United States District Court for the District of Columbia

Not to be confused with Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
United States District Court for the District of Columbia
(D.D.C.)
Map

Location Washington, D.C.
Appeals to District of Columbia Circuit
Established 1863
Judges assigned 15
Chief judge Royce C. Lamberth
Official site

The United States District Court for the District of Columbia (in case citations, D.D.C.) is a federal district court. Appeals from the District are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).

Contents

History

The court was established by Congress in 1863 as the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia, replacing the abolished circuit and district courts of the District of Columbia that had been in place since 1801. The court consisted of four justices, including a chief justice, and was granted the same powers and jurisdiction as the earlier circuit court. Any of the justices could convene a United States circuit court or a local criminal court. In 1936, Congress renamed the court the District Court for the District of Columbia. Its current name was adopted in 1948, and from then on justices were known as judges.

Originally housed in the former District of Columbia City Hall, the court now sits in the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse located at 333 Constitution Avenue, Northwest, Washington, D.C. The District has no local district attorney or equivalent, and so local prosecutorial matters also fall into the jurisdiction of the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) are tasked with prosecution of not only federal crimes but also crimes that would normally be left to the state prosecutor's discretion. Because of this the District has the largest U.S. Attorney's Office in the nation, with around 250 AUSAs.

Current judges

# Title Judge Duty station Born Term of service Appointed by
Active Chief Senior
81 Chief Judge Royce C. Lamberth Washington, D.C. 1943 1987–present 2008–present (n/a) Reagan
85 District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan Washington, D.C. 1947 1994–present (n/a) (n/a) Clinton
88 District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly Washington, D.C. 1943 1997–present (n/a) (n/a) Clinton
90 District Judge Richard W. Roberts Washington, D.C. 1953 1998–present (n/a) (n/a) Clinton
91 District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle Washington, D.C. 1948 1999–present (n/a) (n/a) Clinton
92 District Judge Reggie Walton Washington, D.C. 1949 2001–present (n/a) (n/a) G.W. Bush
93 District Judge John D. Bates Washington, D.C. 1946 2001–present (n/a) (n/a) G.W. Bush
94 District Judge Richard J. Leon Washington, D.C. 1949 2002–present (n/a) (n/a) G.W. Bush
95 District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer Washington, D.C. 1945 2002–present (n/a) (n/a) G.W. Bush
96 District Judge Beryl A. Howell Washington, D.C. 1956 2010–present (n/a) (n/a) Obama
97 District Judge Robert L. Wilkins Washington, D.C. 1963 2010–present (n/a) (n/a) Obama
98 District Judge James E. Boasberg Washington, D.C. 1963 2011–present (n/a) (n/a) Obama
99 District Judge Amy Berman Jackson Washington, D.C. 1954 2011–present (n/a) (n/a) Obama
— District Judge (Vacant) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a)
— District Judge (Vacant) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a)
71 Senior District Judge Louis F. Oberdorfer Washington, D.C. 1919 1977–1992 (n/a) 1992–present Carter
74 Senior District Judge Joyce Hens Green Washington, D.C. 1928 1979–1995 (n/a) 1995–present [1] Carter
77 Senior District Judge Thomas F. Hogan Washington, D.C. 1938 1982–2008 2001–2008 2008–present Reagan
83 Senior District Judge Paul L. Friedman Washington, D.C. 1944 1994–2009 (n/a) 2009–present Clinton
84 Senior District Judge Gladys Kessler Washington, D.C. 1938 1994–2007 (n/a) 2007–present Clinton
86 Senior District Judge Ricardo M. Urbina Washington, D.C. 1946 1994–2011 (n/a) 2011–present Clinton
89 Senior District Judge Henry Harold Kennedy Jr. Washington, D.C. 1948 1997–2011 (n/a) 2011–present Clinton

