United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts

Last updated

United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
(D. Mass.)
District-Massachusetts.png
Massachusetts Locator Map.PNG
Location John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse
(Boston)
More locations
Appeals to First Circuit
EstablishedSeptember 24, 1789
Judges13
Chief Judge Denise J. Casper
Officers of the court
U.S. Attorney Leah Foley
U.S. Marshal Brian A. Kyes
www.mad.uscourts.gov

The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts (in case citations, D. Mass.) is the federal district court whose territorial jurisdiction is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. [1] The first court session was held in Boston in 1789. The second term was held in Salem in 1790 and court session locations alternated between the two cities until 1813. That year, Boston became the court's permanent home. A western division was opened in Springfield in 1979 and a central division was opened in Worcester in 1987. The court's main building is the John Joseph Moakley Federal Courthouse on Fan Pier in South Boston.

Contents

Appeals from the District of Massachusetts are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, also located in the Moakley courthouse (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).

Jurisdiction

The District of Massachusetts has three court divisions:

The Eastern Division, covering Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, and Suffolk counties. Cases filed in the Eastern Division are heard in Boston.

The Central Division, covering Worcester county. Cases filed in the Central Division are heard in Worcester.

The Western Division, covering Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties. Cases filed in the Western Division are heard in Springfield.

U.S. Attorney's Office

The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the courts. As of January 20,2025 the U.S. attorney is Leah Foley. [2]

Federal Public Defender's Office

The Federal Public Defender's Office represents individuals who cannot afford to hire a lawyer in federal criminal cases and related matters. The office is assigned to cases by the district courts in three districts (New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts), and by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. [3]

Current judges

As of July 31,2025:

#TitleJudgeDuty stationBornTerm of serviceAppointed by
Active Chief Senior
43Chief Judge Denise J. Casper Boston 19682010–present2025–present— Obama
38District Judge Richard G. Stearns Boston 19441993–present—— Clinton
45District Judge Indira Talwani Boston 19602014–present—— Obama
46District Judge Mark G. Mastroianni Springfield 19642014–present—— Obama
47District Judge Leo T. Sorokin Boston 19612014–present—— Obama
48District Judge Allison D. Burroughs Boston 19612014–present—— Obama
49District Judge Angel Kelley Boston 19672021–present—— Biden
50District Judge Margaret R. Guzman Worcester 19602023–present—— Biden
51District Judge Myong J. Joun Boston 19712023–present—— Biden
52District Judge Julia Kobick Boston 19832023–present—— Biden
53District Judge Brian E. Murphy Boston 19792024–present—— Biden
54District Judgevacant——————
55District Judgevacant——————
30Senior Judge Rya W. Zobel Boston 19311979–2014—2014–present Carter
31Senior Judge William G. Young Boston 19401985–20211999–20052021–present Reagan
32Senior Judge Mark L. Wolf Boston 19461985–20132006–20122013–present Reagan
33Senior Judge Douglas P. Woodlock Boston 19471986–2015—2015–present Reagan
35Senior Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton Boston 19381992–2025—2025–present G.H.W. Bush
37Senior Judge Patti B. Saris Boston 19511993–20242013–20192024–present Clinton
40Senior Judge Michael Ponsor Springfield 19461994–2011—2011–present Clinton
41Senior Judge George A. O'Toole Jr. Boston 19471995–2018—2018–present Clinton
42Senior Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV Boston 19552004–20252020–20252025–present G.W. Bush

Vacancies and pending nominations

SeatPrior judge's duty stationSeat last held byVacancy reasonDate of vacancyNomineeDate of nomination
13 Boston, MA Nathaniel M. Gorton Senior status May 31, 2025––
7 F. Dennis Saylor IV July 31, 2025––

