Judge Roger Benitez Retires, Leaving Behind a Major Second Amendment Legacy

AmmoLand ^ | April 9, 2026 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

Judge Roger T. Benitez, also known as “Saint” Benitez by supporters of the Second Amendment, has retired from federal service as of April 2, 2026. Judge Benitez was born in December 1950 in Havana, Cuba. He fled the Castro regime in Cuba in 1960 with his brother, speaking only Spanish at the time. His family was reunited and eventually settled in the Imperial Valley of California.

Judge Benitez graduated from the Central Union High School in El Centro, California, then obtained an Associate’s degree from Imperial Valley Community College in 1971, a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Diego State University in 1974, and a J.D. degree from Western State University College of Law’s San Diego campus in 1978. He spent 19 years in private practice in the Imperial Valley. He became a California Superior Court Judge from 1997 to 2001. Judge Benitez was appointed as a federal Magistrate judge in 2001. He was elevated to Federal District Judge in 2004 despite opposition from the American Bar Association. Judge Benitez assumed senior status on December 31, 2017

Judge Benitez first became known as “Saint” Benitez after his decision in Duncan v. Becerra, later renamed Duncan v. Bonta.

Judge Benitez was assigned the case before he assumed senior status. The case took nearly two years to adjudicate. In this case, Judge Benitez granted a motion for summary judgment against the State of California. The summary judgment was in effect from March 29 to April 5, 2019. It became known as “Freedom Week”. Estimates suggest hundreds of thousands of magazines were legally purchased and shipped into California during that week.

Seven years later, the case is still under review. It has been appealed to the Ninth Circuit.

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TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: banglist; benitez; drat; judge; saint

[marktwain]

Judge Benitez followed the Constitution. No wonder the ABA fought to keep him from becoming a federal judge.

[Big Red Badger]

“Freedom Week” was Fantastic!
Truck Loads of AR Magazines Flooded California and It was a Holiday like none other !

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

PMG sent 50 rd magazines to California in boxes that looked like they were giving the State the one finger salute.
https://auctions.ejsauction.com/auction-lot/pmag-d-60-ar-60-round-rifle-magazine-drum_1944CFBBAC/

[Big Red Badger]

It Was a Glorious Season !
The snickering in the backrooms was
Like we were up to No Good.
10-22 mags disappeared First.