On April 3, 1980, President
Jimmy Carter nominated Aguilar to a new seat on the
United States District Court for the Northern District of California created by 92 Stat. 1629. Aguilar was confirmed by the
United States Senate on June 18, 1980, and received his commission the same day. On March 19, 1990, the case ended in
acquittal on Obstruction, and in a
mistrial on the other counts. He was retried over the summer and convicted on five counts. and sentenced to six months in prison, 1,000 hours of community service and fined $2,000 on conviction of unlawfully disclosing a Government wiretap and obstructing justice by lying to Federal agents about it. He continued to be out on bail while his appeals took place and refused to resign. In 1993, he faced impeachment proceedings, but they were put on hold when the conviction was overturned the following year. For this reason, he was able to assume
senior status on April 15, 1996, but chose to retire two months later on June 24, 1996. ==Post judicial service==