{{short description|American attorney}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Anne Tompkins.jpg | name = Anne M. Tompkins | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1962}} | birth_place = Waynesboro, Virginia, U.S. | partner = | alma_mater = University of North Carolina at Charlotte <small>(B.A.)</small><br/>University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill <small>(M.P.A./J.D.)</small> | title = United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina | term_start = April 2010 | term_end = October 2015 | appointer = Barack Obama | preceded = Gretchen C.F. Shappert | successor = R. Andrew Murray | party = }} '''Anne Magee Tompkins''' (born 1962) is an American lawyer who served as the United States Attorney for the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.
== Early life and education == Born in Waynesboro, Virginia, Tompkins attended Central Piedmont Community College and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. She then went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was awarded a Master in Public Administration and a Juris Doctor.<ref name=jud>{{cite web|url=http://judiciary.senate.gov/nominations/111thCongressExecutiveNominations/USAttorneys/upload/USA-Thompkins.pdf|title=Senate Judiciary Committee Questionnaire: Anne M. Tompkins|access-date=2010-06-22|archive-date=2020-05-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200519135558/http://judiciary.senate.gov/nominations/111thCongressExecutiveNominations/USAttorneys/upload/USA-Thompkins.pdf/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Career == Tompkins joined the Mecklenburg County District Attorney's office in 1992 as an Assistant D.A., staying for five years until April 1997. After a brief interlude in private practice in Charlotte, she returned to the Mecklenburg County D.A.'s office just six months after leaving. In May 2000, she left the D.A.'s office to become an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Western District of North Carolina, serving for five years. While working as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, she was detailed to Baghdad for eight months to help prosecute Saddam Hussein.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2009/12/25/1144344_tompkins-wins-nomination-as-us.html |title=Tompkins wins nomination as U.S. attorney: Charlotte lawyer said she is 'honored' by Obama's decision to select her |date=December 25, 2009 |work=The Charlotte Observer }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
In August 2005, Tompkins joined Alston & Bird, a Charlotte law practice, as a partner. There, she specialized in white collar criminal defense and corporate compliance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alston.com/anne-tompkins-confirmed-as-the-next-united-states-attorney-for-the-western-district-of-north-carolina-04-23-2010/ |title=Anne Tompkins Confirmed as the Next United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina |work=Alston & Byrd LLP |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100614200923/http://www.alston.com/anne-tompkins-confirmed-as-the-next-united-states-attorney-for-the-western-district-of-north-carolina-04-23-2010/ |archive-date=2010-06-14 }}</ref>
On December 23, 2009, Tompkins was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved her nomination unanimously on March 25, 2010;<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/03/26/1336971/senate-panel-endorses-us-attorney.html |title=Senate panel endorses U.S. Attorney nominee |work=The Charlotte Observer |date=March 26, 2010 }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> she gained unanimous approval from the full Senate on April 22.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://hagan.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=553 |title=Two Hagan-recommended nominees in Western District are confirmed by the U.S. Senate |work=Office of U.S. Senator Kay Hagan |date=April 22, 2010 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100609004307/http://hagan.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=553 |archive-date=June 9, 2010 }}</ref>
