United States District Court for the Southern District of California (S.D. Cal.) |
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Appeals to | Ninth Circuit |
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Established | August 5, 1886 |
Judges assigned | 13 |
Chief judge | Irma Elsa Gonzalez |
Official site |
The United States District Court for the Southern District of California (in case citations, S.D. Cal.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the following counties in California: Imperial and San Diego.[1] In terms of filed indictments, it is one of the busiest criminal districts in the United States.[2] Cases from the Southern District of California are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).
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California was admitted as a state on September 9, 1850, and was initially divided into two districts, the Northern and the Southern, by Act of Congress approved September 28, 1850, 9 Stat. 521.[3] The boundary line was at the 37th parallel of North Latitude.[4] The creating act provided that:
The Act of August 31, 1852 made the Judge of the Northern District be Judge of the Southern District as well until otherwise provided, by 10 Stat. 76, 84,[3] effectively creating a single District in all but name until an Act of January 18, 1854 provided for the appointment of a Judge for the Southern District.[4] The Southern District of California was abolished and the State made to constitute a single district - the United States District Court for the District of California - by Act of Congress approved July 27, 1866, 14 Stat. 300.[3][4]
Twenty years later, on August 5, 1886, Congress re-created the Southern District of California by 24 Stat. 308.[4] Erskine M. Ross was appointed Judge of the new district and served until his promotion to the Circuit Judgeship, when he was succeeded by Olin Wellborn.[4] On March 18, 1966, the Eastern and Central Districts were created from portions of the Northern and Southern Districts by 80 Stat. 75.[3]
On August 25, 2006, Judges of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California hosted a ceremonial ribbon-cutting to recognize elected officials who helped obtain funding for a new federal courthouse in downtown San Diego.
The event was held on the future site of the new courthouse, a 2¼ acre parcel of land west of the existing Jacob Weinberger U.S. Courthouse. The site was formerly occupied by an aging residential hotel, which was brought down by implosion earlier this year. The parcel has been cleared in preparation for construction, which is scheduled to begin next summer. If all goes as planned, the new courthouse will be completed in fall 2010.
The new courthouse will stand 16 stories tall with about 380,000 square feet (35,000 m2) of space. It will house 14 courtrooms and judicial chambers for 20 judges, including resident judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The courthouse also will provide offices for the district clerk, U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Pretrial Services. Also planned are a ground level community plaza and mural garden with a combined 36,000 square feet (3,300 m2) of space.[2]
# | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Term of service | Appointed by | ||
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Active | Chief | Senior | ||||||
