United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama

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United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama
(S.D. Ala.)
Appeals to Eleventh Circuit
Established March 10, 1824
Judges assigned 3
Chief judge William H. Steele (judge)
Official site

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama (in case citations, S.D. Ala.) is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the following counties: Baldwin, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, Escambia, Hale, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Perry, Washington, and Wilcox. It has jurisdiction over the city of Mobile.

The District was created by the United States Congress on March 10, 1824, by 4 Stat. 9, when the United States District Court for the District of Alabama was subdivided into a Northern and Southern District.[1][2] Presiding judge Charles Tait continued to serve as the sole judge for both districts. Parts of these two districts were subsequently removed to form the Middle District on February 6, 1839, by 5 Stat. 315,[1][2][3] with legislation specifying that the Middle District Court was to be held at Tuscaloosa, the Northern District Court at Huntsville, and the Southern District Court at Mobile.[1] These Districts were again reorganized on August 7, 1848.[4]

Appeals from cases brought in the Southern District of Alabama are to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh 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's Office for the Southern District of Alabama represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. The current United States Attorney is Kenyen Ray Brown.

Contents

Current judges[edit]

# Title Judge Duty station Born Term of service Appointed by
Active Chief Senior
19 Chief Judge William H. Steele Mobile 1951 2003–present 2010–present — G.W. Bush
18 District Judge Callie V. Granade Mobile 1950 2002–present 2003–2010 — G.W. Bush
20 District Judge Kristi DuBose Mobile 1964 2005–present — — G.W. Bush
16 Senior District Judge Charles Randolph Butler Jr. Mobile 1940 1988–2005 1994–2003 2005–present Reagan

Former judges[edit]

# Judge State Born/Died Active service Term as Chief Judge Senior status Appointed by Reason for
termination
1 Tait, CharlesCharles Tait AL 1768–1835 1824[5]–1826 — — Monroe, Monroe resignation
2 Crawford, WilliamWilliam Crawford AL 1784–1849 1826–1849 — — Adams, J.Q.J.Q. Adams death
3 Gayle, JohnJohn Gayle AL 1792–1859 1849–1859 — — Taylor, Taylor death
4 Jones, William GilesWilliam Giles Jones AL 1808–1883 1859[6]–1861 — — Buchanan, Buchanan resignation
5 Lane, George WashingtonGeorge Washington Lane AL 1806–1863 1861–1863 — — Lincoln, Lincoln death
6 Busteed, RichardRichard Busteed AL 1822–1898 1863[7]–1874 — — Lincoln, Lincoln resignation
7 Bruce, JohnJohn Bruce AL 1832–1901 1875–1886 — — Grant, Grant reassignment to N.D.Ala/M.D.Ala
8 Toulmin, Harry TheophilusHarry Theophilus Toulmin AL 1838–1916 1887–1916 — — Cleveland, Cleveland death
9 Ervin, Robert TaitRobert Tait Ervin AL 1863–1949 1917–1935 — 1935–1949 Wilson, Wilson death
10 McDuffie, JohnJohn McDuffie AL 1883–1950 1935–1950 — — F.Roosevelt, F.Roosevelt death
11 Thomas, Daniel HolcombeDaniel Holcombe Thomas AL 1906–2000 1951–1971 1966–1971 1971–2000 Truman, Truman death
12 Pittman, Thomas VirgilThomas Virgil Pittman AL 1916–2012 1966–1981 1971–1981 1981–2012 L. Johnson, L. Johnson death
13 Hand, William BrevardWilliam Brevard Hand AL 1924–2008 1971–1989 1981–1989 1989–2008 Nixon, Nixon death
14 Cox, Emmett RipleyEmmett Ripley Cox AL 1935–present 1981–1988 — — Reagan, Reagan reappointment to 11th Cir.
15 Howard, Jr., Alex T.Alex T. Howard, Jr. AL 1924–2011 1986–1996 1989–1994 1996–2011 Reagan, Reagan death
17 Vollmer, Jr., Richard W.Richard W. Vollmer, Jr. AL 1926–2003 1990–2000 — 2000–2003 G.H.W.Bush, G.H.W.Bush death

Succession of seats[edit]

Seat 1
Seat reassigned from the District of Alabama on March 10, 1824 by 4 Stat. 9 (concurrent with Northern District)
Tait 1824–1826
Crawford 1826–1849
Seat made concurrent with Middle District on February 6, 1839 by 5 Stat. 315
Gayle 1849–1859
Jones 1859–1861
Lane 1861–1863
Busteed 1863–1874
Bruce 1875–1886
Seat reassigned solely to Northern and Middle Districts on August 2, 1886 by 24 Stat. 213
Seat 2
Seat established on August 2, 1886 by 24 Stat. 213
Toulmin 1887–1916
Ervin 1917–1935
McDuffie 1935–1950
Thomas 1951–1971
Hand 1971–1989
Vollmer, Jr. 1990–2000
Steele 2003–present
Seat 3
Seat established on March 18, 1966 by 80 Stat. 75 (concurrent with Middle District)
Seat reassigned solely to the Southern District on June 2, 1970 by 84 Stat. 294
Pittman 1966–1981
Cox 1981–1988
Butler, Jr. 1988–2005
DuBose 2005–present
Seat 4
Seat established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333
Howard, Jr. 1986–1996
Granade 2002–present

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 390.
  2. ^ a b U.S. District Courts of Alabama, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
  3. ^ Alfred Conkling, A Treatise on the Organization, Jurisdiction and Practice of the Courts of the United States (1864), p. 178.
  4. ^ Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 391.
  5. ^ Initially appointed to the District of Alabama in 1820 by James Monroe; reassigned to both the Northern District of Alabama and the Southern District of Alabama in 1824.
  6. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 23, 1860, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 30, 1860, and received commission on January 30, 1860.
  7. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 5, 1864, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 20, 1864, and received commission on January 20, 1864.

External links[edit]

Chief Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama
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