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Susan Webber Wright

Susan Webber Wright (born September 6, 1948) is an American jurist serving in as a District Judge for the Eastern District of . Appointed by President and confirmed by the in 1990, Wright initially handled cases in both the Eastern and Western Districts of before focusing on the Eastern District, where she served as chief judge from 1998 to 2005. Prior to her judicial appointment, she clerked for the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and spent fourteen years as a faculty member, associate professor, and assistant dean at the at School of Law, becoming the to serve as editor of the Law Review. Wright drew national attention for presiding over high-profile cases tied to President , including the 1998 dismissal on of Paula Jones's lawsuit against him for lack of evidence of damages and, in 1999, her finding of civil against —the first such against a sitting president—for providing misleading testimony under oath in the case. She also oversaw Whitewater-related proceedings, such as ordering the imprisonment of for after her refusal to testify. Additionally, Wright ruled in 2014 that Arkansas's prohibition on abortions after twelve weeks of pregnancy violated the , blocking its enforcement. Her service extended to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court from 2009 to 2016, reflecting her broader role in federal oversight of matters. Wright assumed in 2013, continuing selective duties amid a career marked by adherence to legal precedents over political considerations in politically charged litigation.

Early life and education

Childhood and family origins

Susan Webber Wright was born Susan Webber on September 6, 1948, in Texarkana, Miller County, Arkansas, to attorney Thomas E. Webber III and Betty Webber. She was the eldest child in her family, with one younger sister. The Webbers were part of one of Texarkana's longstanding families, with her father practicing law in the community. Thomas Webber, known locally as Tommy Webber, died when his daughter was sixteen years old in 1964, prompting her mother Betty to enter the workforce at a local bank to support the family. Wright grew up in Texarkana, a small border city straddling the Arkansas-Texas line, in an environment influenced by her father's legal profession and family discussions on history and politics. This familial background in law later shaped her career path, as she cited academic interest and family influence in pursuing legal studies.

Undergraduate and legal education

Wright earned a degree from in , in 1970, attending on a despite economic challenges in her family background. Following her undergraduate studies, she pursued graduate education at the at Fayetteville, obtaining a in 1973. She then enrolled in the School of Law at Fayetteville, funding her tuition through summer and part-time jobs, and received her [Juris Doctor](/page/Juris Doctor) in 1975. During her time at the law school, Wright studied navigation law under Professor William Jefferson Clinton, who later became governor of and U.S. president. This educational path positioned her for subsequent roles in legal academia and clerkship.

Pre-judicial career

Academic roles and teaching

Wright served as a faculty member at the William H. Bowen School of Law, , from 1976 to 1990. She began as an and assistant dean from 1976 to 1978, advanced to from 1980 to 1983, and subsequently held the rank of full professor. During this period, she contributed to legal education in for 14 years prior to her federal judicial appointment. In addition to her primary role at UA Little Rock, Wright held visiting academic positions, including as a visiting assistant professor at the School of Law in Fayetteville in 1980. She also served as a visiting at the College of Law. These roles expanded her teaching experience beyond her home institution, focusing on legal subjects aligned with her expertise in areas such as constitutional and .

Legal practice and advisory positions

Following her graduation from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1975, Susan Webber Wright served as a to Judge J. Smith Henley on the Court of Appeals for the Eighth from 1975 to 1976. In 1979, she worked as a for the Constitutional Convention, contributing to the review and analysis of proposed constitutional amendments during the state's convention process that year. No records indicate engagement in private legal practice or firm-based representation during this period; her pre-judicial legal roles were primarily in judicial clerkship and advisory support for governmental reform efforts.

Judicial appointment and confirmation

Nomination by President George H.W. Bush

President nominated Susan Webber Wright to serve as a District Judge for the Eastern District of on September 21, 1989, to fill the vacancy left by Elsijane Trimble Roy, who had taken . At the time of her nomination, Wright was an associate professor of law at the School of Law in Fayetteville, where she had taught since 1980 and specialized in federal jurisdiction, , and . The nomination followed a recommendation from Arkansas's senior congressman, , who highlighted Wright's qualifications as a legal scholar with prior clerkship experience under Judge J. Smith Henley of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Bush's selection aligned with his administration's emphasis on appointing judges with strong academic backgrounds and conservative judicial philosophies, though Wright's nomination drew limited partisan controversy due to her relatively non-political profile in legal academia. The dual-district aspect of the appointment reflected Arkansas's judicial structure, allowing the judge to handle cases across both the Eastern and Western Districts as needed. This nomination was part of Bush's broader effort to fill federal judicial vacancies with experienced practitioners, amid a inherited from the prior administration; by late , over 100 district court seats nationwide were vacant. Wright's relatively swift path to nomination underscored her uncontroversial reputation and regional ties, as a native Arkansan with degrees from and the .

