Former California Eastern District Judge Oliver Wanger has been released from prison following domestic violence allegations

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Former U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of California, Oliver Wanger, was released on bail Tuesday on domestic violence allegations following an arrest in Fresno over the weekend.

A graduate of USC and UC Berkeley, Wanger served as an assistant district attorney for Fresno in the late 1960s before becoming a law professor. From 1975 to 1980, Wanger served as the Mendota city attorney at the time. After returning to law and academia for several years, Wanger then became a judge of the Superior Court of Fresno County in 1988. Three years later, in 1991, Wanger was elevated to the rank of U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of California by the then President. George HW Bush.

Wanger then served as a district judge for the next 20 years, becoming senior judge of the court in 2006. Towards the end of his career in the late 2000s and early 2010s, Judge Wanger was known for his rulings on the California water system and the Delta water pump allocation, in which he was known for strongly questioning those who took strong environmental positions.

Since retiring in 2011, Wanger had been mostly quiet while staying peripherally on the law through a law group in Fresno, being used, among other things, as a referee. However, on Saturday, Wanger was arrested at his home in Fresno for alleged domestic violence. Although further details of the allegations have yet to be released, Wanger is known to have posted bond and maintained his innocence.

On Tuesday, his attorney Peter Kapetan released a statement saying, “I have known Oliver Wanger for over 30 years both professionally and personally. He is a pillar of the community and an icon of the legal profession. As a former United States District Court federal judge, he was thoroughly vetted by the FBI and has an impeccable record. Throughout his 82 years, Mr. Wanger has donated his expertise to benefit this community and dedicated countless hours to local charities.

“It is unfortunate that he has had this allegation against him. There are two sides to this allegation and, as his lawyer, I remain hopeful that an objective examination of the facts will require that no charges be brought. However , if charges are filed, Mr. Wanger will vigorously defend himself and we expect full vindication.

Legal experts noted Tuesday that while the judges have been charged with serious offenses in the past, Wanger’s allegations don’t seem to fit the mold.

“Usually in cases where a judge or other notable person is charged with something or something similar, we see the details come out quickly,” legal adviser Janet Kuhl explained to The Globe on Tuesday. “But we don’t see that here. We still have a few months to see what comes out, but the fact that he came out so quickly and that he and his legal team are prepared to fight possible charges, well, we can’t speculate, but they’re very confident and prepared for whatever comes next.

After being released on bail this week, Wanger is then set to face trial for arraignment on March 2.

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