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Biography
David Hittner (born 1939) is a Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
Born in Schenectady, New York, Hittner became an Eagle Scout, and received a B.S. from New York University in 1961 and a J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1964. After obtaining his law degree, Hittner joined the United States Army as a captain in 1965. The following year, Hittner left the army and was in private practice in Houston, Texas until 1978. He was an elected judge on the 133rd District Court of Texas from 1978 to 1986.
Hittner was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to the bench of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas on April 22, 1986, to a seat vacated by George E. Cire. Hittner was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 6, 1986, and received his commission on June 9, 1986. He assumed senior status on November 11, 2004. Throughout 2011 and 2012, Hittner presided over the legal proceedings against Allen Stanford, who was eventually convicted of various crimes related to the operation of a Ponzi scheme, and was sentenced by Hittner to 110 years in prison.