United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky

Last updated
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky
(E.D. Ky.)
EDKY seal.png
EDKy Map.PNG
Location United States Post Office and Courthouse
More locations
Appeals to Sixth Circuit
EstablishedFebruary 12, 1901
Judges6
Chief Judge Danny C. Reeves
Officers of the court
U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier, IV
U.S. Marshal vacant
www.kyed.uscourts.gov

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky (in case citations, E.D. Ky.) is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises approximately the Eastern half of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati, Ohio maintains appellate jurisdiction for the district (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).

Contents

Jurisdiction

The Eastern District of Kentucky encompasses the following counties: Anderson, Bath, Bell, Boone, Bourbon, Boyd, Boyle, Bracken, Breathitt, Campbell, Carroll, Carter, Clark, Clay, Elliott, Estill, Fayette, Fleming, Floyd, Franklin, Gallatin, Garrard, Grant, Greenup, Harlan, Harrison, Henry, Jackson, Jessamine, Johnson, Kenton, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lewis, Lincoln, McCreary, Madison, Magoffin, Martin, Mason, Menifee, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Nicholas, Owen, Owsley, Pendleton, Perry, Pike, Powell, Pulaski, Robertson, Rockcastle, Rowan, Scott, Shelby, Trimble, Wayne, Whitley, Wolfe, and Woodford.

History

The federal courthouse at Covington, Kentucky US Courthouse at Covington.jpg
The federal courthouse at Covington, Kentucky

The United States District Court for the District of Kentucky was one of the original 13 courts established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, 1  Stat.   73, on September 24, 1789. [1] [2] At the time, Kentucky was not yet a state, but was within the territory of the state of Virginia. The District was unchanged when Kentucky became a state on June 1, 1792. On February 13, 1801, the Judiciary Act of 1801, 2  Stat.   89, abolished the U.S. district court in Kentucky, [2] but the repeal of this Act restored the District on March 8, 1802, 2  Stat.   132. [2] The District was subdivided into Eastern and Western Districts on February 12, 1901, by 31  Stat.   781. [2]

Meeting places

The court is based in Lexington and also holds sessions in Federal Courthouses in Ashland, Covington, Frankfort, London and Pikeville. The court also meets in Richmond and Jackson. From 1911 to 1985, the court held sessions in downtown Catlettsburg at the Federal Courthouse and Post Office building which still stands on the corner of 25th and Broadway. By 1980, the Eastern District had long outgrown the historic Catlettsburg facility and it was decided that a new facility should be constructed. City officials in neighboring Ashland requested that the new facility be located there instead of in Catlettsburg. They argued that Ashland, by being a larger city, was a superior choice to the much smaller Catlettsburg with more services and amenities such as lodging for overnight guests and better restaurant options. As a result, the Carl D. Perkins Federal Building and United States Courthouse was built in Ashland on U.S. Routes 23 and 60 (Greenup Avenue).

U.S. Attorney

The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. The United States attorney is Carlton S. Shier, IV, since March 21, 2022. [3]

Current judges

As of September 12,2022:

#TitleJudgeDuty stationBornTerm of serviceAppointed by
Active Chief Senior
15Chief Judge Danny C. Reeves Lexington 19572001–present2019–present G.W. Bush
14District Judge Karen K. Caldwell Lexington 19562001–present2012–2019 G.W. Bush
16District Judge David Bunning Covington 19662002–present G.W. Bush
17District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove Frankfort 19602006–present G.W. Bush
19District Judge Claria Horn Boom [Note 1] London 19692018–present Trump
20District Judge Robert E. Wier Lexington 19672018–present Trump
8Senior Judge William Bertelsman Covington 19361979–20011991–19982001–present Carter
12Senior Judge Joseph Martin Hood inactive19421990–20072005–20072007–present G.H.W. Bush
  1. Judge Boom is jointly appointed to the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky.