Former judges

#JudgeStateBorn–diedActive service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed byReason for
termination
1 John Lowell MA 1743–18021789–1801—— Washington elevation to 1st Cir.
2 John Davis MA 1761–18471801–1841—— J. Adams resignation
3 Peleg Sprague MA 1793–18801841–1865—— Tyler resignation
4 John Lowell MA 1824–18971865–1879—— Lincoln elevation to 1st Cir.
5 Thomas Leverett Nelson MA 1827–18971879–1897—— Hayes death
6 Francis Cabot Lowell MA 1855–19111898–1905—— McKinley elevation to 1st Cir.
7 Frederic Dodge MA 1847–19271905–1912—— T. Roosevelt elevation to 1st Cir.
8 James Madison Morton Jr. MA 1869–19401912–1932—— Taft elevation to 1st Cir.
9 Elisha Hume Brewster MA 1871–19461922–1941—1941–1946 Harding death
10 James Arnold Lowell MA 1869–19331922–1933—— Harding death
11 Hugh Dean McLellan MA 1876–19531932–1941—— Hoover resignation
12 George Clinton Sweeney MA 1895–19661935–19661948–19651966 F. Roosevelt death
13 Francis Ford MA 1882–19751938–1972—1972–1975 F. Roosevelt death
14 Arthur Daniel Healey MA 1889–19481941–1948—— F. Roosevelt death
15 Charles Edward Wyzanski Jr. MA 1906–19861941–19711965–19711971–1986 F. Roosevelt death
16 William T. McCarthy MA 1885–19641949–1960—1960–1964 Truman death
17 Bailey Aldrich MA 1907–20021954–1959—— Eisenhower elevation to 1st Cir.
18 Anthony Julian MA 1902–19841959–19721971–19721972–1984 Eisenhower death
19 Andrew A. Caffrey MA 1920–19931960–1986 [Note 1] 1972–19861986–1993 Eisenhower [Note 2]
Kennedy [Note 3] 		death
20 W. Arthur Garrity Jr. MA 1920–19991966–1985—1985–1999 L. Johnson death
21 Frank Jerome Murray MA 1904–19951967–1977—1977–1995 L. Johnson death
22 Levin H. Campbell MA 1927–present1971–1972—— Nixon elevation to 1st Cir.
23 Frank Harlan Freedman MA 1924–20031972–19921986–19921992–2003 Nixon death
24 Joseph L. Tauro MA 1931–20181972–20131992–19992013–2018 Nixon death
25 Walter Jay Skinner MA 1927–20051973–1992—1992–2005 Nixon death
26 A. David Mazzone MA 1928–20041978–1993—1993–2004 Carter death
27 Robert Keeton MA 1919–20071979–2003—2003–2006 Carter retirement
28 John J. McNaught MA 1921–19941979–1991—— Carter retirement
29 David Sutherland Nelson MA 1933–19981979–1991—1991–1998 Carter death
34 Edward F. Harrington MA 1933–20251988–2001—2001–2025 Reagan death
36 Reginald C. Lindsay MA 1945–20091993–2009—— Clinton death
39 Nancy Gertner MA 1946–present1994–2011—2011 Clinton retirement
44 Timothy S. Hillman MA 1948–present2012–2022—2022–2024 Obama retirement
  1. ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 10, 1961, confirmed by the United States Senate on August 9, 1961, and received commission on August 16, 1961
  2. ↑ Judge Caffrey was given a recess appointment by President Eisenhower.
  3. ↑ Judge Caffrey was nominated by President Eisenhower but was appointed to the Court by (i.e., received his commission from) President Kennedy.

Chief judges

Chief Judge
Sweeney 1948–1965
Wyzanski 1965–1971
Julian 1971–1972
Caffrey 1972–1986
Freedman 1986–1992
Tauro 1992–1999
Young 1999–2005
Wolf 2005–2012
Saris 2013–2019
Saylor 2020–2025
Casper 2025–present

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

List of U.S. marshals

Notable cases

See also

References

  1. ↑ 28 U.S.C.   § 101.
  2. ↑ "United States Attorney". www.justice.gov. January 10, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  3. ↑ "About us". bostondefender.org. Archived from the original on January 27, 2015. Retrieved January 27, 2015.

42°21′14″N71°02′49″W / 42.354°N 71.047°W / 42.354; -71.047

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.