Former judges

Judge Appointed by Began active
service		 Ended active
service		 Ended senior
status		 End reason
David Kellogg Cartter Abraham Lincoln 01863-03-11 March 11, 1863 01887-04-16 April 16, 1887 – death
George P. Fisher Abraham Lincoln 01863-03-11 March 11, 1863 01870-05-01 May 1, 1870 – resignation
Abram B. Olin Abraham Lincoln 01863-03-11 March 11, 1863 01879-01-13 January 13, 1879 – retirement
Andrew Wylie Abraham Lincoln 01863-03-18 March 18, 1863[2] 01885-05-01 May 1, 1885 – retirement
David Campbell Humphreys Ulysses Grant 01870-05-13 May 13, 1870 01879-07-02 July 2, 1879 – death
Arthur MacArthur, Sr. Ulysses Grant 01870-07-15 July 15, 1870 01887-04-01 April 1, 1887 – retirement
Alexander Burton Hagner Rutherford B. Hayes 01879-01-21 January 21, 1879 01903-06-01 June 1, 1903 – retirement
Walter Smith Cox Rutherford B. Hayes 01879-03-01 March 1, 1879 01899-07-01 July 1, 1899 – retirement
William Matthew Merrick Grover Cleveland 01885-05-01 May 1, 1885[3] 01889-02-04 February 4, 1889 – death
Martin V. Montgomery Grover Cleveland 01887-04-01 April 1, 1887[4] 01892-10-02 October 2, 1892 – resignation
Edward Franklin Bingham Grover Cleveland 01887-04-22 April 22, 1887[5] 01903-04-30 April 30, 1903 – retirement
Andrew Coyle Bradley Benjamin Harrison 01889-03-23 March 23, 1889 01902-05-15 May 15, 1902 – death
Louis E. McComas Benjamin Harrison 01892-11-17 November 17, 1892[6] 01899-03-03 March 3, 1899 – resignation
Charles Cleaves Cole Benjamin Harrison 01893-01-28 January 28, 1893 01901-04-22 April 22, 1901 – resignation
Harry M. Clabaugh William McKinley 01899-03-02 March 2, 1899 01903-05-01 May 1, 1903 – reappointment
Job Barnard William McKinley 01899-10-01 October 1, 1899[7] 01914-06-08 June 8, 1914 – retirement
Thomas H. Anderson William McKinley 01901-04-23 April 23, 1901[8] 01916-10-01 October 1, 1916 – death
Ashley Mulgrave Gould Theodore Roosevelt 01902-12-08 December 8, 1902 01921-05-20 May 20, 1921 – death
Harry M. Clabaugh Theodore Roosevelt 01903-04-01 April 1, 1903[9] 01914-03-06 March 6, 1914 – death
Jeter Connelly Pritchard Theodore Roosevelt 01903-11-16 November 16, 1903 01904-06-01 June 1, 1904 – reappointment
Daniel Thew Wright Theodore Roosevelt 01903-11-17 November 17, 1903 01914-11-15 November 15, 1914 – resignation
Wendell Phillips Stafford Theodore Roosevelt 01904-06-01 June 1, 1904[10] 01931-05-04 May 4, 1931 – retirement
James Harry Covington Woodrow Wilson 01914-06-15 June 15, 1914 01918-05-31 May 31, 1918 – resignation
Walter I. McCoy Woodrow Wilson 01914-10-02 October 2, 1914 01918-05-22 May 22, 1918 – reappointment
Frederick Lincoln Siddons Woodrow Wilson 01915-01-15 January 15, 1915 01931-06-19 June 19, 1931 – death
William Hitz Woodrow Wilson 01916-11-15 November 15, 1916[11] 01931-02-13 February 13, 1931 – reappointment
Thomas Jennings Bailey Woodrow Wilson 01918-05-22 May 22, 1918 01950-11-01 November 1, 1950 01963-01-09 January 9, 1963 death
Walter I. McCoy Woodrow Wilson 01918-05-22 May 22, 1918 01929-12-08 December 8, 1929 – retirement
Adolph A. Hoehling, Jr. Warren G. Harding 01921-06-13 June 13, 1921 01927-12-31 December 31, 1927 – resignation
Peyton Gordon Calvin Coolidge 01928-03-29 March 29, 1928 01941-02-04 February 4, 1941 01946-09-17 September 17, 1946 death
Alfred Adams Wheat Herbert Hoover 01929-05-03 May 3, 1929 01930-06-04 June 4, 1930 – reappointment
Alfred Adams Wheat Herbert Hoover 01930-06-04 June 4, 1930 01941-12-31 December 31, 1941 01943-05-11 May 11, 1943 death
Jesse Corcoran Adkins Herbert Hoover 01930-06-17 June 17, 1930 01946-10-15 October 15, 1946 01955-03-29 March 29, 1955 death
Oscar Raymond Luhring Herbert Hoover 01930-07-03 July 3, 1930 01944-08-18 August 18, 1944 – death
Joseph Winston Cox Herbert Hoover 01930-07-07 July 7, 1930 01939-09-09 September 9, 1939 – death
James McPherson Proctor Herbert Hoover 01931-03-02 March 2, 1931 01948-03-05 March 5, 1948 – reappointment
F. Dickinson Letts Herbert Hoover 01931-05-05 May 5, 1931[12] 01961-05-31 May 31, 1961 01965-01-19 January 19, 1965 death
Daniel William O'Donoghue Herbert Hoover 01931-10-28 October 28, 1931[13] 01946-10-31 October 31, 1946 01948-06-29 June 29, 1948 death
Bolitha James Laws Franklin D. Roosevelt 01938-06-24 June 24, 1938 01945-02-23 February 23, 1945 – reappointment
Thomas Alan Goldsborough Franklin D. Roosevelt 01939-02-23 February 23, 1939 01951-06-16 June 16, 1951 – death
James Ward Morris Franklin D. Roosevelt 01939-06-19 June 19, 1939 01960-11-15 November 15, 1960 – death
David Andrew Pine Franklin D. Roosevelt 01940-03-29 March 29, 1940 01965-04-02 April 2, 1965 01970-06-11 June 11, 1970 death
Matthew Francis McGuire Franklin D. Roosevelt 01941-08-01 August 1, 1941 01966-10-07 October 7, 1966 01986-01-24 January 24, 1986 death