51 | Chief Judge | Irma Elsa Gonzalez | San Diego | 1948 | 1992–present | 2005–present | — | G.H.W. Bush |
50 | District Judge | Marilyn L. Huff | San Diego | 1951 | 1991–present | 1998–2005 | — | G.H.W. Bush |
53 | District Judge | Barry Ted Moskowitz | San Diego | 1950 | 1995–present | — | — | Clinton |
57 | District Judge | Larry Alan Burns | San Diego | 1954 | 2003–present | — | — | G.W. Bush |
58 | District Judge | Dana Makoto Sabraw | San Diego | 1958 | 2003–present | — | — | G.W. Bush |
59 | District Judge | William Q. Hayes | San Diego | 1956 | 2003–present | — | — | G.W. Bush |
60 | District Judge | John A. Houston | San Diego | 1952 | 2003–present | — | — | G.W. Bush |
61 | District Judge | Roger T. Benitez | San Diego | 1950 | 2004–present | — | — | G.W. Bush |
62 | District Judge | Janis Lynn Sammartino | San Diego | 1950 | 2007–present | — | — | G.W. Bush |
63 | District Judge | Michael M. Anello | San Diego | 1943 | 2008–present | — | — | G.W. Bush |
64 | District Judge | Anthony J. Battaglia | San Diego | 1949 | 2011–present | — | — | 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) |
41 | Senior District Judge | Gordon Thompson, Jr. | San Diego | 1929 | 1970–1994 | 1984–1991 | 1994–present | Nixon |
44 | Senior District Judge | William Benner Enright | San Diego | 1925 | 1972–1990 | (none) | 1990–present | Nixon |
48 | Senior District Judge | Rudi M. Brewster | San Diego | 1932 | 1984–1998 | (none) | 1998–present | Reagan |
54 | Senior District Judge | Jeffrey T. Miller | San Diego | 1943 | 1997–2010 | (none) | 2010–present | Clinton |
55 | Senior District Judge | Thomas J. Whelan | San Diego | 1940 | 1998–2010 | (none) | 2010–present | Clinton |
56 | Senior District Judge | M. James Lorenz | San Diego | 1935 | 1999–2009 | (none) | 2009–present | Clinton |
# | Judge | State | Born/Died | Active service | Term as Chief Judge | Senior status | Appointed by | Reason for termination |
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1 | James McHall Jones | CA | 1823–1851 | 1850–1851 | (none) | (none) | Fillmore | death |
2 | Ogden Hoffman, Jr. | CA | 1822–1891 | 1852[5]–1854 | (none) | (none) | Fillmore | reassignment to N.D. Cal. |
3 | Isaac Stockton Keith Ogier | CA | 1819–1861 | 1854–1861 | (none) | (none) | Pierce | death |
4 | Fletcher Mathews Haight | CA | 1799–1866 | 1861–1866 | (none) | (none) | Lincoln | death |
5 | Erskine Mayo Ross | CA | 1845–1928 | 1887–1895 | (none) | (none) | Cleveland | appointment to 9th Cir. |
6 | Olin Wellborn | CA | 1843–1921 | 1895–1915 | (none) | (none) | Cleveland | retirement |
7 | Benjamin Franklin Bledsoe | CA | 1874–1938 | 1914–1925 | (none) | (none) | Wilson | resignation |
8 | Oscar A. Trippet | CA | 1856–1923 | 1915–1923 | (none) | (none) | Wilson | death |
9 | William P. James | CA | 1870–1940 | 1923–1940 | (none) | (none) | Harding | death |
10 | Paul John McCormick | CA | 1879–1960 | 1924–1951 | 1948–1951 | 1951–1960 | Coolidge | death |
11 | Edward J. Henning | CA | 1868–1937 | 1925–1929 | (none) | (none) | Coolidge | resignation |
12 | George Cosgrave | CA | 1870–1945 | 1930–1940 | (none) | 1940–1945 | Hoover | death |
13 | Harry Aaron Hollzer | CA | 1880–1946 | 1931–1946 | (none) | (none) | Hoover | death |
14 | Albert Lee Stephens, Sr. | CA | 1874–1965 | 1935–1937 | (none) | (none) | F. Roosevelt | appointment to 9th Cir. |
15 | Leon Rene Yankwich | CA | 1888–1975 | 1935–1964 | 1951–1959 | 1964–1966 | F. Roosevelt | reassignment to C.D. Cal. |