Senate confirmation process

Wright's nomination advanced through the Senate Judiciary Committee following a hearing on November 7, 1989, and a favorable report on November 16, 1989. The full confirmed her on January 23, 1990, without recorded opposition, enabling her to receive a judicial commission the following day. This process reflected the relatively swift handling typical of uncontroversial district court nominees during the 101st Congress, amid President George H.W. Bush's broader effort to fill federal vacancies. Her confirmation marked her as the first woman appointed to the federal bench in .

Federal judicial service

Tenure on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of

Susan Webber Wright's service on the for the Eastern District of Arkansas began on December 1, 1990, following her reassignment from the Western District of Arkansas due to statutory changes in judicial assignments. She held active status until August 22, 2013, when she assumed at age 65, allowing her to continue handling cases on a reduced caseload while maintaining eligibility for full pay and benefits under federal judicial retirement provisions. From 1998 to 2005, Wright served as Chief Judge of the Eastern District, overseeing court administration, case assignments, and judicial operations during a period that included managing docket backlogs and implementing procedural reforms. In this leadership role, she signed general orders, such as amendments to local rules in 2001 and 2009, to streamline court processes. Her tenure as chief judge aligned with the district's handling of diverse federal matters, including petitions and antitrust actions, though specific caseload statistics varied annually based on filings in the three divisions (Eastern, Western, and Pine Bluff). Post-senior status, Wright has remained available for duty, participating in selected proceedings as of 2025, consistent with the practice of senior s who collectively provide substantial courtroom hours to alleviate active workloads. Her overall spanned over 22 years in on the Eastern District bench, marked by consistent engagement in and appellate-related federal litigation.

Service on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court

In May 2009, Susan Webber Wright was appointed by Chief Justice John Roberts to a seven-year term on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), a body established under the of 1978 to review government applications for warrants authorizing surveillance of foreign powers and agents of foreign powers. Her service began on May 19, 2009, and ended on May 18, 2016. As a member of the FISC, Wright participated in a panel of judges selected to ensure judicial oversight of executive branch requests for electronic surveillance and physical searches in investigations, operating primarily in secret proceedings with access to . During her tenure, which overlapped with heightened scrutiny of intelligence practices following the , 2001, attacks and expansions of surveillance authorities, no specific opinions or dissents authored solely by Wright have been publicly disclosed, consistent with the court's classified nature and limited of proceedings.

Transition to senior status

On August 22, 2013, Susan Webber Wright assumed on the for the Eastern District of after over 23 years of active service, having met the eligibility criteria under 28 U.S.C. § 371 by reaching age 65 with sufficient years on the bench. This transition, announced in 2012, enabled her to maintain judicial duties on a voluntary, reduced caseload—typically hearing fewer cases while freeing up a full-time judgeship for new appointees—without full retirement, thereby continuing to support the court's operations amid caseload demands. Wright's move to created a vacancy filled by subsequent nominees, reflecting standard judicial , and she has since handled select matters, including case reassignments noted in orders post-2013. Her continued service underscores the role of judges in alleviating docket pressures, as evidenced by her prior full-time tenure handling high-profile civil and criminal cases since her 1990 commission.

