1 . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁professor ▁of ▁law ▁at ▁the ▁S . J . ▁Qu in ney ▁College ▁of ▁Law ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Ut ah ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁and ▁since ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁ ▁District ▁court ▁service ▁ ▁On ▁September ▁ 4 , ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁Cass ell ▁was ▁nominated ▁by ▁President ▁George ▁W . ▁Bush ▁to ▁a ▁seat ▁on ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁District ▁Court ▁for ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Ut ah ▁vac ated ▁by ▁David ▁Sam . ▁Cass ell ▁was ▁confirmed ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Senate ▁on ▁May ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁and ▁received ▁his ▁commission ▁on ▁May ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁While ▁serving ▁as ▁a ▁judge , ▁Cass ell ▁wrote ▁several ▁opinions ▁that ▁received ▁w ides p read ▁attention , ▁including ▁the ▁first ▁detailed ▁district ▁court ▁opinion ▁to ▁declare ▁the ▁federal ▁sent encing ▁gu idel ines ▁un const itution al ▁and ▁a ▁length y ▁opinion ▁dec ry ing ▁a ▁fifty - five ▁year ▁mand atory ▁minimum ▁prison ▁sentence ▁he ▁was ▁comp elled ▁to ▁imp ose ▁for ▁a ▁low - level ▁drug ▁deal er , ▁W eld on ▁Angel os . ▁Cass ell ▁later ▁wrote ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁President ▁Ob ama ▁request ing ▁a ▁sentence ▁commut ation , ▁and ▁there after ▁pro sec utors ▁agreed ▁to ▁release ▁Angel os . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁Chief ▁Justice ▁Re hn qu ist ▁appointed ▁Cass