U. S. District Judge Roger Benitez has retired.

Benitez, a Cuban refugee, grew in the Imperial Valley. An appointee of President George W. Bush, Benitez has served as a District Judge since 2004. He has been on semi-retired senior status since 2017. Prior to that he served as a U.S. Magistrate Judge in El Centro. According to Benitez, he will now spend more time with his children and grandchildren.