United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma | |
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(W.D. Okla.) | |
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Location | William J. Holloway Jr. U.S. Courthouse |
Appeals to | Tenth Circuit |
Established | June 16, 1906 |
Judges | 7 |
Chief Judge | Joe L. Heaton |
Officers of the court | |
U.S. Marshal | Johnny Lee Kuhlman |
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The United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma (in case citations, W.D. Okla. or W.D. Ok.) is a federal court in 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 District was established on June 16, 1906 and became operational on November 16, 1907 with Oklahoma achieving statehood.[1]
Organization of the court
The United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma is one of three federal judicial districts in Oklahoma.[2] Court for the District is held at Lawton and Oklahoma City.
Enid and Ponca City Division comprises the following counties: Alfalfa, Garfield, Grant, Kay, Noble, and Payne.
Lawton and Mangum Division comprises the following counties: Beckham, Caddo, Comanche, Cotton, Greer, Harmon, Jackson, Jefferson, Kiowa, Stephens, Tillman, and Washita.
Oklahoma City, Guthrie, Chickasha, Pauls Valley, and Shawnee Division comprises the following counties: Blaine, Canadian, Cleveland, Garvin, Grady, Kingfisher, Lincoln, Logan, McClain, Oklahoma, and Pottawatomie.
Woodward Division comprises the following counties: Beaver, Cimarron, Custer, Dewey, Ellis, Harper, Major, Roger Mills, Texas, Woods, and Woodward.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Oklahoma represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. The current Acting US Attorney is Mark A. Yancey.
Current judges
# | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Term of service | Appointed by | ||
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Active | Chief | Senior | ||||||
23 | Chief Judge | Joe L. Heaton | Oklahoma City | 1951 | 2001–present | 2015–present | — | G.W. Bush |
20 | District Judge | Vicki Miles-LaGrange | Oklahoma City | 1953 | 1994–present | 2008–2015 | — | Clinton |
24 | District Judge | Timothy D. DeGiusti | Oklahoma City | 1962 | 2007–present | — | — | G.W. Bush |
25 | District Judge | Scott L. Palk | Oklahoma City | 1967 | 2017–present | — | — | Trump |
26 | District Judge | Charles Barnes Goodwin | Oklahoma City | 1971 | 2018–present | — | — | Trump |
27 | District Judge | vacant | — | — | — | — | — | — |
28 | District Judge | vacant | — | — | — | — | — | — |
13 | Senior Judge | Lee Roy West | Oklahoma City | 1929 | 1979–1994 | 1993–1994 | 1994–present | Carter |
14 | Senior Judge | David Lynn Russell | Oklahoma City | 1942 | 1981–2013 | 1994–2001 | 2013–present | Reagan |
15 | Senior Judge | Wayne Edward Alley | inactive | 1932 | 1985–1999 | — | 1999–present | Reagan |
17 | Senior Judge | Robin J. Cauthron | Oklahoma City | 1950 | 1991–2015 | 2001–2008 | 2015–present | G.H.W. Bush |
18 | Senior Judge | Timothy D. Leonard | inactive | 1940 | 1992–2006 | — | 2006–present | G.H.W. Bush |
22 | Senior Judge | James H. Payne | none[Note 1] | 1941 | 2001–2017 | — | 2017–present | G.W. Bush |
23 | Senior Judge | Stephen P. Friot | Oklahoma City | 1947 | 2001–2014 | — | 2014–present | G.W. Bush |
- ↑ Judge Payne maintains chambers only in the Eastern and Northern Districts.
Vacancies and pending nominations
Seat | Seat last held by | Vacancy reason | Date of vacancy | Nominee | Date of nomination |
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4 | David Lynn Russell | Senior Status | July 7, 2013 | Patrick Wyrick | April 10, 2018 |
2 | James H. Payne | August 1, 2017 | John M. O'Connor |
Former judges
# | Judge | State | Born–died | Active service | Chief Judge | Senior status | Appointed by | Reason for termination |
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1 | John Hazelton Cotteral | OK | 1864–1933 | 1907[3]–1928 | — | — | T. Roosevelt | appointment to 8th Cir. |
2 | Edgar Sullins Vaught | OK | 1873–1959 | 1928[4]–1956 | 1949–1956 | 1956–1959 | Coolidge | death |
3 | Alfred P. Murrah | OK | 1904–1975 | 1937–1940 | — | — | F. Roosevelt | appointment to 10th Cir. |
4 | Bower Slack Broaddus | OK | 1888–1949 | 1940–1949 | — | — | F. Roosevelt | death |
5 | Stephen Sanders Chandler Jr. | OK | 1899–1989 | 1943–1975 | 1956–1969 | 1975–1989 | F. Roosevelt | death |
6 | William Robert Wallace | OK | 1886–1960 | 1950–1960 | — | — | Truman | death |
7 | Ross Rizley | OK | 1892–1969 | 1956–1969 | — | — | Eisenhower | death |
8 | Luther L. Bohanon | OK | 1902–2003 | 1961–1974 | 1969–1972 | 1974–2003 | Kennedy | death |
9 | Frederick Alvin Daugherty | OK | 1914–2006 | 1961[5]–1982 | 1972–1982 | 1982–2006 | Kennedy | death |
10 | Luther Boyd Eubanks | OK | 1917–1996 | 1965–1986 | 1982–1986 | 1986–1987 | L. Johnson | retirement |
11 | H. Dale Cook | OK | 1924–2008 | 1974–1992 | — | 1992–2008 | Ford | death |
12 | Ralph Gordon Thompson | OK | 1934–present | 1975–1999 | 1986–1993 | 1999–2007 | Ford | retirement |
16 | Layn R. Phillips | OK | 1952–present | 1987–1991 | — | — | Reagan | resignation |
19 | Michael Burrage | OK | 1950–present | 1994–2001 | — | — | 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.
Succession of seats
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See also
Notes
- ↑ http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/courts_district_ok.html U.S. District Courts of Oklahoma, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center
- ↑ "28 U.S.C. § 116 - U.S. Code Title 28. Judiciary and Judicial Procedure § 116 - FindLaw".
- ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 3, 1907, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 13, 1908, and received commission on January 13, 1908.
- ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 6, 1928, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 8, 1929, and received commission on January 8, 1929.
- ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 15, 1962, confirmed by the United States Senate on February 7, 1962, and received commission on February 17, 1962.