On March 18, 2011, Tompkins attracted controversy when she described a man's minting of his own currency as "a unique form of domestic terrorism" that is trying "to undermine the legitimate currency of this country."<ref>{{cite news|work=Politico|title=U.S. Attorney calls currency minting 'terrorism'|url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/ben-smith/2011/03/us-attorney-calls-currency-minting-terrorism-034328?showall|date=March 19, 2011}}</ref> The comment related to the successful conviction of Bernard von NotHaus, who was found guilty of creating and distributing a counterfeit currency.<ref>{{cite news|agency=Reuters |title=Man convicted of creating counterfeit U.S. currency |url=http://www.the33tv.com/sns-rt-usreport-us-crime-ctre72j46l-20110320,0,1948778.story |date=March 20, 2011 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110324184458/http://www.the33tv.com/sns-rt-usreport-us-crime-ctre72j46l-20110320%2C0%2C1948778.story |archive-date=March 24, 2011 }}</ref> The Justice Department press release on the matter quotes her as saying: “While these forms of anti-government activities do not involve violence, they are every bit as insidious and represent a clear and present danger to the economic stability of this country".<ref>Id.</ref> Tompkins pushed for the maximum 22-year sentence,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://coinweek.com/featured-news/us-attorney-says-using-gold-as-money-is-terrorism-after-bernard-von-nothaus-found-guilty-of-counterfeiting/|title=U. S. Attorney Says Attempts To Use "Liberty Dollar" As Money Is Domestic Terrorism|date=March 21, 2011|access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref> but a U.S. district court judge sentenced him to three years probation, plus six months in house arrest.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.coinworld.com/news/us-coins/2014/12/judge-sentences-liberty-dollar-founder-to-probation.all.html|title=Federal judge sentences Liberty Dollar creator Dec. 2 to probation for 2011 conviction|author=Paul Gilkes|publisher=Coin World|date=December 3, 2014|access-date=January 13, 2018}}</ref> Her efforts here even earned mention in The New York Sun for A ‘Unique’ Form of ‘Terrorism'.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nysun.com/editorials/a-unique-form-of-terrorism/87269/|author=Editorial|title=A 'Unique' Form of 'Terrorism'|date=March 20, 2011|access-date=January 13, 2018 }}</ref>
== Personal life == In her time as a United States Attorney, Tompkins "engaged in extensive outreach to the LGBT, Arab-Muslim and Sikh communities, and has met with leaders of numerous faith-based organizations."<ref>{{cite web |website=justice.gov|publisher=DOJ Western District of North Carolina|location=U.S. Department of Justice Attorney's Office|url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc/pr/usattorney-anne-m-tompkins-announces-departure|title=U. S. Attorney Anne M. Tompkins Announces Departure|date=February 23, 2015|access-date=2018-01-13}}</ref> She was also active in helping transform the culture of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) through Project "Engage!" where Charlotte schools’ decision to explore the experiences of LGBT youth were noteworthy,<ref>{{cite web |author=Matt Comer|website=qnotes.com|publisher=QNotes the LGBT publication|location=Charlotte, N.C.|url=https://goqnotes.com/15943/cms-making-efforts-to-document-anti-gay-harassment/|title=CMS Making Efforts to Document Anti-Gay Harassment|date=July 17, 2012|access-date=2018-01-13}}</ref> At the time of her appointment she was one of four openly LGBT U.S. Attorneys, alongside Jenny Durkan of the Western District of Washington, Laura Duffy of the Southern District of California and Robert L. Pitman of the Western District of Texas.<ref>{{cite news |first= Kyung M.|last= Song|title=Coming out helps lessen others' fears, says U.S. Attorney Durkan |work=Seattle Times |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012175123_durkan22m.html|date=June 21, 2010 |access-date=June 22, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100626003647/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012175123_durkan22m.html| archive-date= 26 June 2010 <!--DASHBot-->| url-status= live}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.justice.gov/usao/ncw/attorney/index.html U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070820224156/http://www.justice.gov/usao/ncw/attorney/index.html |date=2007-08-20 }}
{{s-start}} {{s-legal}} {{s-bef|before=Gretchen C.F. Shappert}} {{s-ttl|title=United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina|years=2010–2015}} {{s-aft|after=R. Andrew Murray}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tompkins, Anne}} Category:1962 births Category:Living people Category:North Carolina lawyers Category:University of North Carolina at Charlotte alumni Category:University of North Carolina School of Law alumni Category:United States attorneys for the Western District of North Carolina Category:LGBTQ appointed officials in the United States Category:American LGBTQ lawyers Category:LGBTQ people from North Carolina Category:LGBTQ people from Virginia Category:Lawyers from Charlotte, North Carolina Category:People from Waynesboro, Virginia Category:20th-century American lawyers Category:20th-century American women lawyers Category:21st-century American lawyers Category:21st-century American LGBTQ people Category:21st-century American women lawyers