United States District Court for the Southern District of California

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United States District Court for the Southern District of California
(S.D. Cal.)
Appeals to Ninth Circuit
Established August 5, 1886
Judges assigned 13
Chief judge Irma Elsa Gonzalez
Official site
Edward J. Schwartz Courthouse San Diego, California

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).

U.S. District Courthouse El Centro, California

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.[3] The boundary line was at the 37th parallel of North Latitude.[4] 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,[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]

[edit] Future Courthouse

Proposed Federal Courthouse San Diego, California

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 2 1/4 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[when?]. 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]

[edit] Current Judges

  • As of October 25, 2009, a vacancy exists in the District due to Judge M. James Lorenz's decision to assume senior status. No replacement nomination is pending at this time.
  • Two additional vacancies will be created in the District when Judge Jeffrey T. Miller assumes senior status on June 6, 2010, and when Judge Thomas J. Whelan assumes senior status on August 15, 2010.
Judge Appointed by Began active
service
Ended active
service
Ended senior
status
End reason
Irma Elsa Gonzalez George H. W. Bush 01992-08-12 August 12, 1992 Incumbent
Marilyn L. Huff George H. W. Bush 01991-05-14 May 14, 1991 Incumbent
Jeffrey T. Miller Bill Clinton 01997-05-27 May 27, 1997 Incumbent
Barry Ted Moskowitz Bill Clinton 01995-12-26 December 26, 1995 Incumbent
Thomas J. Whelan Bill Clinton 01998-10-22 October 22, 1998 Incumbent
Michael M. Anello George W. Bush 02008-10-10 October 10, 2008 Incumbent
Roger T. Benitez George W. Bush 02004-06-21 June 21, 2004 Incumbent
Larry Alan Burns George W. Bush 02003-09-25 September 25, 2003 Incumbent
William Q. Hayes George W. Bush 02003-10-06 October 6, 2003 Incumbent
John A. Houston George W. Bush 02003-10-07 October 7, 2003 Incumbent
Dana Makoto Sabraw George W. Bush 02003-09-26 September 26, 2003 Incumbent
Janis Lynn Sammartino George W. Bush 02007-09-21 September 21, 2007 Incumbent
(Seat Vacant) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a) (n/a)
William Benner Enright Richard Nixon 01972-06-30 June 30, 1972 01990-07-12 July 12, 1990 Incumbent
Gordon Thompson, Jr. Richard Nixon 01970-10-16 October 16, 1970 01994-12-28 December 28, 1994 Incumbent
Howard Boyd Turrentine Richard Nixon 01970-04-24 April 24, 1970 01984-01-22 January 22, 1984 Incumbent
Rudi M. Brewster Ronald Reagan 01984-06-15 June 15, 1984 01998-07-01 July 1, 1998 Incumbent
Napoleon A. Jones Jr. Bill Clinton 01994-09-15 September 15, 1994 02007-09-19 September 19, 2007 Incumbent
M. James Lorenz Bill Clinton 01999-10-05 October 5, 1999 02009-10-25 October 25, 2009 Incumbent

