Quick Facts
Biography
Peter Jo Messitte (born 1941) is a Senior United States federal judge of the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.
Biography
Born in Washington, D.C., Messitte received a B.A. from Amherst College in 1963 and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School in 1966. He was a Peace Corps volunteer in São Paulo, Brazil from 1966 to 1968. He was in private practice in Washington, D.C., from 1969 to 1971. He was in private practice in Chevy Chase, Maryland from 1971 to 1985. He was an Associate judge, Circuit Court, Montgomery County, Maryland from 1985 to 1993.
On August 6, 1993, Messitte was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Maryland vacated by Joseph C. Howard, Sr. Messitte was confirmed by the United States Senate on October 18, 1993, and received his commission on October 20, 1993. He assumed senior status on September 1, 2008.
On July 15, 2014, in a procedural order for a lawsuit against the Washington, D.C. football team, Judge Messitte banned the use of the word "Redskins" in his courtroom and in court documents. The judge did not explain the reason for his order, but it was assumed to be due to the Washington Redskins name controversy.