Edward C. Eicher Franklin D. Roosevelt 01942-01-23 January 23, 1942 01944-11-30 November 30, 1944 – death
Henry Albert Schweinhaut Franklin D. Roosevelt 01944-12-19 December 19, 1944 01956-11-16 November 16, 1956 01970-06-22 June 22, 1970 death
Bolitha James Laws Franklin D. Roosevelt 01945-02-23 February 23, 1945 01948-09-01 September 1, 1948 – reappointment
Alexander Holtzoff Harry S. Truman 01945-09-28 September 28, 1945 01967-12-31 December 31, 1967 01969-09-06 September 6, 1969 death
Richmond Bowling Keech Harry S. Truman 01946-10-14 October 14, 1946[14] 01966-11-01 November 1, 1966 01986-04-13 April 13, 1986 death
Edward Matthew Curran Harry S. Truman 01946-10-16 October 16, 1946[15] 01971-04-02 April 2, 1971 01988-01-10 January 10, 1988 death
Edward Allen Tamm Harry S. Truman 01948-06-22 June 22, 1948[16] 01965-03-16 March 16, 1965 – reappointment
Charles F. McLaughlin Harry S. Truman 01949-10-21 October 21, 1949[17] 01964-12-31 December 31, 1964 01976-02-05 February 5, 1976 death
James Robert Kirkland Harry S. Truman 01949-10-21 October 21, 1949[18] 01958-02-25 February 25, 1958 – death
Burnita Shelton Matthews Harry S. Truman 01949-10-21 October 21, 1949[19] 01968-03-01 March 1, 1968 01988-04-25 April 25, 1988 death
Walter Maximillian Bastian Harry S. Truman 01950-10-23 October 23, 1950[20] 01954-12-15 December 15, 1954 – reappointment
Luther Youngdahl Harry S. Truman 01951-08-29 August 29, 1951 01966-05-29 May 29, 1966 01978-06-21 June 21, 1978 death
Joseph Charles McGarraghy Dwight D. Eisenhower 01954-12-03 December 3, 1954 01967-12-17 December 17, 1967 01975-11-29 November 29, 1975 death
John Sirica Dwight D. Eisenhower 01957-03-28 March 28, 1957 01977-10-31 October 31, 1977 01992-08-14 August 14, 1992 death
George Luzerne Hart, Jr. Dwight D. Eisenhower 01958-08-29 August 29, 1958[21] 01979-05-16 May 16, 1979 01984-05-21 May 21, 1984 death
Leonard Patrick Walsh Dwight D. Eisenhower 01959-09-14 September 14, 1959 01971-10-05 October 5, 1971 01980-02-13 February 13, 1980 death
William Blakely Jones John F. Kennedy 01962-04-12 April 12, 1962 01977-03-20 March 20, 1977 01979-07-31 July 31, 1979 death
Spottswood William Robinson III Lyndon B. Johnson 01964-01-06 January 6, 1964[22] 01966-11-08 November 8, 1966 – reappointment
Howard Francis Corcoran Lyndon B. Johnson 01965-03-11 March 11, 1965 01977-11-30 November 30, 1977 01989-05-11 May 11, 1989 death
William Benson Bryant Lyndon B. Johnson 01965-08-11 August 11, 1965 01982-01-31 January 31, 1982 02005-11-13 November 13, 2005 death
Oliver Gasch Lyndon B. Johnson 01965-08-11 August 11, 1965 01981-11-30 November 30, 1981 01999-07-08 July 8, 1999 death
Aubrey Eugene Robinson Jr. Lyndon B. Johnson 01966-11-03 November 3, 1966 01992-03-01 March 1, 1992 02000-02-27 February 27, 2000 death
John Lewis Smith Jr. Lyndon B. Johnson 01966-11-03 November 3, 1966 01983-01-31 January 31, 1983 01992-09-04 September 4, 1992 death
Joseph Cornelius Waddy Lyndon B. Johnson 01967-03-04 March 4, 1967 01978-08-01 August 1, 1978 – death
Gerhard Alden Gesell Lyndon B. Johnson 01967-12-12 December 12, 1967 01993-01-22 January 22, 1993 01993-02-19 February 19, 1993 death
June Lazenby Green Lyndon B. Johnson 01968-06-07 June 7, 1968 01984-01-15 January 15, 1984 02001-02-02 February 2, 2001 death
John H. Pratt Lyndon B. Johnson 01968-06-07 June 7, 1968 01989-12-01 December 1, 1989 01995-08-11 August 11, 1995 death
Barrington D. Parker Richard Nixon 01969-12-19 December 19, 1969 01985-12-19 December 19, 1985 01993-06-02 June 2, 1993 death
Charles Robert Richey Richard Nixon 01971-05-05 May 5, 1971 01997-01-23 January 23, 1997 01997-03-19 March 19, 1997 death
Thomas Aquinas Flannery Richard Nixon 01971-12-06 December 6, 1971 01985-05-10 May 10, 1985 02007-09-20 September 20, 2007 death
Harold H. Greene Jimmy Carter 01978-05-19 May 19, 1978 01995-08-06 August 6, 1995 02000-01-29 January 29, 2000 death
John Garrett Penn Jimmy Carter 01979-03-23 March 23, 1979 01998-03-31 March 31, 1998 02007-09-09 September 9, 2007 death
Norma Holloway Johnson Jimmy Carter 01980-05-12 May 12, 1980 02001-06-18 June 18, 2001 02003-12-31 December 31, 2003 retirement
Thomas Penfield Jackson Ronald Reagan 01982-06-25 June 25, 1982 02002-01-31 January 31, 2002 02004-08-31 August 31, 2004 retirement
Stanley S. Harris Ronald Reagan 01983-11-14 November 14, 1983 01996-02-01 February 1, 1996 02001-06-02 June 2, 2001 retirement
George Hughes Revercomb Ronald Reagan 01985-12-17 December 17, 1985 01993-08-01 August 1, 1993 – death
Stanley Sporkin Ronald Reagan 01985-12-17 December 17, 1985 01999-02-12 February 12, 1999 02000-01-15 January 15, 2000 retirement
Michael Boudin George H. W. Bush 01990-08-07 August 7, 1990 01992-01-31 January 31, 1992 – resignation
James Robertson Bill Clinton 01994-10-11 October 11, 1994 02008-12-31 December 31, 2008 02010-06-01 June 1, 2010 retirement