Notable rulings and cases

Paula Jones sexual harassment lawsuit against Bill Clinton

In 1994, Paula Corbin Jones filed a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas against then-President Bill Clinton and former Arkansas state trooper Danny Ferguson, alleging sexual harassment stemming from an encounter on May 8, 1991, at the Excelsior Hotel in Little Rock, where Jones claimed Clinton exposed himself and made unwanted advances after being summoned to his hotel room by Ferguson. The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Susan Webber Wright, who on December 28, 1994, ruled that while a trial could not occur until Clinton left office to avoid interference with presidential duties, pretrial discovery and fact-finding, including depositions, could proceed immediately. Clinton appealed the discovery aspect to the U.S. Supreme Court, which in Clinton v. Jones (520 U.S. 681, 1997) unanimously rejected his claim of temporary immunity from civil suits for pre-presidency actions, affirming Wright's approach and allowing the case to advance. Wright managed extensive , including ordering on August 22, 1997, to respond to about his relationships with other state employees, which Jones's attorneys argued could demonstrate a pattern relevant to her claims of and under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and Title VII. This ruling permitted Jones's team to pursue evidence of Clinton's conduct with other women, contributing to the revelation of his affair with during pretrial proceedings. Clinton's deposition occurred on January 17, 1998, under Wright's oversight, where his responses under oath later factored into related investigations but did not directly alter the core claims. On April 1, 1998, Wright granted to Clinton and Ferguson, dismissing all three counts of Jones's complaint—, , and —ruling that, even assuming the truth of Jones's allegations for purposes of the motion, the single alleged incident did not constitute actionable under Title VII or § 1983 because it lacked evidence of tangible job detriment, pressure, or a sufficiently severe and pervasive hostile environment. Wright emphasized that "the alleged incident... does not constitute within the meaning of Title VII," as Jones failed to demonstrate career harm or retaliation following the encounter, and the conduct, while offensive, did not meet the legal threshold for employer liability absent further impact on employment terms. The claim was dismissed due to lack of provably false statements causing damage, and emotional distress was deemed non-outrageous as a matter of law. Jones appealed the dismissal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, but on November 13, 1998, the parties reached an out-of-court settlement wherein agreed to pay Jones $850,000 without admitting wrongdoing or liability, mooting the appeal and leading to formal dismissal of the case.

Contempt citation against Bill Clinton

In the Paula Jones sexual harassment lawsuit against President Bill Clinton, U.S. District Judge Susan Webber Wright issued a civil contempt citation against Clinton on April 12, 1999, ruling that he had willfully violated the court's discovery orders by providing intentionally false, misleading, and evasive testimony under oath during his January 17, 1998, deposition. Wright specifically identified five instances of such testimony, including Clinton's denials of having a sexual relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, his claims of not being alone with her, and assertions that he did not recall certain gifts exchanged between them—statements contradicted by subsequent evidence such as Lewinsky's testimony, physical evidence, and Clinton's own later admissions. This marked the first time a sitting U.S. president was held in civil contempt of court. Wright opted for civil rather than criminal , emphasizing that the purpose was remedial—to compensate for the prejudice caused to the opposing party—rather than punitive, and she declined to refer the matter for criminal prosecution despite having the authority to do so. As a remedy, she ordered to reimburse Paula Jones's legal team for all reasonable expenses and attorneys' fees incurred due to his violations, excluding any fees related to the overall merits of the case. On July 29, 1999, following a hearing on the fee petition, Wright imposed a specific fine of $90,686 on , covering approximately 89 hours of additional attorney work necessitated by the misleading deposition, though she reduced the requested amount from over $496,000 after finding some claimed hours excessive or unrelated. paid the fine in full shortly thereafter. The ruling occurred after Wright had granted dismissing Jones's claims against on April 1, 1998, on presidential immunity grounds, but she addressed the discovery misconduct separately to uphold the integrity of the judicial process. Independent counsel Kenneth Starr's investigation into potential had overlapped with these proceedings, but Wright's decision focused narrowly on civil sanctions within her , avoiding escalation to criminal charges despite evidence of sworn falsehoods that paralleled Clinton's for and obstruction in the Lewinsky matter. The citation drew mixed reactions, with supporters praising Wright's evenhanded enforcement of discovery rules against a sitting president, while critics questioned its timing and severity amid Clinton's by the on charges earlier that year.

Rulings on abortion restrictions and other civil rights cases

In Edwards v. Beck (4:13-cv-00224), U.S. District Judge Susan Webber Wright issued a temporary on May 17, 2013, blocking enforcement of Bill 134, which prohibited after 12 weeks of gestation except in cases of , , or to save the mother's life. Wright determined that the law's restrictions preceded —the standard established in (1973) and reaffirmed in (1992)—and thus imposed an undue burden on women's pre-viability abortion rights without sufficient evidence of state interest in fetal protection at that stage. On March 14, 2014, Wright permanently struck down the 12-week ban as unconstitutional, reiterating that failed to justify departing from the viability threshold, typically around 22-24 weeks, and that the effectively nullified a core right under existing . However, she upheld the bill's requirement for abortion providers to perform an and offer to display the images to patients, finding it did not impose an undue burden as it provided informational rather than prohibitive effects. The state appealed, but the Eighth affirmed the ban's invalidation in 2015, and the denied in 2016; Wright later ordered to pay $25,528 in plaintiffs' attorneys' fees and costs on March 11, 2016. Beyond abortion restrictions, Wright presided over civil rights matters including claims under Title VII of the of 1964. In Nassar v. Jackson (3:11-cv-00133), she granted in favor of defendants in 2015, dismissing claims of and by Ray Nassar and Gena Smith against their employer, finding insufficient evidence of pretextual motives behind termination decisions. In a 1994 sexual harassment case prior to her Clinton-related notoriety, Wright ruled against a female alleging verbal and physical workplace abuse, determining the conduct did not meet the legal threshold for a under Title VII. Wright also oversaw the 2010 settlement in United States v. City of (4:09-cv-00073), a Department of Justice action alleging a pattern of excessive police force, false arrests, and in practices violating the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments; the agreement mandated policy reforms, training, and oversight without a contested ruling from Wright. These decisions reflect Wright's application of federal precedents in evaluating evidentiary burdens and constitutional limits, though critics of her abortion rulings argued they deferred overly to Roe-era standards amid evolving state interests in fetal heartbeat detection, while proponents viewed them as safeguarding established rights against legislative overreach.

