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] Judges

  • Judge M. James Lorenz has announced that he will assume senior status on October 25, 2009. This will create a vacancy in the District.
Judge Appointed by Began active
service		 Ended active
service		 Ended senior
status		 End reason
, Michael M. Anello George W. Bush 20081010October 10, 2008 Incumbent 0– 0–
, Campbell Eben Beaumont Franklin D. Roosevelt 19390805August 5, 1939 19541119November 19, 1954 0– death
, Roger T. Benitez George W. Bush 20040621June 21, 2004 Incumbent 0– 0–
, Benjamin Franklin Bledsoe Woodrow Wilson 19141016October 16, 1914 19250324March 24, 1925 0– resignation
, Rudi M. Brewster Ronald Reagan 19840615June 15, 1984 19980701July 1, 1998 Incumbent 0–
, Larry Alan Burns George W. Bush 20030925September 25, 2003 Incumbent 0– 0–
, William Matthew Byrne Sr. Harry S Truman 19500927September 27, 1950[5] 19660630June 30, 1966 19660918September 18, 1966 assignment to another court
, Charles Hardy Carr John F. Kennedy 19620814August 14, 1962 19660918September 18, 1966 0– assignment to another court
, James Marshall Carter Harry S Truman 19491018October 18, 1949 19671201December 1, 1967 0– reappointment
, Thurmond Clarke Dwight D. Eisenhower 19550803August 3, 1955 19660918September 18, 1966 0– assignment to another court
, George Cosgrave Herbert Hoover 19300408April 8, 1930 19400831August 31, 1940 19450804August 4, 1945 death
, Elisha Avery Crary John F. Kennedy 19620828August 28, 1962 19660918September 18, 1966 0– assignment to another court
, Myron Donovan Crocker Dwight D. Eisenhower 19590921September 21, 1959 19660918September 18, 1966 0– assignment to another court
, Jesse William Curtis Jr. John F. Kennedy 19620827August 27, 1962 19660918September 18, 1966 0– assignment to another court
, William Benner Enright Richard M. Nixon 19720630June 30, 1972 19900712July 12, 1990 Incumbent 0–
, Earl Ben Gilliam Jimmy Carter 19800820August 20, 1980 19930402April 2, 1993 20010128January 28, 2001 death
, Irma Elsa Gonzalez George H. W. Bush 19920812August 12, 1992 Incumbent 0– 0–
, William Percival Gray Lyndon B. Johnson 19660702July 2, 1966 19660918September 18, 1966 0– assignment to another court
, Fletcher Mathews Haight Abraham Lincoln 18610805August 5, 1861 18660223February 23, 1866 0– death
, Peirson Mitchell Hall Franklin D. Roosevelt 19420703July 3, 1942 19660918September 18, 1966 0– assignment to another court
, Benjamin Harrison Franklin D. Roosevelt 19400626June 26, 1940 19600813August 13, 1960 0– death
, A. Andrew Hauk Lyndon B. Johnson 19660629June 29, 1966 19660918September 18, 1966 0– assignment to another court
, William Q. Hayes George W. Bush 20031006October 6, 2003 Incumbent 0– 0–
, Edward J. Henning Calvin Coolidge 19250424April 24, 1925[6] 19291231December 31, 1929 0– resignation
, Irving Hill Lyndon B. Johnson 19650610June 10, 1965 19660918September 18, 1966 0– assignment to another court
, Ogden Hoffman, Jr. Millard Fillmore 18510227February 27, 1851 18540118January 18, 1854 0– assignment to another court
, Harry Aaron Hollzer Herbert Hoover 19310303March 3, 1931 19460114January 14, 1946 0– death
, John A. Houston George W. Bush 20031007October 7, 2003 Incumbent 0– 0–
, Marilyn L. Huff George H. W. Bush 19910514May 14, 1991 Incumbent 0– 0–
, J. Lawrence Irving Ronald Reagan 19820728July 28, 1982 19901231December 31, 1990 0– resignation
