United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

Last updated
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
(11th Cir.)
US-CourtOfAppeals-11thCircuit-Seal.png
11th Circuit map.svg
Location Elbert P. Tuttle U.S. Court of Appeals Building
Appeals from
EstablishedOctober 1, 1981
Judges12
Circuit Justice Clarence Thomas
Chief Judge William H. Pryor Jr.
www.ca11.uscourts.gov

The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (in case citations, 11th Cir.) is a federal appellate court over the following U.S. district courts:

Contents

These districts were originally part of the Fifth Circuit, but were split off to form the Eleventh Circuit on October 1, 1981. [1] For this reason, Fifth Circuit decisions from before this split are considered binding precedent in the Eleventh Circuit. [2] [3]

The court is based at the Elbert P. Tuttle U.S. Court of Appeals Building in Atlanta, Georgia. The building is named for Elbert Tuttle, who served as Chief Judge of the Fifth Circuit in the 1960s and was known for issuing decisions which advanced the civil rights of African-Americans.

The Eleventh Circuit is one of the thirteen United States courts of appeals.

Current composition of the court

As of May 26,2023:

#TitleJudgeDuty stationBornTerm of serviceAppointed by
Active Chief Senior
29Chief Judge William H. Pryor Jr. Birmingham, AL 19622004–present [lower-alpha 1] 2020–present G.W. Bush
28Circuit Judge Charles R. Wilson Tampa, FL 19541999–present Clinton
31Circuit Judge Adalberto Jordan Miami, FL 19612012–present Obama
32Circuit Judge Robin S. Rosenbaum Fort Lauderdale, FL 19662014–present Obama
34Circuit Judge Jill A. Pryor Atlanta, GA 19632014–present Obama
35Circuit Judge Kevin Newsom Birmingham, AL 19722017–present Trump
36Circuit Judge Elizabeth L. Branch Atlanta, GA 19682018–present Trump
37Circuit Judge Britt Grant Atlanta, GA 19782018–present Trump
38Circuit Judge Robert J. Luck Tallahassee, FL 19792019–present Trump
39Circuit Judge Barbara Lagoa Miami, FL 19672019–present Trump
40Circuit Judge Andrew L. Brasher Birmingham, AL 19812020–present Trump
41Circuit Judge Nancy Abudu Atlanta, GA 19742023–present Biden
9Senior Circuit Judge Gerald Bard Tjoflat Jacksonville, FL 19291981–2019 [lower-alpha 2] 1989–19962019–present Ford / Operation of law
15Senior Circuit Judge R. Lanier Anderson III Macon, GA 19361981–2009 [lower-alpha 2] 1999–20022009–present Carter / Operation of law
19Senior Circuit Judge James Larry Edmondson Jasper, GA 19471986–20122002–20092012–present Reagan
22Senior Circuit Judge Joel Fredrick Dubina Montgomery, AL 19471990–20132009–20132013–present G.H.W. Bush
23Senior Circuit Judge Susan H. Black Jacksonville, FL 19431992–20112011–present G.H.W. Bush
24Senior Circuit Judge Edward Earl Carnes Montgomery, AL 19501992–20202013–20202020–present G.H.W. Bush
26Senior Circuit Judge Frank M. Hull Atlanta, GA 19481997–20172017–present Clinton
27Senior Circuit Judge Stanley Marcus West Palm Beach, FL 19461997–20192019–present Clinton
33Senior Circuit Judge Julie E. Carnes Atlanta, GA 19502014–20182018–present Obama

    Vacancies and pending nominations

    SeatPrior judge's duty stationSeat last held byVacancy reasonDate of vacancyNomineeDate of nomination
    11 Tampa, FL Charles R. Wilson Senior statusDecember 31, 2024 [4]