Criminal sentencing and other federal matters

In federal criminal proceedings unrelated to high-profile political figures, Wright presided over the trial of bankers Herby Branscum Jr. and Robert M. Hill, who faced charges of , , and misapplication of funds stemming from unreported loans and campaign contributions potentially linked to state political activities. The acquitted the defendants on four counts but deadlocked on seven others, after which prosecutors elected not to retry the case. Wright's sentencing record in criminal convictions encompassed drug trafficking, , and child exploitation offenses, with narcotics and drug-related cases comprising a leading category of her dispositions over multiple years. from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse indicate that, across the five years preceding recent analyses, her prison term was 42.5 months—11.5% below the Eastern District of Arkansas —and her average sentence was 23.1 months, 20.3% lower than the district average. A specific example includes her July 2, 2019, imposition of a 420-month (35-year) on Robert Nathan Hensley for producing and distributing , following his guilty plea to related federal charges. In other federal matters, Wright issued rulings on procedural issues such as guideline amendments for sentence reductions, consistently denying motions lacking merit under post-sentencing policy changes. She also adjudicated appeals from sentencing determinations, including consecutive terms for violations like felon-in-possession offenses, upholding 84-month sentences in line with statutory mandates.

Controversies and public perceptions

Criticisms of leniency in Clinton-related decisions

Critics contended that U.S. District Judge Susan Webber 's dismissal of Paula Corbin Jones's against President Bill on on April 1, 1998, demonstrated undue leniency by prematurely resolving factual disputes in Clinton's favor without a . ruled that, even assuming Jones's account of Clinton exposing himself and propositioning her in was true, the conduct did not constitute actionable under federal law, as it failed to create a or meet standards for harassment absent evidence of job detriment. Opponents, including legal commentators, argued this interpretation applied an overly narrow or lenient reading of Title VII protections, effectively shielding from accountability for alleged misconduct and bypassing evaluation of credibility and intent. In the subsequent contempt proceedings arising from Clinton's January 17, 1998, deposition in the Jones case, Wright's April 12, , finding of civil for his "willfully false" testimony regarding —followed by a $90,000 fine on July 29, , to cover Jones's related legal expenses—was faulted by some as a mild rebuke insufficient for perjury-level by a sitting . described the penalty as a "minimal ," noting Clinton "got off fairly easily" given the gravity of lying under oath, with Wright opting against criminal referral that could have entailed or harsher scrutiny. Critics like Nathan Lewin asserted that civil understated the offense's criminal nature under federal statutes, potentially signaling judicial deference to executive power. This approach, they claimed, prioritized procedural closure over robust deterrence, especially as Wright declined extended hearings or independent fact-finding beyond established record facts.