, William P. James Warren G. Harding 19230303March 3, 1923 19400728July 28, 1940 0– death
, Ralph E. Jenney Franklin D. Roosevelt 19370703July 3, 1937 19450713July 13, 1945 0– death
, Gilbert H. Jertberg Dwight D. Eisenhower 19550316March 16, 1955 19580901September 1, 1958 0– reappointment
, James McHall Jones Millard Fillmore 18501226December 26, 1850 18511215December 15, 1851 0– death
, Napoleon A. Jones Jr. Bill Clinton 19940915September 15, 1994 20070919September 19, 2007 Incumbent 0–
, Judith Keep Jimmy Carter 19800630June 30, 1980 20040914September 14, 2004 0– death
, Fred Kunzel Dwight D. Eisenhower 19590910September 10, 1959 19691119November 19, 1969 0– death
, M. James Lorenz Bill Clinton 19991005October 5, 1999 Incumbent 0– 0–
, William Carey Mathes Harry S Truman 19451017October 17, 1945 19650609June 9, 1965 19670724July 24, 1967 death
, Paul John McCormick Calvin Coolidge 19240211February 11, 1924 19510901September 1, 1951 19601202December 2, 1960 death
, Jeffrey T. Miller Bill Clinton 19970527May 27, 1997 Incumbent 0– 0–
, Barry Ted Moskowitz Bill Clinton 19951226December 26, 1995 Incumbent 0– 0–
, Leland Chris Nielsen Richard M. Nixon 19710520May 20, 1971 19850614June 14, 1985 19990923September 23, 1999 death
, James Francis Thaddeus O'Connor Franklin D. Roosevelt 19400927September 27, 1940 19490928September 28, 1949 0– death
, Isaac Stockton Keith Ogier Franklin Pierce 18540123January 23, 1854 18610521May 21, 1861 0– death
, John Skylstead Rhoades, Sr. Ronald Reagan 19851028October 28, 1985 19951104November 4, 1995 20070903September 3, 2007 death
, Erskine Mayo Ross Grover Cleveland 18870113January 13, 1887 18950305March 5, 1895 0– reappointment
, Dana Makoto Sabraw George W. Bush 20030926September 26, 2003 Incumbent 0– 0–
, Janis Lynn Sammartino George W. Bush 20070921September 21, 2007 Incumbent 0– 0–
, Edward Joseph Schwartz Lyndon B. Johnson 19680328March 28, 1968 19820326March 26, 1982 20000322March 22, 2000 death
, Albert Lee Stephens, Sr. Franklin D. Roosevelt 19350824August 24, 1935 19370621June 21, 1937 0– reappointment
, Albert Lee Stephens Jr. John F. Kennedy 19610918September 18, 1961 19660918September 18, 1966 0– assignment to another court
, Gordon Thompson, Jr. Richard M. Nixon 19701016October 16, 1970 19941228December 28, 1994 Incumbent 0–
, Ernest Allen Tolin Harry S Truman 19511030October 30, 1951[7] 19610611June 11, 1961 0– death
, Oscar A. Trippet Woodrow Wilson 19150303March 3, 1915 19230715July 15, 1923 0– death
, Howard Boyd Turrentine Richard M. Nixon 19700424April 24, 1970 19840122January 22, 1984 Incumbent 0–
, John Clifford Wallace Richard M. Nixon 19701016October 16, 1970 19720714July 14, 1972 0– reappointment
, Jacob Weinberger Harry S Truman 19460221February 21, 1946 19581101November 1, 1958 19740520May 20, 1974 death
, Olin Wellborn Grover Cleveland 18950301March 1, 1895 19150131January 31, 1915 0– retirement
, Harry Clay Westover Harry S Truman 19491018October 18, 1949 19651231December 31, 1965 19830414April 14, 1983 death
, Francis C. Whelan Lyndon B. Johnson 19640915September 15, 1964 19660918September 18, 1966 0– assignment to another court
, Thomas J. Whelan Bill Clinton 19981022October 22, 1998 Incumbent 0– 0–
, Leon Rene Yankwich Franklin D. Roosevelt 19350824August 24, 1935 19640428April 28, 1964 19660918September 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

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