| United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (S.D.N.Y.) |
|
| Appeals to | Second Circuit |
|---|---|
| Established | September 24, 1789 |
| Judges assigned | 28 |
| Chief judge | Loretta A. Preska |
| Official site | |
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case citations, S.D.N.Y.) is a federal district court. Appeals from the Southern District of New York are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).
The Southern District is one of the most influential and active federal district courts in the United States, largely because of its jurisdiction over New York's major financial centers. The current U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York is Preet Bharara.
Contents |
The Court's jurisdiction comprises the following counties: New York (Manhattan), Bronx, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Orange, Dutchess, and Sullivan. The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. Courthouses are located in Manhattan, White Plains, and Middletown.
The United States District Court for the District of New York was one of the original 13 courts established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, 1 Stat. 73, on September 24, 1789.[1][2] It existed for nearly twenty-five years before, on April 9, 1814, New York was divided into Northern and Southern Districts by 3 Stat. 120.[1][2] The subdivision of the district was reportedly instigated by Matthias Burnett Tallmadge, out of antipathy for fellow district judge William P. Van Ness.[3] These Districts were later further subdivided with the creation of Eastern District on February 25, 1865 by 13 Stat. 438,[2] and the Western District on May 12, 1900, by 31 Stat. 175.[2]
For the first hundred years of its existence, the case load of the District was dominated first by admiralty cases, and then by a mix of admiralty and bankruptcy cases.[3]
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has 28 authorized judgeships, filled by judges appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Twenty Four judges who have taken senior status are eligible to continue hearing cases. As of June 1, 2009, the Chief Judge of the District is Judge Loretta A. Preska, succeeding Judge Kimba Wood, who assumed senior status.
The District Judges (active and senior) sitting are:
| # | Seat last held by | Vacancy reason | Date of vacancy | Nominee | Nominated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alvin Hellerstein | Senior status | January 31, 2011 | Jesse M. Furman | June 7, 2011 |
| 2 | Lewis A. Kaplan | Senior status | February 1, 2011 | Ronnie Abrams | July 28, 2011 |
| 3 | Shira Scheindlin | Senior status | August 16, 2011 | N/A | N/A |
| 4 | Richard M. Berman | Senior status | September 11, 2011 | N/A | N/A |
| 5 | Denise Cote | Senior status | December 15, 2011 | N/A | N/A |
|
|||||||||||||||||