The United States District Court for the District of Oregon (in case citations , D. Ore. or D. Or. ) is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the state of Oregon . It was created in 1859 when the state was admitted to the Union. Appellate jurisdiction belongs 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 ). Matthew P. Deady served as its first judge. Ann Aiken is the current (2009) chief judge, the first woman to hold that position on the court.[ 1]
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. The current United States Attorney is Billy J. Williams.
Organization [ edit ]
The court has four divisional offices within the state (three with staff): Portland , Eugene , Medford , and Pendleton .[ 2] Portland’s division holds court at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse and handles cases from Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Hood River, Jefferson, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Wasco, Washington, and Yamhill counties.[ 2] The Medford Division covers Curry, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, Lake counties and meets at the James A. Redden United States Courthouse .[ 2] [ 3] The Pendleton court includes Baker, Crook, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, and Wheeler and holds session at John F. Kilkenny United States Post Office and Courthouse .[ 2] [ 4] The Wayne L. Morse United States Courthouse houses the Eugene Division that covers Benton, Coos, Deschutes, Douglas, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, and Marion counties.[ 2]
History [ edit ]
After Oregon became a state on February 14, 1859, the United States Congress created the District of Oregon encompassing the entire state on March 3, 1859.[ 5] The bill creating the district authorized a single judge and also designated it as a judicial circuit.[ 5] President James Buchanan appointed Matthew Deady as judge, and the court was to hold annual sessions in April and September at the seat of government in Salem .[ 6] Deady held the first session of the court on September 12, 1859, in Salem, but was able to have the court relocated to Portland by the September session of 1860.[ 6] Beginning in 1933, the court was housed in the United States Courthouse (now Gus J. Solomon United States Courthouse ) before moving to the new Hatfield Courthouse in 1997.[ 7]
On March 3, 1863, Congress passed a law that removed the circuit court jurisdiction and transferred appeals court jurisdiction to the Tenth Circuit , and in 1866 transferred it again to the Ninth Circuit.[ 5] On April 18, 1877, court clerk Ralph Wilcox committed suicide in his office at the court using a Deringer pistol.[ 8] On March 27, 1885, judge Deady admitted Mary Leonard to the federal bar, the first woman admitted in Oregon.[ 9] In 1909, Congress added another judge position to the court, followed by another judgeship in 1949.[ 5] On October 20, 1978, Congress passed a law authorizing two more positions on the bench of the Oregon court.[ 5] The first woman to serve on the court was Helen J. Frye , whose service began on February 20, 1980. In 1990, Congress added a sixth judgeship for the district.[ 5] Ancer L. Haggerty , the first African American on the court, began his service on March 28, 1994.
Chief Judges [ edit ]
Former and current Chief Judges for the court.[ 10]
Current judges [ edit ]
The current judges of the court including senior judges.[ 11]
Former judges [ edit ]
#
Judge
State
Born/Died
Active service
Chief Judge
Senior status
Appointed by
Reason for
termination
1
Deady, Matthew Matthew Deady
OR
1824–1893
1859–1893
—
—
Buchanan, Buchanan
death
2
Bellinger, Charles B. Charles B. Bellinger
OR
1839–1905
1893–1905
—
—
Cleveland, Cleveland
death
3
Wolverton, Charles E. Charles E. Wolverton
OR
1851–1926
1906–1926
—
—
Roosevelt, Roosevelt
death
4
Bean, Robert S. Robert S. Bean
OR
1854–1931
1909–1931
—
—
Taft, Taft
death
5
McNary, John Hugh John Hugh McNary
OR
1867–1936
1927–1936
—
—
Coolidge, Coolidge
death
6
Fee, James Alger James Alger Fee
OR
1988–1959
1931–1954
1948–1954
—
Hoover, Hoover
reappointment
7
McColloch, Claude C. Claude C. McColloch
OR
1888–1959
1937–1958
1954–1958
1958–1959
F. Roosevelt, F. Roosevelt
death
8
Solomon, Gus J. Gus J. Solomon
OR
1906–1987
1950–1971
1958–1971
1971–1987
Truman, Truman
death
9
East, William G. William G. East
OR
1908–1985
1955–1985
—
—
Eisenhower, Eisenhower
death
10
Kilkenny, John John Kilkenny
OR
1901–1995
1959–1969
—
—
Eisenhower, Eisenhower
reappointment
11
Belloni, Robert C. Robert C. Belloni
OR
1919–1999
1967–1984
1971–1976
1984–1995
L. Johnson, L. Johnson
retirement
12
Goodwin, Alfred Alfred Goodwin
OR
1923–present
1969–1971
—
—
Nixon, Nixon
reappointment
13
Burns, James M. James M. Burns
OR
1924–2001
1972–1989
1979–1984
1989–2001
Nixon, Nixon
death
14
Skopil, Jr., Otto Richard Otto Richard Skopil, Jr.
