United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts

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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
More locations
Appeals to First Circuit
EstablishedSeptember 24, 1789
Judges13
Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV
Officers of the court
U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy (acting)
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 court. As of May 19,2023 the acting U.S. attorney is Joshua S. Levy. [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 November 13,2023:

#TitleJudgeDuty stationBornTerm of serviceAppointed by
Active Chief Senior
42Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV Boston 19552004–present2020–present G.W. Bush
35District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton Boston 19381992–present G.H.W. Bush
37District Judge Patti B. Saris Boston 19511993–present2013–2019 Clinton
38District Judge Richard G. Stearns Boston 19441993–present Clinton
43District Judge Denise J. Casper Boston 19682010–present Obama
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
30Senior Judge Rya W. Zobel Boston 19311979–20142014–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 19471986–20152015–present Reagan
34Senior Judge Edward F. Harrington Boston 19331988–20012001–present Reagan
40Senior Judge Michael Ponsor Springfield 19461994–20112011–present Clinton
41Senior Judge George A. O'Toole Jr. Boston 19471995–20182018–present Clinton
44Senior Judge Timothy S. Hillman Worcester 19482012–20222022–present Obama

Vacancies and pending nominations

SeatPrior judge's duty stationSeat last held byVacancy reasonDate of vacancyNomineeDate of nomination
5 Boston Patti B. Saris Senior status TBD [4]

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 1871–19461922–19411941–1946 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 1882–19751938–19721972–1975 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 1885–19641949–19601960–1964 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 1920–19991966–19851985–1999 L. Johnson death
21 Frank Jerome Murray MA 1904–19951967–19771977–1995 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 1927–20051973–19921992–2005 Nixon death
26 A. David Mazzone MA 1928–20041978–19931993–2004 Carter death
27 Robert Keeton MA 1919–20071979–20032003–2006 Carter retirement
28 John J. McNaught MA 1921–19941979–1991 Carter retirement
29 David Sutherland Nelson MA 1933–19981979–19911991–1998 Carter death
36 Reginald C. Lindsay MA 1945–20091993–2009 Clinton death
39 Nancy Gertner MA 1946–present1994–20112011 Clinton 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–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

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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. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  4. "U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris has advised President Biden that she intends to retire from regular active service as a United States District Court Judge upon the appointment of her successor" (PDF). mad.courts.gov (Press release). November 22, 2023. Retrieved November 23, 2023.

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