United States District Court for the District of Alaska

Last updated

United States District Court for the District of Alaska
(D. Alaska)
Seal of the United States District Court for the District of Alaska (2020).svg
Alaska Locator Map.PNG
Location Anchorage
More locations
Appeals to Ninth Circuit
EstablishedJanuary 3, 1959
Judges3
Chief Judge Sharon L. Gleason
Officers of the court
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman
U.S. Marshal Robert Heun
www.akd.uscourts.gov

The United States District Court for the District of Alaska (in case citations, D. Alaska) is a federal court that appeals to 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).

Contents

The District was established on July 7, 1958, pending Alaska statehood on January 3, 1959. [1]

The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Alaska represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. As of March 3,2025 the United States attorney is Michael J. Heyman. [2]

Organization of the court

The United States District Court for the District of Alaska is the sole federal judicial district in Alaska. [3] Court for the district is held at Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau. In 2021, the court discontinued the use of courthouses in Ketchikan and Nome. [4]

Current judges

As of July 8,2024:

#TitleJudgeDuty stationBornTerm of serviceAppointed by
Active Chief Senior
11Chief Judge Sharon L. Gleason Anchorage 19572012–present2022–present— Obama
13District Judgevacant——————
14District Judgevacant——————
5Senior Judge H. Russel Holland Anchorage 19361984–20011989–19952001–present Reagan
7Senior Judge James K. Singleton inactive19391990–20051995–20022005–present G.H.W. Bush
8Senior Judge John W. Sedwick Anchorage 19461992–20112002–20092011–present G.H.W. Bush
9Senior Judge Ralph Beistline Anchorage 19482002–20152009–20152015–present G.W. Bush
10Senior Judge Timothy M. Burgess Anchorage 19562006–20212015–20212021–present G.W. Bush

Vacancies and pending nominations

SeatPrior judge's duty stationSeat last held byVacancy reasonDate of vacancyNomineeDate of nomination
2 Anchorage Timothy M. Burgess Senior status December 31, 2021––
1 Joshua Kindred ResignationJuly 8, 2024––

Former judges

#JudgeStateBorn–diedActive service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed byReason for
termination
1 Walter Hartman Hodge AK 1896–19751960–19661961–19661966–1975 Eisenhower death
2 Raymond Eugene Plummer AK 1913–19871961–19731966–19731973–1987 Kennedy death
3 James von der Heydt AK 1919–20131966–19841973–19841984–2013 L. Johnson death
4 James Martin Fitzgerald AK 1920–20111974–19891984–19891989–2011 Ford death
6 Andrew Kleinfeld AK 1945–present1986–1991—— Reagan elevation to 9th Cir.
12 Joshua Kindred AK 1977–present2020–2024—— Trump 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

Territorial District Court

From 1884 through 1959, the highest court in Alaska was a United States territorial court. In 1900, the court was enlarged from one to three judges, with each judge having a district. From 1900 till 1909, the districts were Juneau (First), Nome (Second), and Fairbanks (Third). In 1909, a fourth district and judge was added. From 1909 till 1959, the districts were Juneau (First), Nome (Second), Valdez and Anchorage (Third), and Fairbanks (Fourth). [5]

#DistrictSeatJudgeStateBorn–diedActive serviceAppointed byReason for
termination
1—Sitka and Wrangell Ward McAllister Jr. CA 1855–19081884–1885 Arthur dismissal
2—Sitka and Wrangell E. J. Dawne OR 1844–?1885 Cleveland dismissal
3—Sitka and Wrangell Lafayette Dawson MO 1839–18971885–1888 Cleveland resignation
4—Sitka and Wrangell John H. Keatley IA 1838–19051888–1889 Cleveland resignation
5—Sitka and Wrangell John S. Bugbee 1840–18961889–1892 B. Harrison
6—Sitka and Wrangell Warren Truitt 1849–19351892–1897 B. Harrison
7—Sitka and Wrangell Arthur Delaney 1841–19051895–1897 Cleveland dismissal
8—Sitka and Wrangell Charles S. Johnson 1854–19061897–1900 McKinley
9—
1		Sitka and Wrangell Melville C. Brown 1838–19281900
1900–1904		 McKinley
102Nome Arthur H. Noyes 1853–19151900–1902 McKinley
113Fairbanks James Wickersham 1857–19391900–1907 McKinley
122Nome Alfred S. Moore 1846–19201902–1910 T. Roosevelt
131Sitka and Wrangell (to 1906)
Juneau (from 1906)		 Royal Arch Gunnison 1873–19181904–1909 T. Roosevelt
143Fairbanks Silas H. Reid 1870–19111908–1909 T. Roosevelt
151Juneau Thomas R. Lyons 1867–19411909–1913 Taft
163Valdez and Anchorage Edward E. Cushman 1865–19441909–1912 Taft
174
3		Fairbanks
Valdez and Anchorage		 Pete Overfield 1874–19591909–1912
1912–1913		 Taft
182Nome Cornelius D. Murane 1867–19511910–1913 Taft
194Fairbanks Frederic E. Fuller 1868–19531912–1914 Taft
201Juneau Robert W. Jennings 1864–19371913–1921 Wilson
213Valdez and Anchorage Frederick M. Brown 1864–19461913–1921 Wilson
222Nome John Randolph Tucker 1854–19261913–1917 Wilson
234Fairbanks Charles E. Bunnell 1878–19561915–1921 Wilson
242Nome William A. Holzheimer 1870–19481917–1921 Wilson
253Valdez and Anchorage Elmer E. Ritchie 1861–19411921–1927 Harding
262Nome Gudbrand J. Lomen 1854–19341921–1932 Harding
271Juneau Thomas M. Reed 1857–19281921–1928 Harding
284
3		Fairbanks
Valdez and Anchorage		 Cecil H. Clegg 1873–19561921–1932
1932–1934		 Harding
293
4		Valdez and Anchorage
Fairbanks		 E. Coke Hill 1866–19611927–1932
1932–1935		 Coolidge
301Juneau Justin Woodward Harding 1888–19761929–1934 Coolidge
312Nome Lester O. Gore 1890–19651932–1934 Hoover
321Juneau George F. Alexander 1882–19481933–1947 F. Roosevelt
333Valdez and Anchorage Simon Hellenthal 1877–19551935–1945 F. Roosevelt
344Fairbanks Harry Emerson Pratt 1884–19571935–1954 F. Roosevelt
352Nome J. H. S. Morison 1864–19521935–1944 F. Roosevelt
362Nome Joseph W. Kehoe 1890–19591944–1951 F. Roosevelt
373Valdez and Anchorage Anthony Dimond 1881–19531945–1953 F. Roosevelt
381Juneau George W. Folta 1893–19551947–1955 Truman death
392Nome J. Earl Cooper 1907–19641952–1953 Truman
403Valdez and Anchorage J. L. McCarrey Jr. 1906–19921953–1959 Eisenhower court dissolution
412Nome Walter Hartman Hodge 1896–19751954–1959 Eisenhower court dissolution
424Fairbanks Vernon D. Forbes 1905–19901954–1959 Eisenhower court dissolution
431Juneau Raymond J. Kelly 1894–19791955–1959 Eisenhower court dissolution

