Source: United States Department of Justice News
Kelly Thornton (619) 546-9726
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 1, 2022
SAN DIEGO – Veteran federal prosecutor Andrew R. Haden today became second-in-command of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, one of the busiest federal districts in the nation.
Haden, who was selected by U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman, was promoted to fill the vacancy created by the departure of David Leshner. Leshner – a 15-year veteran of the U.S. Attorney’s Office – was recently selected to become a United States Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of California.
As First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Haden will oversee the day-to-day operations of the office and serve as a trusted advisor to the U.S. Attorney.
Haden is a career federal prosecutor. He joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2010, after being selected through the Attorney General’s Honors Program. During his almost-12 years in the San Diego office, Haden has worked in the General Crimes Section, as a Deputy Chief in both the Reactive and Major Crimes Sections, as the Chief of the Violent Crimes & Human Trafficking Section, and most recently as the Chief of the Criminal Division.
During those assignments, he established himself as a trial lawyer who is passionate about firearms offenses and crimes against children. In 2020, Haden received the nationwide Director’s Award for Superior Performance in a Managerial or Supervisory role from the Executive Office for United States Attorney’s for “extraordinary leadership contributions” to the Department of Justice from 2016-2019. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Haden served as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Thomas J. Whelan in the Southern District of California.
“We are thrilled that Andrew has agreed to accept this important role,” U.S. Attorney Grossman said. “Andrew’s strong leadership skills, deep and diverse experience as a prosecutor and his exceptional judgment and strength of character will serve him and our district well as First Assistant U.S. Attorney.”
A San Diego native, Haden is a graduate of University City High School. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Stanford University. After college, Haden was commissioned as an Officer in the United States Navy where he served for five years, which included two overseas deployments. For his last assignment, Haden was the Navigator on the USS MOBILE BAY (CG-53), a guided-missile cruiser homeported in San Diego. Haden received his law degree from the University of San Diego.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office enforces federal criminal laws in the Southern District of California, which includes San Diego and Imperial counties, and represents the federal government in civil litigation. The office is composed of approximately 140 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and 145 staff members.