OR
1919–2012
1972–1979
1976–1979
—
Nixon, Nixon
reappointment
15
Frye, Helen J. Helen J. Frye
OR
1930–2011
1980–1995
—
1995–2011
Carter, Carter
death
18
Leavy, Edward Edward Leavy
OR
1929–present
1984–1987
—
—
Reagan, Reagan
reappointment
21
Hogan, Michael R. Michael R. Hogan
OR
1946–present
1991–2011
1995–2002
2011–2012
G.H.W. Bush, G.H.W. Bush
retirement
22
Haggerty, Ancer L. Ancer L. Haggerty
OR
1944–present
1994–2014
2002–2009
2009–2014
Bill Clinton, Bill Clinton
retirement
Succession of seats [ edit ]
Seat 1
Seat established on March 3, 1859 by 11 Stat. 437
Deady
1859–1893
Bellinger
1893–1905
Wolverton
1905–1926
McNary
1927–1936
McColloch
1937–1958
Kilkenny
1959–1969
Goodwin
1969–1971
Skopil, Jr.
1972–1979
Panner
1980–1992
Haggerty
1994–2009
Simon
2011–present
Seat 2
Seat established on March 2, 1909 by 35 Stat. 686
Bean
1909–1931
Fee
1931–1954
East
1955–1967
Belloni
1967–1984
Leavy
1984–1987
Marsh
1987–1998
Brown
1999–present
Seat 3
Seat established on August 3, 1949 by 63 Stat. 493
Solomon
1949–1971
Burns
1972–1989
Jones
1990–2000
Mosman
2003–present
Seat 4
Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629
Redden
1980–1995
Aiken
1998–present
Seat 5
Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629
Frye
1980–1995
King
1998–2009
Hernandez
2011–present
Seat 6
Seat established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089
Hogan
1991–2011
McShane
2013–present
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
^ "Courthouse News" (PDF) . Vol. XV, No. 1. United States District Court for the District of Oregon. January 20, 2009. p. 2. Retrieved 2009-03-10 .
^ a b c d e U.S. District Court District of Oregon: Local Rules of Civil Practice
^ GAS: Historic Federal Buildings
^ "Judge John Kilkenny, 93, Dies". The Oregonian (Oregonian Publishing Co.): B01. February 20, 2000.
^ a b c d e f U.S. District Court of Oregon: Legislative history
^ a b Horner, John B. (1919). Oregon: Her History, Her Great Men, Her Literature . The J.K. Gill Co.: Portland. p. 168-169.
^ Historic Federal Courthouses: Portland, Oregon. Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved on November 19, 2007.
^ Stockton Daily Independent "Shocking suicide" . Stockton Daily Independent . April 21, 1877. Retrieved 2007-06-29 .
^ Abrams, Kerry. Folk Hero, Hell Raiser, Mad Woman, Lady Lawyer: What is the Truth about Mary Leonard? Women's Legal History Biography Project. Stanford Law School. Retrieved on May 7, 2008.
^ Chief judges of the District of Oregon
^ Federal Judicial Center: Oregon District Court judges
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