U.S. Attorney [6]

DISTRICT OF ALASKA, SITKA (1884-1898) E. W. Haskett (1884-1885) Mottrone D. Ball (1885-1887) Whitaker M. Grant (1887-1889) John C. Watson (1889) Charles S. Johnson (1889-1894) Lytton Taylor (1894-1895) Burton E. Bennett (1895-1898)

Three Judicial Districts Created: June 6, 1900 First District Juneau Robert A. Frederick (1898-1902) Thomas R. Lyons (1902-1903) John J. Boyce (1903-1910) John Rustgard (1910-1914 John J. Reagan (1914-1915) James A. Smiser (1915-1921) Arthur G. Shoup (1921-1927) Justin W. Harding (1927-1929) Howard D. Stabler (1929-1933) William A. Holzheimer (1933-1944) Lynn J. Gemmill (1944) Robert L. Jernberg (1944-1945) Robert L. Tollefson (1945-1946) Patrick J. Gilmore, Jr (1946-1954) Theodore E. Munson (1954-1956) Roger G. Connor (1956) C. Donald O’Connor (1956)

Second District Nome Joseph K. Wood (1900-1901) John L. McGinn (1901-1902) Melvin Grigsby (1902-1903) John L. McGinn (1903-1904) Henry M. Hoyt (1904-1908) George B. Grigsby (1908-1910) Bernard S. Rodey (1910-1913) F. M. Saxton (1913-1917) G. B. Mundy (1917-1918) Gudbrand J. Lomen (1918-1919) J. M. Clements (1919-1921) Wm. Frederick Harrison (1921-1929) Julius H. Hart (1929-1931) Leroy M. Sullivan (1931-1933) Hugh O’Neill (1933-1939) Charles J. Clasky (1939-1944) Frank C. Bingham (1944-1951) James A. von der Heydt (1951-1953) Russell B. Hermann (1953)

THIRD DISTRICT Eagle, Fairbanks, Valdez, Anchorage Alfred M. Post (1900-1901) Nathan V. Harlan (1901-1908) James J. Crossley (1908-1909) Corneilus D. Murane (1909-1910) George R. Walker (1910-1914) William N. Spence (1914-1917) William A. Munly (1917-1921) Sherman Duggan (1921-1925) Frank H. Foster (1925-1926) William D. Coppernoll (1926-1928) Warren N. Cuddy [7] (1928-1933) Joseph W. Kehoe (1933-1942) Noel K. Wennblom (1942-1946) Raymond E. Plummer .... 1946-1949 Joseph E. Cooper (1949-1952) Seaborn J. Buckalew, Jr. (1952-1953) William J. Plummer (1953-1960)

Fourth District, Fairbanks James J. Crossley (1909-1914) Rhinehart F. Roth (1914-1921) Guy B. Erwin (1921-1924) Julien A. Hurley (1924-1933) Ralph J. Rivers (1933-1944) Harry O. Arend (1944-1949) Everett W. Hepp (1950-1952) Robert J. McNealy (1952-1953) Theodore F. Stevens (1954-1956) George M. Yeager (1956-1960)

ALASKA ADMITTED TO STATEHOOD JANUARY 2, 1959

See also

References

  1. ↑ "U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska: Legislative History". Federal Judicial Center . Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Meet the U.S. Attorney". www.justice.gov. April 25, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
  3. ↑ 28 U.S.C.   § 81A
  4. ↑ "Court Locations". United States District Court for the District of Alaska. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  5. ↑ Naske, Claus-M. (July 1985). "A History of the Alaska Federal District Court System 1884-1959, and the Creation of the State Court System" (PDF). Retrieved December 15, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Bicentennial Celebration of United States Attorneys, 1789–1989" (PDF). Department of Justice. 1989. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  7. ↑ "District of Alaska | About". www.justice.gov. January 29, 2015. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  8. ↑ "The Political Graveyard: U.S. District Attorneys in Alaska". politicalgraveyard.com. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  9. ↑ Chottiner, Lee (April 13, 2009). "Pittsburgh man returns home after stint as Alaska's top prosecutor". Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
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