    List of former judges

    #JudgeStateBorn–diedActive service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed byReason for
    termination
    1 Richard Rives AL 1895–19821981–1982 [lower-alpha 2] Truman / Operation of law death
    2 Elbert Tuttle GA 1897–19961981–1996 [lower-alpha 2] Eisenhower / Operation of law death
    3 Warren Leroy Jones FL 1895–19931981–1993 [lower-alpha 2] Eisenhower / Operation of law death
    4 John Cooper Godbold AL 1920–20091981–1987 [lower-alpha 2] 1981–19861987–2009 L. Johnson / Operation of law death
    5 David William Dyer FL 1910–19981981–1998 [lower-alpha 2] L. Johnson / Operation of law death
    6 John Milton Bryan Simpson FL 1903–19871981–1987 [lower-alpha 2] L. Johnson / Operation of law death
    7 Lewis Render Morgan GA 1913–20011981–2001 [lower-alpha 2] L. Johnson / Operation of law death
    8 Paul Hitch Roney FL 1921–20061981–1989 [lower-alpha 2] 1986–19891989–2006 Nixon / Operation of law death
    10 James Clinkscales Hill FL 1924–20171981–1989 [lower-alpha 2] 1989–2017 Ford / Operation of law death
    11 Peter T. Fay FL 1929–20211981–1994 [lower-alpha 2] 1994–2021 Ford / Operation of law death
    12 Robert Smith Vance AL 1931–19891981–1989 [lower-alpha 2] Carter / Operation of law death
    13 Phyllis A. Kravitch GA 1920–20171981–1996 [lower-alpha 2] 1996–2017 Carter / Operation of law death
    14 Frank Minis Johnson AL 1918–19991981–1991 [lower-alpha 2] 1991–1999 Carter / Operation of law death
    16 Joseph W. Hatchett FL 1932–20211981–1999 [lower-alpha 2] 1996–1999 Carter / Operation of law retirement
    17 Albert John Henderson GA 1920–19991981–1986 [lower-alpha 2] 1986–1999 Carter / Operation of law death
    18 Thomas Alonzo Clark FL 1920–20051981–1991 [lower-alpha 2] 1991–2005 Carter / Operation of law death
    20 Emmett Ripley Cox AL 1935–20211988–20002000–2021 Reagan death
    21 Stanley F. Birch Jr. GA 1945–present1990–2010 G.H.W. Bush retirement
    25 Rosemary Barkett FL 1939–present1994–2013 Clinton retirement
    30 Beverly B. Martin GA 1955–present2010–2021 Obama retirement

    Chief judges

    Chief Judge
    Godbold 1981–1986
    Roney 1986–1989
    Tjoflat 1989–1996
    Hatchett 1996–1999
    Anderson 1999–2002
    Edmondson 2002–2009
    Dubina 2009–2013
    E. Carnes 2013–2020
    W. Pryor, Jr. 2020–present

    Chief judges have administrative responsibilities with respect to their circuits, and preside over any panel on which they serve, unless the circuit justice (the Supreme Court justice responsible for the circuit) is also on the panel. Unlike the Supreme Court, where one justice is specifically nominated to be chief, the office of chief judge rotates among the circuit 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, with seniority determined first by commission date, then by age. The chief judge serves for a term of seven years, or until age 70, whichever occurs first. If no judge qualifies to be chief, the youngest judge over the age of 65 who has served on the court for at least one year shall act as chief until another judge qualifies. If no judge has served on the court for more than a year, the most senior judge shall act as chief. Judges can forfeit or resign their chief judgeship or acting chief judgeship while retaining their active status as a circuit judge. [5]

    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. [6]

    Succession of seats

    The court has twelve seats for active judges, numbered in the order in which they were initially filled. Judges who assume senior status enter a kind of retirement in which they remain on the bench but vacate their seats, thus allowing the U.S. President to appoint new judges to fill their seats.

    See also

    Notes

    1. Recess appointment; formally nominated on April 9, 2003, given a recess appointment on February 20, 2004, confirmed by the United States Senate on June 9, 2005, and received commission on June 10, 2005
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Reassigned from the 5th Circuit.

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    References

    Citations

    1. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Reorganization Act of 1980, Pub. L. Tooltip Public Law (United States)  96–452 , 94  Stat.   1994 , enacted October 14, 1980
    2. Bonner v. City of Prichard , 661 F.2d 1206 (11th Cir. 1981).
    3. Stein v. Reynolds Secs., Inc. , 667 F.2d 33 (11th Cir. 1982).
    4. Raymond, Nate (January 23, 2024). "11th Circuit's Wilson to take senior status, creating vacancy". Reuters . Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
    5. 28 U.S.C.   § 45
    6. 62  Stat.   871, 72  Stat.   497, 96  Stat.   51

    Sources