United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts

United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts (D. Mass.)
Map
Appeals to	First Circuit
Established	September 24, 1789
Judges assigned	13
Chief judge	Mark Lawrence Wolf
Official site

The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts (in case citations, D. Mass.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, USA. The first court session was held in Boston in 1789. The second term was held in Salem in 1790 and until 1813 court session locations alternated between the two cities. That year, Boston became the court's permanent home. A western division was opened in Springfield in 1979 and a central division was opened in Worcester in 1987. The court's main building is the John Joseph Moakley Federal Courthouse on Fan Pier in South Boston.

Appeals from the District of Massachusetts are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, also located in the Moakley courthouse (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).

The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. The current U.S. Attorney is Carmen Ortiz.

Judges

Current composition of the court

• As of May 22, 2011, a vacancy exists due to Judge Nancy Gertner's decision to retire. On November 30, 2011, President Obama nominated Timothy S. Hillman to fill the vacancy. His nomination is pending before the U.S. Senate.

• As of August 15, 2011, a second vacancy exists due to Judge Michael Ponsor's decision to assume senior status. No replacement nomination is pending at this time.

#	Title	Judge	Duty station	Born	Term of service			Appointed by
					Active	Chief	Senior
31	Chief Judge	Mark Lawrence Wolf	Boston, MA	1946	1985–present	2006–present	—	Reagan
24	District Judge	Joseph Louis Tauro	Boston, MA	1931	1972–present	1992–1999	—	Nixon
30	District Judge	Rya Weickert Zobel	Boston, MA	1931	1979–present	—	—	Carter
32	District Judge	William G. Young	Boston, MA	1940	1985–present	1999–2005	—	Reagan
33	District Judge	Douglas Preston Woodlock	Boston, MA	1947	1986–present	—	—	Reagan
35	District Judge	Nathaniel M. Gorton	Boston, MA	1938	1992–present	—	—	G.H.W. Bush
37	District Judge	Patti B. Saris	Boston, MA	1951	1993–present	—	—	Clinton
38	District Judge	Richard Gaylore Stearns	Boston, MA	1944	1993–present	—	—	Clinton
41	District Judge	George A. O'Toole, Jr.	Boston, MA	1947	1995–present	—	—	Clinton
42	District Judge	F. Dennis Saylor IV	Worcester, MA	1955	2004–present	—	—	G.W. Bush
43	District Judge	Denise Jefferson Casper	Boston, MA	1968	2010–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)
34	Senior District Judge	Edward Francis Harrington	Boston, MA	1933	1988–2001	(none)	2001–present	Reagan
40	Senior District Judge	Michael Ponsor	Springfield, MA	1946	1994–2011	(none)	2011-present	Clinton

Former judges

#	Judge	State	Born/Died	Active service	Term as Chief Judge	Senior status	Appointed by	Reason for termination
1	Lowell, John A.John A. Lowell	MA	1743–1802	1789–1801	(none)	(none)	Washington, Washington	appointment to circuit court
2	Davis, JohnJohn Davis	MA	1761–1847	1801–1841	(none)	(none)	Adams, Adams	resignation
3	Sprague, PelegPeleg Sprague	MA	1793–1880	1841–1865	(none)	(none)	Tyler, Tyler	resignation
4	Lowell, JohnJohn Lowell	MA	1824–1897	1865–1879	(none)	(none)	Lincoln, Lincoln	appointment to circuit court
5	Nelson, Thomas LeverettThomas Leverett Nelson	MA	1827–1897	1879–1897	(none)	(none)	Hayes, Hayes	death
6	Lowell, Francis CabotFrancis Cabot Lowell	MA	1855–1911	1898–1905	(none)	(none)	McKinley, McKinley	appointment to 1st Cir.
7	Dodge, FredericFrederic Dodge	MA	1847–1927	1905–1912	(none)	(none)	Roosevelt, T.T. Roosevelt	appointment to 1st Cir.
8	Morton Jr., James MadisonJames Madison Morton Jr.	MA	1869–1940	1912–1932	(none)	(none)	Taft, Taft	appointment to 1st Cir.
9	Brewster, Elisha HumeElisha Hume Brewster	MA	1871–1946	1922–1941	(none)	1941–1946	Harding, Harding	death
10	Lowell, James ArnoldJames Arnold Lowell	MA	1869–1933	1922–1933	(none)	(none)	Harding, Harding	death
11	McLellan, Hugh DeanHugh Dean McLellan	MA	1876–1953	1932–1941	(none)	(none)	Hoover, Hoover	resignation
12	Sweeney, George ClintonGeorge Clinton Sweeney	MA	1895–1966	1935–1966	1948–1965	1966	Roosevelt, F.F. Roosevelt	death
13	Ford, FrancisFrancis Ford	MA	1882–1975	1938–1972	(none)	1972–1975	Roosevelt, F.F. Roosevelt	death
14	Healey, Arthur D.Arthur D. Healey	MA	1889–1948	1941–1948	(none)	(none)	Roosevelt, F.F. Roosevelt	death
15	Wyzanski, Jr., Charles EdwardCharles Edward Wyzanski, Jr.	MA	1906–1986	1941–1971	1965–1971	1971–1986	Roosevelt, F.F. Roosevelt	death
16	McCarthy, William T.William T. McCarthy	MA	1885–1964	1949–1960	(none)	1960–1964	Truman, Truman	death
17	Aldrich, BaileyBailey Aldrich	MA	1907–2002	1954–1959	(none)	(none)	Eisenhower, Eisenhower	appointment to 1st Cir.
18	Julian, AnthonyAnthony Julian	MA	1902–1984	1959–1972	1971–1972	1972–1984	Eisenhower, Eisenhower	death
19	Caffrey, Andrew AugustineAndrew Augustine Caffrey	MA	1920–1993	1960–1986	1972–1986	1986–1993	Eisenhower, Eisenhower	death
20	Garrity Jr., Wendell ArthurWendell Arthur Garrity Jr.	MA	1920–1999	1966–1985	(none)	1985–1999	Johnson, L.L. Johnson	death
21	Murray, Frank JeromeFrank Jerome Murray	MA	1904–1995	1967–1977	(none)	1977–1995	Johnson, L.L. Johnson	death
22	Campbell, Levin H.Levin H. Campbell	MA	1927–present	1971–1972	(none)	(none)	Nixon, Nixon	appointment to 1st Cir.
23	Freedman, Frank HarlanFrank Harlan Freedman	MA	1924–2003	1972–1992	1986–1992	1992–2003	Nixon, Nixon	death
25	Skinner, Walter JayWalter Jay Skinner	MA	1927–2005	1973–1992	(none)	1992–2005	Nixon, Nixon	death
26	Mazzone, A. DavidA. David Mazzone	MA	1928–2004	1978–1993	(none)	1993–2004	Carter, Carter	death
27	Keeton, RobertRobert Keeton	MA	1919–2007	1979–2003	(none)	2003–2006	Carter, Carter	retirement
28	McNaught, John JosephJohn Joseph McNaught	MA	1921–1994	1979–1991	(none)	(none)	Carter, Carter	retirement
29	Nelson, David SutherlandDavid Sutherland Nelson	MA	1933–1998	1979–1991	(none)	1991–1998	Carter, Carter	death
36	Lindsay, Reginald C.Reginald C. Lindsay	MA	1945–2009	1993–2009	(none)	(none)	Clinton, Clinton	death
39	Gertner, NancyNancy Gertner	MA	1946–present	1994–2011	(none)	2011	Clinton	retirement