Accolades for judicial independence and accountability measures

On April 12, 1999, U.S. District Judge Susan Webber Wright held President Bill Clinton in civil contempt of court for deliberately providing false and misleading testimony under oath during his January 17, 1998, deposition in the Paula Jones sexual harassment lawsuit, marking the first time a sitting U.S. president had been so cited. Wright imposed a $90,090.95 fine on Clinton—calculated to cover Jones's attorney's fees and costs related to the false statements—and referred the matter for consideration of criminal contempt charges, emphasizing that his actions undermined the rule of law and violated Jones's right to relevant discovery. In her 32-page opinion, Wright explicitly rejected any constitutional immunity for the president from such accountability, stating there was "no constitutional barrier" to the contempt finding despite Clinton's status as chief executive. Legal scholars and commentators commended Wright's ruling as a demonstration of , particularly given the political pressures surrounding a from her home state of . Robert Bork, former U.S. Court of Appeals judge, stated that "the judge has upheld the ," highlighting the decision's role in affirming that no individual, including the , is above judicial oversight. Chairman Jim Nicholson echoed this, describing the citation as a vindication of the against evasion. The ruling's enforcement mechanisms, including the fine and potential referral—which contributed to Clinton's later voluntary surrender of his law license in 2001—were cited as concrete accountability measures that reinforced judicial impartiality amid Clinton's proceedings. Wright's handling of the contempt matter contrasted with her earlier April 1, 1998, dismissal of Jones's core claims on grounds, which some viewed as lenient toward , yet collectively underscored her reputation for independence unbound by partisan expectations. Profiles of Wright prior to and during the case portrayed her as exhibiting "fairness, confidence, and, if necessary, boldness," with associates like Jim Rhodes affirming she was "above political pressure" and possessed the "courage" to issue unpopular rulings in high-stakes matters. Such assessments, drawn from legal peers in , highlighted her adherence to evidentiary standards over external influences, as evidenced by her prior holdings against associates like in Whitewater-related proceedings.

Broader debates on her impact in high-profile political cases

Wright's dismissal of the sexual harassment lawsuit against President on April 1, 1998, ignited debates over whether in politically charged cases inadvertently shields powerful figures from broader scrutiny of executive conduct. Critics, including Clinton opponents and some Republican observers, argued that her —concluding that Jones' allegations of a single, unwelcome advance, even if true, failed to constitute actionable under Title VII of the —prioritized narrow legal technicalities over the moral and political implications of presidential behavior, potentially emboldening similar misconduct by diminishing incentives for accountability. In contrast, defenders of the ruling, encompassing legal scholars and commentators across the spectrum, emphasized its fidelity to statutory requirements for proving a through severe or pervasive actions that alter employment terms—a standard unmet by the isolated 1991 incident described, which Wright characterized as "boorish and offensive" but insufficiently extreme. This perspective framed her decision as a bulwark against the weaponization of civil suits for ends, arguing it preserved judicial resources for meritorious claims amid the Clinton scandals' media frenzy. Her April 12, 1999, finding of civil against for deliberately misleading testimony about —imposing a $90,000 fine and referring the matter for possible bar sanctions—counterbalanced these critiques by exemplifying impartial enforcement, as it marked the first contempt citation against a sitting U.S. and underscored that obligations apply universally, irrespective of . Supporters hailed this as evidence of her , noting it defied expectations tied to her Republican appointment by President , while skeptics questioned if the civil rather than criminal option reflected calibrated severity to avoid deeper entanglement in proceedings. These rulings fueled wider discourse on the judiciary's calibration of legal merits against political gravity, with analysts debating whether Wright's approach established a for insulating presidents from peripheral litigation—thus stabilizing —or eroded by appearing to compartmentalize ethical lapses from enforceable norms. Her decisions, occurring amid probes and Lewinsky revelations, were credited by some with clarifying boundaries between private indiscretions and , influencing subsequent evaluations of official accountability in polarized contexts, though mainstream coverage often downplayed conservative grievances in favor of procedural praise.

Personal life and later activities

Family and relationships

Susan Webber Wright married Robert R. Wright III, a law professor and co-founder of the at Little Rock's William H. Bowen School of Law, in 1983. Robert Wright, who was 17 years her senior and held the title of Donaghey of Law , died on June 4, 2006, after a battle with illness. The couple had one daughter, Robin Elizabeth Wright. Robin Wright married Richard Cleary Jr., a lawyer, on September 2, 2017, in Little Rock, Arkansas. Following Robert Wright's death, Susan Webber Wright remarried and adopted the surname Carter, thereafter known as Susan Webber Wright Carter. No further details on her second marriage or additional family members have been publicly documented in reliable sources.

Post-senior status engagements

Following her assumption of on August 22, 2013, Susan Webber Wright continued to serve on the for the Eastern District of with a reduced caseload, handling select civil and criminal matters. Her judicial engagements included issuing orders in cases such as Martin v. Browning on January 5, 2021, dismissing claims related to , and Wright v. Hutchinson on February 24, 2021, addressing motions in a civil rights action. She also ruled on a forfeiture matter on August 25, 2020, in a case involving seized currency. Wright's service on the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, to which she had been appointed in 2009 for a seven-year term, extended until May 18, 2016, overlapping the initial period of her . Beyond the bench, Wright delivered the commencement address at the School of Law on May 16, 2015, reflecting on her career and emphasizing themes of fairness and boldness in judicial service; the speech was subsequently broadcast on . No further public lectures, board memberships, or teaching roles have been documented in available records.

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