United States District Court for the Northern District of California

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United States District Court for the Northern District of California
(N.D. Cal.)
Appeals to Ninth Circuit
Established August 5, 1886
Judges assigned 14
Chief judge Vaughn R. Walker
Official site

The United States District Court for the Northern District of California (in case citations, N.D. Cal.) is the federal United States district court whose jurisdiction comprises following counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma. The court hears cases in its courtrooms in Eureka, Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose. It is headquartered in San Francisco.

Cases from the Northern 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).

The United States Attorney for the Northern District of California represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. Kevin V. Ryan was nominated by President George W. Bush to serve as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of California on May 15, 2002. Ryan resigned in February 2007 and was replaced by interim United States Attorney Scott N. Schools.

Contents

[edit] History

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.[1] The boundary line was at the 37th parallel of North Latitude.[2] The creating act provided that:

In addition to the ordinary jurisdiction and powers of a District Court of the United States, with which the Southern District Court of New York has been invested, the said Courts be and hereby are invested respectively within the limits of its district with the exercise of concurrent jurisdiction and power in all civil cases now exercised by the Circuit Courts of the United States; and that in all cases where said Courts shall exercise such jurisdiction, appeals may be taken from the judgments, orders or decrees of said Courts to the Supreme Court of the United States.

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,[1] 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.[2] 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.[1][2]

Twenty years later, on August 5, 1886, Congress re-created the Southern District of California by 24 Stat. 308.[2] 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.[2] On March 18, 1966, the Eastern and Central Districts were created from portions of the Northern and Southern Districts by 80 Stat. 75.[1]

