuster, Brett (May 10, 2018). "NAPABA Applauds Nomination of Diane Gujarati to the U.S. District Court – EDNY". National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  16. ^ "Lawyers for 'orgasmic meditation' company founder refute prosecutors' ethics concerns". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2023-12-04. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  17. ^ "Sexual Wellness Startup's Founder Questions Strength of US Case". bloomberglaw. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
  18. ^ "OneTaste founder Nicole Daedone says she plans to testify at her trial". NBC News. 2024-11-13. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  19. ^ Member, Film ReporterNewsweek Is A. Trust Project (2022-11-07). "What happened to Nicole Daedone and where is the OneTaste founder now?". Newsweek. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  20. ^ "Eastern District of New York | OneTaste Founder and Former Head of Sales Indicted for Forced Labor Conspiracy | United States Department of Justice". www.justice.gov. 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  21. ^ "Feds Copied Privileged Doc In OneTaste Charges, Execs Say - Law360 Employment Authority". www.law360.com. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  22. ^ "FBI Told OneTaste Witness To Delete Evidence, Ex-Execs Say - Law360 Pulse". www.law360.com. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  23. ^ Release, Press (2024-10-04). "Court Ruling Highlights Ignored Allegations of FBI Misconduct in OneTaste Forced Labor Case". Legal Reader. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  24. ^ "OneTaste Argues in Court It's Not an "Orgasm Sex Cult", It's a Wellness Company". La Voce di New York. 2024-04-05. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  25. ^ "OneTaste Duo's Bid To Toss Charges Slapped Down By Judge - Law360 Employment Authority". www.law360.com. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
  26. ^ "WEDDINGS; Diane Gujarati, Charles Chesnut (Published 2000)". The New York Times. October 29, 2000 – via NYTimes.com.
  27. ^ "Charles Chesnut, Vice President, Insights & Experience, Integral".
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Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
2020–present 		Incumbent
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