United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana

United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana
(M.D. La.)
Map

Appeals to Fifth Circuit
Established December 18, 1971
Judges assigned 3
Chief judge Brian Anthony Jackson
Official site

The United States Court for the Middle District of Louisiana (in case citations, M.D. La.) comprises the parishes of Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, Saint Helena, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana. Court is held at the United States Courthouse in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It falls under the jurisdiction of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit [1] (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).

Contents

History

On March 26, 1804, Congress organized the Territory of Orleans and created the United States District Court for the District of Orleans - the only time Congress provided a territory with a district court equal in its authority and jurisdiction to those of the states.[1] The United States District Court for the District of Louisiana was established on April 8, 1812, by 2 Stat. 701,[1][2] several weeks before Louisiana was formally admitted as a state of the union. The District was thereafter subdivided and reformed several times. It was first subdivided into Eastern and Western Districts on March 3, 1823, by 3 Stat. 774.[1][2]

On February 13, 1845, Louisiana was reorganized into a single District with one judgeship, by 5 Stat. 722,[1], but was again divided into Eastern and the Western Districts on March 3, 1849, by 9 Stat. 401.[1] Congress again abolished the Western District of Louisiana and reorganized Louisiana as a single judicial district on July 27, 1866, by 14 Stat. 300.[1] On March 3, 1881, by 21 Stat. 507, Louisiana was for a third time divided into Eastern and the Western Districts, with one judgeship authorized for each.[1] The Middle District was formed from portions of those two Districts on December 18, 1971, by 85 Stat. 741,[1] making it one of the youngest districts in the United States.

As of July 17, 2011, there is a vacancy due to the death of judge Ralph E. Tyson. No nomination is currently pending.

Current U.S. District Judges

# Title Judge Duty station Born Term of service Appointed by
Active Chief Senior
6 Chief District Judge Brian Anthony Jackson Baton Rouge 1960 2010–present 2011-present — Obama
5 District Judge James J. Brady Baton Rouge 1944 2000–present — — Clinton
— District Judge (vacant) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a)
2 Senior District Judge John Victor Parker Baton Rouge 1928 1979–1998 1979–1998 1998–present Carter
3 Senior District Judge Frank Joseph Polozola Baton Rouge 1942 1980–2007 1998–2005 2007–present Carter

Former U.S. District Judges

# Judge State Born/Died Active service Term as Chief Judge Senior status Appointed by Reason for
termination
1 West, Elmer GordonElmer Gordon West LA 1914–1992 1972[3]–1979 1978–1979 1979–1992 Kennedy, Kennedy death
4 Tyson, Ralph E.Ralph E. Tyson LA 1948-2011 1998–2011 2005–2011 — Clinton death

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h U.S. District Courts of Louisiana, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
  2. ^ a b Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 392.
  3. ^ Initially appointed to the Eastern District of Louisiana in 1961 by John F. Kennedy; reassigned to the Middle District of Louisiana in 1972.

External links