United States District Court for the District of Wyoming
United States District Court for the District of Wyoming | |
---|---|
(D. Wyo.) | |
Location | Cheyenne |
Appeals to | Tenth Circuit |
Established | July 10, 1890 |
Judges | 3 |
Chief Judge | Scott W. Skavdahl |
Officers of the court | |
U.S. Attorney | Mark Klaassen |
U.S. Marshal | Randall P. Huff |
www |
The United States District Court for the District of Wyoming (in case citations, D. Wyo.) is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the state of Wyoming and those portions of Yellowstone National Park situated in Montana and Idaho.[1] The court has locations in Cheyenne and Casper.
Appeals from this court are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth 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 District of Wyoming represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. The current United States Attorney is Mark Klaassen.
The district of Wyoming is the only federal court district that includes portions of more than one state. Law professor Brian C. Kalt has argued that it may be impossible to impanel a jury in compliance with the Vicinage Clause of the Sixth Amendment for a crime committed solely in the Idaho portion of the park (and that it would be difficult to do so for a crime committed solely in the Montana portion).[2]
Current judges
As of June 1, 2018[update]:
# | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Term of service | Appointed by | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Active | Chief | Senior | ||||||
8 | Chief Judge | Scott W. Skavdahl | Casper | 1966 | 2011–present | 2018–present | — | Obama |
5 | District Judge | Alan Bond Johnson | Cheyenne | 1939 | 1985–present | 1992–1999 | — | Reagan |
7 | District Judge | Nancy D. Freudenthal | Cheyenne | 1954 | 2010–present | 2011–2018 | — | Obama |
Former judges
# | Judge | State | Born–died | Active service | Chief Judge | Senior status | Appointed by | Reason for termination |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | John Alden Riner | WY | 1850–1923 | 1890–1921 | — | 1921–1923 | B. Harrison | death |
2 | Thomas Blake Kennedy | WY | 1874–1957 | 1921–1955 | — | 1955–1957 | Harding | death |
3 | Ewing Thomas Kerr | WY | 1900–1992 | 1955–1975[Note 1] | — | 1975–1992 | Eisenhower | death |
4 | Clarence Addison Brimmer Jr. | WY | 1922–2014 | 1975–2006 | 1986–1992 | 2006–2014 | Ford | death |
6 | William F. Downes | WY | 1946–present | 1994–2011 | 1999–2011 | — | Clinton | retirement |
- ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 12, 1956, confirmed by the United States Senate on March 1, 1956, and received commission on March 2, 1956
Chief judges
Chief judges have administrative responsibilities with respect to their district court. Unlike the Supreme Court, where one justice is specifically nominated to be chief, the office of chief judge rotates among the district court judges. To be chief, a judge must have been in active service on the court for at least one year, be under the age of 65, and have not previously served as chief judge.
A vacancy is filled by the judge highest in seniority among the group of qualified judges. The chief judge serves for a term of seven years, or until age 70, whichever occurs first. The age restrictions are waived if no members of the court would otherwise be qualified for the position.
When the office was created in 1948, the chief judge was the longest-serving judge who had not elected to retire, on what has since 1958 been known as senior status, or declined to serve as chief judge. After August 6, 1959, judges could not become or remain chief after turning 70 years old. The current rules have been in operation since October 1, 1982.
Succession of seats
|
|
|
|
United States Attorneys for the District of Wyoming
- Richard A. Stacy (1981–1994)
- Dave Freudenthal (1994–2001)
- Matt Mead (2001–2007)
- Kelly Rankin (2008–2009)
- Christopher A. Crofts (2009–2017)
- Mark Klaassen (2017–present)
See also
- Courts of Wyoming
- List of current United States district judges
- List of United States federal courthouses in Wyoming
- United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
References
External links