was an American jurist from Puerto Rico. He served as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit from 1984 until his death, and as chief judge of that court from 1994 to 2001. He was the first and, to date, only Hispanic to serve on the First Circuit, which includes Puerto Rico.[1]
Before becoming an appellate judge, he served as a district judge on the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico from 1974–1984. He was also a competitive sailor, competing for the Puerto Rican team at the Summer Olympic Games in 1964, 1968, 1972, and 1976