United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama

United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama
(N.D. Ala.)
Location Birmingham
More locations
Appeals to Eleventh Circuit
Established March 10, 1824
Judges 8
Chief Judge Karon O. Bowdre
Officers of the court
U.S. Attorney Jay Town
www.alnd.uscourts.gov

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama (in case citations, N.D. Ala.) is a federal court in the Eleventh Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).

The District was established on March 10, 1824, with the division of the state into a Northern and Southern district. The circuit court itself was established on June 22, 1874.[1]

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Alabama represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. The current United States Attorney is Jay Town, who took office in August 2017.

Organization of the court

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama is one of three federal judicial districts in Alabama.[2] Court for the District is held at Anniston, Birmingham, Decatur, Florence, Gadsden, Huntsville, and Tuscaloosa.

Eastern Division comprises the following counties: Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, and Talladega.

Jasper Division comprises the following counties: Fayette, Lamar, Marion, Walker, and Winston.

Middle Division comprises the following counties: Cherokee, DeKalb, Etowah, Marshall, and St. Clair.

Northeastern Division comprises the following counties: Cullman, Jackson, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, and Morgan.

Northwestern Division comprises the following counties: Colbert, Franklin, and Lauderdale.

Southern Division comprises the following counties: Blount, Jefferson, and Shelby.

Western Division comprises the following counties: Bibb, Greene, Pickens, Sumter, and Tuscaloosa.

Current judges

# Title Judge Duty station Born Term of service Appointed by
Active Chief Senior
32 Chief Judge Karon O. Bowdre Birmingham 1955 2001–present 2013–present — G.W. Bush
33 District Judge L. Scott Coogler Tuscaloosa 1959 2003–present — — G.W. Bush
34 District Judge R. David Proctor Birmingham 1960 2003–present — — G.W. Bush
36 District Judge Abdul Kallon Birmingham 1969 2010–present — — Obama
37 District Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala Birmingham 1964 2013–present — — Obama
38 District Judge Annemarie Carney Axon Birmingham 1973 2018–present — — Trump
39 District Judge Liles C. Burke Huntsville 1969 beg. 2018 — — Trump
40 District Judge vacant — — — — — —
21 Senior Judge James Hughes Hancock inactive 1931 1973–1996 — 1996–present Nixon
24 Senior Judge Robert Bruce Propst inactive 1931 1980–1996 — 1996–present Carter
28 Senior Judge Sharon Lovelace Blackburn Birmingham 1950 1991–2015 2006–2013 2015–present G.H.W. Bush
29 Senior Judge Charles Lynwood Smith Jr. Huntsville 1943 1995–2013 — 2013–present Clinton
31 Senior Judge Inge Prytz Johnson inactive 1945 1998–2012 — 2012–present Clinton
35 Senior Judge Virginia Emerson Hopkins Birmingham 1952 2004–2018 — 2018–present G.W. Bush

Vacancies and pending nominations

# Seat last held by Vacancy reason Date of vacancy Nominee Date of nomination
5 Virginia Emerson Hopkins Senior Status June 22, 2018 Corey L. Maze May 15, 2018