[edit] Judges

  • As of April 3, 2008, a vacancy exists in the Northern District of California due to the resignation of Judge Martin Jenkins. No replacement nomination is pending at this time.
  • As of March 2, 2009, a second vacancy exists in the District due to the decision of Judge Ronald M. Whyte to assume senior status. No replacement nomination is pending at this time.
  • As of June 30, 2009, a third vacancy exists in the District due to Judge Maxine M. Chesney's decision to assume senior status. No replacement nomination is pending at this time.
  • Judge Marilyn Hall Patel has announced that she will assume senior status on October 30, 2009. This will create a fourth vacancy in the District.
Judge Appointed by Began active
service		 Ended active
service		 Ended senior
status		 End reason
, Robert Peter Aguilar Jimmy Carter 19800618June 18, 1980 19960415April 15, 1996 19960624June 24, 1996 retirement
, William Haskell Alsup Bill Clinton 19990817August 17, 1999 Incumbent 0– 0–
, Saundra Brown Armstrong George H. W. Bush 19910618June 18, 1991 Incumbent 0– 0–
, Charles R. Breyer Bill Clinton 19971112November 12, 1997 Incumbent 0– 0–
, Lloyd Hudson Burke Dwight D. Eisenhower 19580721July 21, 1958 19790820August 20, 1979 19880315March 15, 1988 death
, Oliver Jesse Carter Harry S Truman 19500927September 27, 1950[3] 19760407April 7, 1976 19760614June 14, 1976 death
, Barbara A. Caulfield George H. W. Bush 19911105November 5, 1991 19940916September 16, 1994 0– resignation
, Maxine M. Chesney Bill Clinton 19950510May 10, 1995 June 30, 2009 0Incumbent 0–
, Samuel Conti Richard M. Nixon 19701016October 16, 1970 19871101November 1, 1987 Incumbent 0–
, John J. De Haven William McKinley 18970608June 8, 1897 19130126January 26, 1913 0– death
, Maurice Timothy Dooling Woodrow Wilson 19130728July 28, 1913 19241104November 4, 1924 0– death
, Herbert Wilson Erskine Harry S Truman 19490301March 1, 1949 19510318March 18, 1951 0– death
, Jeremy D. Fogel Bill Clinton 19980317March 17, 1998 Incumbent 0– 0–
, Monroe Mark Friedman Harry S Truman 19520717July 17, 1952[4] (date) 0– 0–
, Louis Earl Goodman Franklin D. Roosevelt 19421224December 24, 1942 19610915September 15, 1961 0– death
, Sherrill Halbert Dwight D. Eisenhower 19540826August 26, 1954 19660918September 18, 1966 0– assignment to another court
, Phyllis Jean Hamilton Bill Clinton 20000525May 25, 2000 Incumbent 0– 0–
, Oliver Deveta Hamlin, Jr. Dwight D. Eisenhower 19530803August 3, 1953 19580415April 15, 1958 0– reappointment
, George Bernard Harris Harry S Truman 19460709July 9, 1946 19700731July 31, 1970 19831018October 18, 1983 death
, Thelton Henderson Jimmy Carter 19800630June 30, 1980 19981128November 28, 1998 Incumbent 0–
, Ogden Hoffman, Jr. Millard Fillmore 18510227February 27, 1851 18660723July 23, 1866 0– assignment to another court
, Ogden Hoffman, Jr. 0– 0– 18910809August 9, 1891 0– death
, Susan Illston Bill Clinton 19950526May 26, 1995 Incumbent 0– 0–
, William Austin Ingram Gerald Ford 19760723July 23, 1976 19901115November 15, 1990 20020526May 26, 2002 death
, Martin Jenkins Bill Clinton 19971112November 12, 1997 20080403April 3, 2008 0– resignation
, Delwen Lowell Jensen Ronald Reagan 19860625June 25, 1986 19970627June 27, 1997 Incumbent 0–
, Frank Henry Kerrigan Calvin Coolidge 19240128January 28, 1924 19350209February 9, 1935 0– death
, Charles A. Legge Ronald Reagan 19840918September 18, 1984 20010630June 30, 2001 0– retirement
, Dal Millington Lemmon Harry S Truman 19470207February 7, 1947 19540503May 3, 1954 0– reappointment
, Gerald Sanford Levin Richard M. Nixon 19690714July 14, 1969 19710605June 5, 1971 0– death
, Harold Louderback Calvin Coolidge 19280417April 17, 1928 19411211December 11, 1941 0– death
, Eugene F. Lynch Ronald Reagan 19820309March 9, 1982 19970314March 14, 1997 19970712July 12, 1997 retirement
, Thomas Jamison MacBride John F. Kennedy 19610922September 22, 1961 19660918September 18, 1966 0– assignment to another court
, William W. Morrow Benjamin Harrison 18910811August 11, 1891[5] 18970601June 1, 1897 0– reappointment
, Edward Preston Murphy Harry S Truman 19501221December 21, 1950 19581213December 13, 1958 0– death
, William Horsley Orrick Jr. Richard M. Nixon 19740708July 8, 1974 19851031October 31, 1985 20030814August 14, 2003 death
, John Slater Partridge Warren G. Harding 19230303March 3, 1923 19260520May 20, 1926 0– death
, Marilyn Hall Patel Jimmy Carter 19800630June 30, 1980 Incumbent 0– 0–
, Robert Francis Peckham Lyndon B. Johnson 19661103November 3, 1966 19881111November 11, 1988 19930216February 16, 1993 death
, Cecil F. Poole Gerald Ford 19760723July 23, 1976 19800331March 31, 1980 0– reappointment
, Charles Byron Renfrew Richard M. Nixon 19711209December 9, 1971 19800227February 27, 1980 0– resignation
, Michael Joseph Roche Franklin D. Roosevelt 19350424April 24, 1935 19580301March 1, 1958 19640701July 1, 1964 death
, Robert Howard Schnacke Richard M. Nixon 19701015October 15, 1970 19831231December 31, 1983 19940605June 5, 1994 death
, William W Schwarzer Gerald Ford 19760723July 23, 1976 19910430April 30, 1991 Incumbent 0–
, Fern M. Smith Ronald Reagan 19880727July 27, 1988 20030515May 15, 2003 20050630June 30, 2005 retirement
, Adolphus Frederic St. Sure Calvin Coolidge 19250223February 23, 1925 19470630June 30, 1947 19490205February 5, 1949 death
, William Thomas Sweigert Dwight D. Eisenhower 19590921September 21, 1959 19731130November 30, 1973 19830216February 16, 1983 death
, William Cary Van Fleet Theodore Roosevelt 19070402April 2, 1907[6] 19230903September 3, 1923 0– death
, John P. Vukasin Jr. Ronald Reagan 19830920September 20, 1983 19930920September 20, 1993 0– death
, Vaughn R. Walker George H. W. Bush 19891127November 27, 1989 Incumbent 0– 0–
, James Ware George H. W. Bush 19901001October 1, 1990 Incumbent 0– 0–
, Stanley Alexander Weigel John F. Kennedy 19620815August 15, 1962 19821009October 9, 1982 19970930September 30, 1997 retirement
, Martin Ignatius Welsh Franklin D. Roosevelt 19390714July 14, 1939 19461231December 31, 1946 19530104January 4, 1953 death
, Jeffrey White George W. Bush 20021115November 15, 2002 Incumbent 0– 0–
, Ronald M. Whyte George H. W. Bush 19920210February 10, 1992 20090302March 2, 2009 Incumbent 0–
, Claudia Ann Wilken Bill Clinton 19931122November 22, 1993 Incumbent 0– 0–
, Spencer Mortimer Williams Richard M. Nixon 19710729July 29, 1971 19870223February 23, 1987 20080103January 3, 2008 death
, Albert Charles Wollenberg Dwight D. Eisenhower 19580519May 19, 1958 19750430April 30, 1975 19810419April 19, 1981 death
, Alfonso Joseph Zirpoli John F. Kennedy 19610922September 22, 1961 19750930September 30, 1975 19950710July 10, 1995 death

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c d U.S. District Courts of California, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
  2. ^ a b c d e Willoughby Rodman, History of the Bench and Bar of Southern California (1909), p. 46.
  3. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on November 27, 1950, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 13, 1950, and received commission on December 21, 1950.
  4. ^ Recess appointment; the United States Senate later rejected the appointment.
  5. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 10, 1891, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 11, 1892, and received commission on January 11, 1892.
  6. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 3, 1907, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 17, 1907, and received commission on December 17, 1907.

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

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