[edit] Former Judges

Judge Appointed by Began active
service
Ended active
service
Ended senior
status
End reason
Campbell Eben Beaumont Franklin D. Roosevelt 01939-08-05 August 5, 1939 01954-11-19 November 19, 1954 death
Benjamin Franklin Bledsoe Woodrow Wilson 01914-10-16 October 16, 1914 01925-03-24 March 24, 1925 resignation
William Matthew Byrne Sr. Harry S. Truman 01950-09-27 September 27, 1950[5] 01966-06-30 June 30, 1966 01966-09-18 September 18, 1966 assignment to another court
Charles Hardy Carr John F. Kennedy 01962-08-14 August 14, 1962 01966-09-18 September 18, 1966 assignment to another court
James Marshall Carter Harry S. Truman 01949-10-18 October 18, 1949 01967-12-01 December 1, 1967 reappointment
Thurmond Clarke Dwight D. Eisenhower 01955-08-03 August 3, 1955 01966-09-18 September 18, 1966 assignment to another court
George Cosgrave Herbert Hoover 01930-04-08 April 8, 1930 01940-08-31 August 31, 1940 01945-08-04 August 4, 1945 death
Elisha Avery Crary John F. Kennedy 01962-08-28 August 28, 1962 01966-09-18 September 18, 1966 assignment to another court
Myron Donovan Crocker Dwight D. Eisenhower 01959-09-21 September 21, 1959 01966-09-18 September 18, 1966 assignment to another court
Jesse William Curtis Jr. John F. Kennedy 01962-08-27 August 27, 1962 01966-09-18 September 18, 1966 assignment to another court
Earl Ben Gilliam Jimmy Carter 01980-08-20 August 20, 1980 01993-04-02 April 2, 1993 02001-01-28 January 28, 2001 death
William Percival Gray Lyndon B. Johnson 01966-07-02 July 2, 1966 01966-09-18 September 18, 1966 assignment to another court
Fletcher Mathews Haight Abraham Lincoln 01861-08-05 August 5, 1861 01866-02-23 February 23, 1866 death
Peirson Mitchell Hall Franklin D. Roosevelt 01942-07-03 July 3, 1942 01966-09-18 September 18, 1966 assignment to another court
Benjamin Harrison Franklin D. Roosevelt 01940-06-26 June 26, 1940 01960-08-13 August 13, 1960 death
A. Andrew Hauk Lyndon B. Johnson 01966-06-29 June 29, 1966 01966-09-18 September 18, 1966 assignment to another court
Edward J. Henning Calvin Coolidge 01925-04-24 April 24, 1925[6] 01929-12-31 December 31, 1929 resignation
Irving Hill Lyndon B. Johnson 01965-06-10 June 10, 1965 01966-09-18 September 18, 1966 assignment to another court
Ogden Hoffman, Jr. Millard Fillmore 01851-02-27 February 27, 1851 01854-01-18 January 18, 1854 assignment to another court
Harry Aaron Hollzer Herbert Hoover 01931-03-03 March 3, 1931 01946-01-14 January 14, 1946 death
J. Lawrence Irving Ronald Reagan 01982-07-28 July 28, 1982 01990-12-31 December 31, 1990 resignation
William P. James Warren G. Harding 01923-03-03 March 3, 1923 01940-07-28 July 28, 1940 death
Ralph E. Jenney Franklin D. Roosevelt 01937-07-03 July 3, 1937 01945-07-13 July 13, 1945 death
Gilbert H. Jertberg Dwight D. Eisenhower 01955-03-16 March 16, 1955 01958-09-01 September 1, 1958 reappointment
James McHall Jones Millard Fillmore 01850-12-26 December 26, 1850 01851-12-15 December 15, 1851 death
Judith Keep Jimmy Carter 01980-06-30 June 30, 1980 02004-09-14 September 14, 2004 death
Fred Kunzel Dwight D. Eisenhower 01959-09-10 September 10, 1959 01969-11-19 November 19, 1969 death
William Carey Mathes Harry S. Truman 01945-10-17 October 17, 1945 01965-06-09 June 9, 1965 01967-07-24 July 24, 1967 death
Paul John McCormick Calvin Coolidge 01924-02-11 February 11, 1924 01951-09-01 September 1, 1951 01960-12-02 December 2, 1960 death
Leland Chris Nielsen Richard Nixon 01971-05-20 May 20, 1971 01985-06-14 June 14, 1985 01999-09-23 September 23, 1999 death
James Francis Thaddeus O'Connor Franklin D. Roosevelt 01940-09-27 September 27, 1940 01949-09-28 September 28, 1949 death
Isaac Stockton Keith Ogier Franklin Pierce 01854-01-23 January 23, 1854 01861-05-21 May 21, 1861 death
John Skylstead Rhoades, Sr. Ronald Reagan 01985-10-28 October 28, 1985 01995-11-04 November 4, 1995 02007-09-03 September 3, 2007 death
Erskine Mayo Ross Grover Cleveland 01887-01-13 January 13, 1887 01895-03-05 March 5, 1895 reappointment
Edward Joseph Schwartz Lyndon B. Johnson 01968-03-28 March 28, 1968 01982-03-26 March 26, 1982 02000-03-22 March 22, 2000 death
Albert Lee Stephens, Sr. Franklin D. Roosevelt 01935-08-24 August 24, 1935 01937-06-21 June 21, 1937 reappointment
Albert Lee Stephens Jr. John F. Kennedy 01961-09-18 September 18, 1961 01966-09-18 September 18, 1966 assignment to another court
Ernest Allen Tolin Harry S. Truman 01951-10-30 October 30, 1951[7] 01961-06-11 June 11, 1961 death
Oscar A. Trippet Woodrow Wilson 01915-03-03 March 3, 1915 01923-07-15 July 15, 1923 death
John Clifford Wallace Richard Nixon 01970-10-16 October 16, 1970 01972-07-14 July 14, 1972 reappointment
Jacob Weinberger Harry S. Truman 01946-02-21 February 21, 1946 01958-11-01 November 1, 1958 01974-05-20 May 20, 1974 death
Olin Wellborn Grover Cleveland 01895-03-01 March 1, 1895 01915-01-31 January 31, 1915 retirement
Harry Clay Westover Harry S. Truman 01949-10-18 October 18, 1949 01965-12-31 December 31, 1965 01983-04-14 April 14, 1983 death
Francis C. Whelan Lyndon B. Johnson 01964-09-15 September 15, 1964 01966-09-18 September 18, 1966 assignment to another court
Leon Rene Yankwich Franklin D. Roosevelt 01935-08-24 August 24, 1935 01964-04-28 April 28, 1964 01966-09-18 September 18, 1966 assignment to another court

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Southern District of California - Jurisdiction.
  2. ^ [1]
  3. ^ a b c d U.S. District Courts of California, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
  4. ^ a b c d e Willoughby Rodman, History of the Bench and Bar of Southern California (1909), p. 46.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 8, 1925, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 15, 1925, and received commission on December 15, 1925.
  7. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on March 3, 1952, confirmed by the United States Senate on June 10, 1952, and received commission on June 11, 1952.

[edit] External links

[edit] See also