Former judges

# Judge State Born–died Active service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed by Reason for
termination
1 Charles Tait AL 1768–1835 1824[3]–1826 — — Monroe resignation
2 William Crawford AL 1784–1849 1826–1849 — — J.Q. Adams death
3 John Gayle AL 1792–1859 1849–1859 — — Taylor death
4 William Giles Jones AL 1808–1883 1859[4]–1861 — — Buchanan resignation
5 George Washington Lane AL 1806–1863 1861–1863 — — Lincoln death
6 Richard Busteed AL 1822–1898 1863[5]–1874 — — Lincoln resignation
7 John Bruce AL 1832–1901 1875–1901 — — Grant death
8 Thomas G. Jones AL 1844–1914 1901–1914 — — T. Roosevelt death
9 Oscar Richard Hundley AL 1855–1921 1907–1908
1908–1909
1909		 — — T. Roosevelt
T. Roosevelt
Taft		 not confirmed[6]
10 William Irwin Grubb AL 1862–1935 1909–1935 — — Taft death
11 Henry De Lamar Clayton Jr. AL 1857–1929 1914–1929 — — Wilson death
12 Charles Brents Kennamer AL 1874–1955 1931–1936 — — Hoover reassignment to M.D. Ala.
13 David Jackson Davis AL 1878–1938 1935[7]–1938 — — F. Roosevelt death
14 Thomas Alexander Murphree AL 1883–1945 1938–1945 — — F. Roosevelt death
15 Clarence H. Mullins AL 1895–1957 1943–1953 1948–1953 1953–1957 F. Roosevelt death
16 Seybourn Harris Lynne AL 1907–2000 1946–1973 1953–1973 1973–2000 Truman death
17 Harlan Hobart Grooms AL 1900–1991 1953–1969 — 1969–1991 Eisenhower death
18 Clarence W. Allgood AL 1902–1991 1961[8]–1973 — 1973–1991 Kennedy death
19 Frank Hampton McFadden AL 1925–present 1969–1982 1973–1982 — Nixon resignation
20 Sam C. Pointer Jr. AL 1934–2008 1970–1999 1982–1999 1999–2000 Nixon retirement
22 Junius Foy Guin Jr. AL 1924–2016 1973–1989 — 1989–2016 Nixon death
23 Elbert Bertram Haltom Jr. AL 1922–2003 1980–1991 — 1991–2003 Carter death
25 U. W. Clemon AL 1943–present 1980–2009 1999–2006 — Carter retirement
26 William Marsh Acker Jr. AL 1927–2018 1982–1996 — 1996–2018 Reagan death
27 Edwin L. Nelson AL 1940–2003 1990–2003 — — G.H.W. Bush death
30 H. Dean Buttram Jr. AL 1950–present 1998–2002 — — Clinton resignation

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.

Court Decisions

Lucy v. Adams (1955) – A court ruling which affirmed the right of all citizens to be accepted at the University of Alabama. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the ruling.

Armstrong v. Birmingham Board of Education (1963) – The court dismissed the plaintiff's complaint. On appeal, the Fifth Circuit reversed and ordered the desegregation of Birmingham public schools.[9]

United States v. Wallace (1963) – The court exercised its ruling in Lucy v. Adams and ordered that colored students be permitted to enroll at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The court order led to the infamous Stand in the Schoolhouse Door incident with Governor George C. Wallace.[10]

Jackson v. Birmingham Board of Education (2002) – A reversal of the decision rendered by the district and Eleventh Circuit. The U.S. Supreme Court held that retaliation against a person on the basis of a sexual complaint is a form of sexual discrimination under Title IX.

Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (2003) – The U.S. Supreme Court reversed the decision of the district court, stating that employers cannot be sued under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act over race or gender discrimination if the claims are based on decisions over 180 days. The decision of the court led Congress to pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009.

United States v. Alabama (2011) – The court upheld most parts of Alabama HB 56, an anti-illegal immigration bill signed by Governor Robert J. Bentley. The Eleventh Circuit reversed, invalidating much of Alabama HB 56.[11]

Succession of seats

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/courts_district_al.html U.S. District Courts of Alabama, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center
  2. ↑ "28 U.S.C. § 81 - U.S. Code Title 28. Judiciary and Judicial Procedure § 81 - FindLaw". findlaw.com. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  3. ↑ Initially appointed to the District of Alabama in 1820 by James Monroe; reassigned to both the Northern District of Alabama and the Southern District of Alabama in 1824.
  4. ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 23, 1860, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 30, 1860, and received commission on January 30, 1860.
  5. ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 5, 1864, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 20, 1864, and received commission on January 20, 1864.
  6. ↑ Recess appointment; the United States Senate later rejected the appointment; received a second recess appointment and was again rejected by the Senate; received a third recess appointment but resigned prior to consideration.
  7. ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 6, 1936, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 22, 1936, and received commission on January 28, 1936.
  8. ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 15, 1962, confirmed by the United States Senate on February 5, 1962, and received commission on February 9, 1962.
  9. ↑ http://www.leagle.com/decision/1963437220FSupp217_1398 Armstrong v. Birmingham Board of Education
  10. ↑ http://digital.archives.alabama.gov/cdm/ref/collection/voices/id/5665 United States v. Wallace
  11. ↑ http://www.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions/ops/201114532.pdf United States v. Alabama

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