[2] His father was a naturalized United States citizen from Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico, and his mother from New York City of Dutch ancestry.

[3] Medina was nominated by President Truman on June 11, 1951, to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated by Judge Learned Hand.

[3] In 1949, Medina presided over the trial of 11 leaders of the United States Communist Party charged with advocating the violent overthrow of the government.

[4] He also gave prison sentences to five of the defense attorneys on charges of contempt of court; among them was George William Crockett Jr., who later became a Member of Congress.

Medina was the trial judge for the Dennis v. United States case that reached the federal supreme court.