16 | Ralph E. Jenney | CA | 1883–1945 | 1937–1945 | (none) | (none) | F. Roosevelt | death |
17 | Campbell Eben Beaumont | CA | 1883–1954 | 1939–1954 | (none) | (none) | F. Roosevelt | death |
18 | Benjamin Harrison | CA | 1888–1960 | 1940–1960 | 1959 | (none) | F. Roosevelt | death |
19 | James Francis Thaddeus O'Connor | CA | 1886–1949 | 1940–1949 | (none) | (none) | F. Roosevelt | death |
20 | Peirson Mitchell Hall | CA | 1894–1979 | 1942–1966 | 1959–1964 | (none) | F. Roosevelt | reassignment to C.D. Cal. |
21 | William Carey Mathes | CA | 1899–1967 | 1945–1965 | 1964–1965 | 1965–1967 | Truman | death |
22 | Jacob Weinberger | CA | 1882–1974 | 1946–1958 | (none) | 1958–1974 | Truman | death |
23 | James Marshall Carter | CA | 1904–1979 | 1949–1967 | 1966–1967 | (none) | Truman | appointment to 9th Cir. |
24 | Harry Clay Westover | CA | 1894–1983 | 1949–1965 | (none) | 1965–1983 | Truman | death |
25 | William Matthew Byrne Sr. | CA | 1896–1974 | 1950–1966 | 1965–1966 | 1966 | Truman | reassignment to C.D. Cal. |
26 | Ernest Allen Tolin | CA | 1904–1961 | 1951[6]–1961 | (none) | (none) | Truman | death |
27 | Gilbert H. Jertberg | CA | 1897–1973 | 1955–1958 | (none) | (none) | Eisenhower | appointment to 9th Cir. |
28 | Thurmond Clarke | CA | 1902–1971 | 1955–1966 | 1966 | (none) | Eisenhower | reassignment to C.D. Cal. |
29 | Fred Kunzel | CA | 1901–1969 | 1959–1969 | 1967–1969 | (none) | Eisenhower | death |
30 | Myron Donovan Crocker | CA | 1915–present | 1959–1966 | (none) | (none) | Eisenhower | reassignment to E.D. Cal. |
31 | Albert Lee Stephens, Jr. | CA | 1913–2001 | 1961–1966 | (none) | (none) | Kennedy | reassignment to C.D. Cal. |
32 | Charles Hardy Carr | CA | 1903–1976 | 1962–1966 | (none) | (none) | Kennedy | reassignment to C.D. Cal. |
33 | Jesse William Curtis Jr. | CA | 1905–2008 | 1962–1966 | (none) | (none) | Kennedy | reassignment to C.D. Cal. |
34 | Elisha Avery Crary | CA | 1905–1978 | 1962–1966 | (none) | (none) | Kennedy | reassignment to C.D. Cal. |
35 | Francis C. Whelan | CA | 1907–1991 | 1964–1966 | (none) | (none) | L. Johnson | reassignment to C.D. Cal. |
36 | Irving Hill | CA | 1915–1998 | 1965–1966 | (none) | (none) | L. Johnson | reassignment to C.D. Cal. |
37 | A. Andrew Hauk | CA | 1912–2004 | 1966 | (none) | (none) | L. Johnson | reassignment to C.D. Cal. |
38 | William Percival Gray | CA | 1912–1992 | 1966 | (none) | (none) | L. Johnson | reassignment to C.D. Cal. |
39 | Edward Joseph Schwartz | CA | 1912–2000 | 1968–1982 | 1969–1982 | 1982–2000 | L. Johnson | death |
40 | Howard Boyd Turrentine | CA | 1914-2010 | 1970–1984 | 1982–1984 | 1984–2010 | Nixon | death |
42 | John Clifford Wallace | CA | 1928–present | 1970–1972 | (none) | (none) | Nixon | appointment to 9th Cir. |
43 | Leland Chris Nielsen | CA | 1919–1999 | 1971–1985 | (none) | 1985–1999 | Nixon | death |
45 | Judith Keep | CA | 1944–2004 | 1980–2004 | 1991–1998 | (none) | Carter | death |
46 | Earl Ben Gilliam | CA | 1931–2001 | 1980–1993 | (none) | 1993–2001 | Carter | death |
47 | J. Lawrence Irving | CA | 1935–present | 1982–1990 | (none) | (none) | Reagan | resignation |
49 | John Skylstead Rhoades, Sr. | CA | 1925–2007 | 1985–1995 | (none) | 1995–2007 | Reagan | death |
52 | Napoleon A. Jones Jr. | CA | 1940–2009 | 1994–2007 | (none) | 2007–2009 | Clinton | death |
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