2020 Top 10 Richest Judges from Puerto Rico

7. Gustavo Gelpí

Gustavo Antonio Gelpí Jr. (born 1965) is the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. At age 40, he was the youngest judge at the time of his appointment. 

On April 24, 2006, Gelpí was nominated by President George W. Bush to a seat on the District of Puerto Rico vacated by Hector M. Laffitte. He was endorsed by the Hispanic National Bar Association and the Puerto Rico Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.[1] Gelpí was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate on July 20, 2006, and received his commission on August 1, 2006. He has been serving as Chief Judge since April 13, 2018. 

In September 2013 Judge Gelpi became National President of the Federal Bar Association, becoming only the second Hispanic and first federal judge to achieve this milestone. He is also a Sustaining Life Fellow of the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association. 

He is the author of a court opinion in the case of Consejo de Salud de la Playa de Ponce vs. Rullan, that holds that Puerto Rico is no longer an unincorporated territory of the United States, and has thus become an incorporated territory. In his opinion, Judge Gelpi notes that his ruling doesn’t override the United Supreme Court’s Insular Cases.