Fort Towson

Edit links
The E. Ross Adair Federal Building, seat of the Fort Wayne division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana (in case citations, N.D. Ind.) was created in 1928 by an act of Congress that split Indiana into two separate districts, northern and southern. As part of the act, the Northern District was divided into three divisions, South Bend, Fort Wayne, and Hammond (which has a sub-office in Lafayette). Appeals from this court are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit). The court has eight judges and four magistrate judges. As of October 2021, the United States attorney is Clifford D. Johnson.

History

The United States District Court for the District of Indiana was established on March 3, 1817, by 3 Stat. 390.[1][2] The District was subdivided into Northern and Southern Districts on April 21, 1928, by 45 Stat. 437.[2] Of all district courts to be subdivided, Indiana existed for the longest time as a single court, 111 years.

Divisions of the Northern District

Current judges

As of January 29, 2024:

# Title Judge Duty station Born Term of service Appointed by
Active Chief Senior
18 Chief Judge Holly A. Brady Fort Wayne 1969 2019–present 2023–present Trump
14 District Judge Philip P. Simon Hammond 1962 2003–present 2010–2017 G.W. Bush
19 District Judge Damon R. Leichty South Bend 1971 2019–present Trump
20 District Judge Cristal C. Brisco South Bend 1981 2024–present Biden
21 District Judge Gretchen S. Lund Hammond 1975 2024–present Biden
11 Senior Judge James Tyne Moody Hammond 1938 1982–2003 2003–present Reagan
15 Senior Judge Theresa Lazar Springmann Hammond 1956 2003–2021 2017–2020 2021–present G.W. Bush
16 Senior Judge Joseph S. Van Bokkelen Hammond 1943 2007–2017 2017–present G.W. Bush
17 Senior Judge Jon DeGuilio Hammond 1955 2010–2023 2020–2023 2023–present Obama

Former judges

# Judge State Born–died Active service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed by Reason for
termination
1 Thomas Whitten Slick IN 1869–1959 1928–1943[Note 1] Coolidge/Operation of law retirement
2 Luther Merritt Swygert IN 1905–1988 1943–1961 1954–1961 F. Roosevelt elevation to 7th Cir.
3 William Lynn Parkinson IN 1902–1959 1954–1957 Eisenhower elevation to 7th Cir.
4 Robert A. Grant IN 1905–1998 1957–1972 1961–1972 1972–1998 Eisenhower death
5 George N. Beamer IN 1904–1974 1962–1974 1972–1974 Kennedy death
6 Jesse E. Eschbach IN 1920–2005 1962–1981 1974–1981 Kennedy elevation to 7th Cir.
7 Allen Sharp IN 1932–2009 1973–2007 1981–1996 2007–2009 Nixon death
8 Phil McClellan McNagny Jr. IN 1924–1981 1976–1981 Ford death
9 William Charles Lee IN 1938–2024 1981–2003 1997–2003 2003–2024 Reagan death
10 Michael Stephen Kanne IN 1938–2022 1982–1987 Reagan elevation to 7th Cir.
12 Robert Lowell Miller Jr. IN 1950–present 1985–2016 2003–2010 2016–2023 Reagan retirement
13 Rodolfo Lozano IN 1942–2018 1988–2007 2007–2018 Reagan death
  1. ^ Reassigned from the District of Indiana.

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

List of U.S. attorneys since 1928

See also

References

  1. ^ Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 392.
  2. ^ a b U.S. District Courts of Indiana, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
  3. ^ "The Political Graveyard: U.S. District Attorneys in Indiana".

External links

41°04′25.5″N 85°08′26.3″W / 41.073750°N 85.140639°W / 41.073750; -85.140639