Magistrate Judges

• Rudolph F. Pierce (1976–1979)
• Patti B. Saris (1985–1989)
• Peter W. Prince (1971–1981)
• Charles B. Swartwood (1973–2006)
• Robert P. DeGiacomo (1980–1985)
• Michael A. Ponsor (1984–1994)
• Willie J. Davis (1971–1976)
• Lawrence P. Cohen (1976–2005)
• Zachary R. Karol (1993–1999)
• Joyce London Alexander (1979–2009)
• Jennifer C. Boal (2010–present)
• Marianne B. Bowler (1990–present)
• Robert B. Collings (1982–present)
• Judith G. Dein (2000–present)
• Kenneth P. Neiman (1995–present)
• Leo T. Sorokin (2005–present)
• Timothy S. Hillman (2006–present)

U.S. Attorneys

• Christopher Gore (1789–1796)
• Harrison Gray Otis (1796)
• John Davis (1796–1801)
• George Blake (1801–1829)
• Andrew Dunlop (1829–1835)
• John Mills (1835–1841)
• Franklin Dexter (1841–1845)
• Robert Rantoul, Jr. (1846–1849)
• George Lunt (1850–1853)
• Benjamin F. Hallett (1853–1857)
• Charles L. Woodbury (1857–1861)
• Richard Henry Dana, Jr. (1861–1866)
• George Stillman Hillard (1866–1870)
• David H. Mason (1870–1873)
• George P. Sanger (1873–1886)
• George M. Stearns (1886–1887)
• Owen A. Galvin (1887–1890)
• Frank D. Allen (1890–1893)
• Sherman Hoar (1893–1897)
• Boyd B. Jones (1897–1901)
• Henry P. Moulton (1901–1905)
• Melvin O. Adams (1905–1906)
• Asa P. French (1906–1914)
• George Weston Anderson (1914–1917)
• Thomas J. Boynton (1917–1920)
• Daniel J. Gallagher (1920–1921)
• Robert O. Harris (1921–1924)
• Harold P. Williams (1925–1926)
• Frederick H. Tarr (1926–1933)
• Francis J. W. Ford (1933–1938)
• John A. Canavan (1938–1939)
• Edmund J. Brandon (1939–1946)
• George F. Garrity (1946–1947)
• William T. McCarthy (1947–1949)
• George F. Garrity (1949–1953)
• Anthony Julian (1953–1959)
• Elliot Richardson (1959–1961)
• Wendell Arthur Garrity Jr. (1961–1966)
• Paul F. Markham (1966–1969)
• Herbert F. Travers, Jr. (1969–1971)
• James N. Gabriel (1971–1972)
• Joseph L. Tauro (1972)
• James N. Gabriel (1973–1977)
• Edward F. Harrington (1977–1981)
• William F. Weld (1981–1986)
• Robert Mueller Acting (1986–1987)
• Frank L. McNamara, Jr. (1987–1989)
• Jermiah T. O'Sullivan Acting (1989)
• Peter A. Mullin Acting (1989)
• Wayne Budd (1989–1992)
• A. John Pappalardo Acting (1992–1993)
• Donald K. Stern (1993–2001)
• Michael Sullivan (2001–2009)
• Michael Loucks Acting (2009)
• Carmen Milagros Ortiz (2009–Present)

Notable cases

• Ghen v. Rich (1881) (a whale is the property of the whaler who killed it, and not the person who found it dead on the beach).

See also

• Courts of Massachusetts
• List of United States federal courthouses in Massachusetts

External links

• United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts Official Website
• United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Official Website