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Currently Inactive
  2. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 5, 1864, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 20, 1864, and received commission on January 20, 1864.
  3. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 14, 1885, confirmed by the United States Senate on March 30, 1886, and received commission on March 30, 1886.
  4. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 20, 1887, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 26, 1888, and received commission on January 26, 1888.
  5. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 20, 1887, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 23, 1888, and received commission on January 23, 1888.
  6. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 6, 1892, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 25, 1893, and received commission on January 25, 1893.
  7. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 11, 1899, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 19, 1899, and received commission on December 19, 1899.
  8. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 5, 1901, confirmed by the United States Senate on February 4, 1902, and received commission on February 6, 1902.
  9. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on November 10, 1903, confirmed by the United States Senate on November 16, 1903, and received commission on November 16, 1903.
  10. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 6, 1904, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 13, 1904, and received commission on December 13, 1904.
  11. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 15, 1916, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 2, 1917, and received commission on January 2, 1917.
  12. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 15, 1931, confirmed by the United States Senate on February 17, 1932, and received commission on February 20, 1932.
  13. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 15, 1931, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 26, 1932, and received commission on February 23, 1932.
  14. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 8, 1947, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 22, 1947, and received commission on January 24, 1947.
  15. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 8, 1947, confirmed by the United States Senate on February 3, 1947, and received commission on February 5, 1947.
  16. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 13, 1949, confirmed by the United States Senate on March 29, 1949, and received commission on April 1, 1949.
  17. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 5, 1950, confirmed by the United States Senate on February 27, 1950, and received commission on March 1, 1950.
  18. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 5, 1950, confirmed by the United States Senate on March 8, 1950, and received commission on March 9, 1950.
  19. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 5, 1950, confirmed by the United States Senate on April 4, 1950, and received commission on April 7, 1950.
  20. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on November 27, 1950, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 14, 1950, and received commission on December 22, 1950.
  21. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 17, 1959, confirmed by the United States Senate on September 9, 1959, and received commission on September 10, 1959.
  22. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on February 3, 1964, confirmed by the United States Senate on July 1, 1964, and received commission on July 2, 1964.

External links