Former judges

#JudgeStateBorn–diedActive service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed byReason for
termination
1 Andrew McConnell January Cochran KY 1854–19341901–1934 [Note 1] McKinley [Note 2]
T. Roosevelt [Note 3]
death
2 Hiram Church Ford KY 1884–19691935–19631948–19631963–1969 F. Roosevelt death
3 Mac Swinford KY 1899–19751937–1975 [Note 4] 1963–1969 F. Roosevelt death
4 Bernard Thomas Moynahan Jr. KY 1918–19991963–19841969–19841984–1999 Kennedy death
5 Howard David Hermansdorfer KY 1931–20031972–1981 Nixon resignation
6 Eugene Edward Siler Jr. KY 1936–present1975–1991 [Note 4] 1984–1991 Ford elevation to 6th Cir.
7 Scott Elgin Reed KY 1921–19941979–19881988–1994 Carter death
9 Green Wix Unthank KY 1923–20131980–19881988–2013 Carter death
10 Henry Rupert Wilhoit Jr. KY 1935–20221981–20001998–20002000–2022 Reagan death
11 Karl Spillman Forester KY 1940–20141988–20052001–20052005–2014 Reagan death
13 Jennifer B. Coffman KY 1948–present1993–2013 [Note 4] 2007–2012 Clinton retirement
18 Amul Thapar KY 1969–present2008–2017 G.W. Bush elevation to 6th Cir.
  1. Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 5, 1901, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 17, 1901, and received commission the same day.
  2. Judge Cochran was given a recess appointment by President McKinley.
  3. Judge Cochran was nominated by President McKinley but was appointed to the Court by (i.e., received his commission from) President Roosevelt.
  4. 1 2 3 Jointly appointed to the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky.

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

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States District Court for the Southern District of New York</span> United States federal district court

The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York is a federal trial court whose geographic jurisdiction encompasses eight counties of New York State. Two of these are in New York City: New York (Manhattan) and Bronx; six are in the Hudson Valley: Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Orange, Dutchess, and Sullivan. Appeals from the Southern District of New York are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania</span> United States federal district court in Pennsylvania

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is one of the original 13 federal judiciary districts created by the Judiciary Act of 1789. It originally sat in Independence Hall in Philadelphia as the United States District Court for the District of Pennsylvania, and is now located at the James Byrne Courthouse at 601 Market Street in Philadelphia. There are Eastern District federal courtrooms in Philadelphia, Lancaster, Allentown, Reading, and Easton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States District Court for the Southern District of California</span> U.S. federal district court in California

The United States District Court for the Southern District of California is a federal court in the Ninth Circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States District Court for the District of Connecticut</span> U.S. federal district court in Connecticut

The United States District Court for the District of Connecticut is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Connecticut. The court has offices in Bridgeport, Hartford, and New Haven. Appeals from the court are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. It was one of the original 13 courts established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, 1 Stat. 73, on September 24, 1789. The Court initially had a single judge, and remained so composed until March 3, 1927, when a second judge was added by 1927 44 Stat. 1348. Six additional judgeships were created between 1961 and 1990 to bring about the current total of eight judges. Court offices at Hartford and New Haven are located in the Abraham A. Ribicoff Federal Building and the Richard C. Lee United States Courthouse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States District Court for the District of New Jersey</span> United States federal district court of New Jersey

The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey is a federal court in the Third Circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States District Court for the District of South Carolina</span> United States federal district court of South Carolina

The United States District Court for the District of South Carolina is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of South Carolina. Court is held in the cities of Aiken, Anderson, Beaufort, Charleston, Columbia, Florence, Greenville, and Spartanburg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island</span> United States district court

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia</span> United States federal district court in Virginia

The United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia is a United States district court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio</span> United States federal district court in Ohio

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio is the federal trial court for the northern half of Ohio–essentially everything north of the Columbus area. The court has courthouses in Cleveland, Toledo, Akron and Youngstown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio</span> United States federal district court in Ohio

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio is one of two United States district courts in Ohio and includes forty-eight of the state's eighty-eight counties–everything from the Columbus area southward. Appeals from the court are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit at Cincinnati.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan</span> United States federal district court in Michigan

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan is the federal district court with jurisdiction over of the eastern half of the Lower Peninsula of the State of Michigan. The Court is based in Detroit, with courthouses also located in Ann Arbor, Bay City, Flint, and Port Huron. The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has appellate jurisdiction over the court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States District Court for the District of Columbia</span> United States federal district court

The United States District Court for the District of Columbia is a federal district court in the District of Columbia. It also occasionally handles federal issues that arise in the territory of American Samoa, which has no local federal court or territorial court. Appeals from the District are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania</span> United States federal district court in Pennsylvania

The United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania is a district level federal court with jurisdiction over approximately one half of Pennsylvania. The court was created in 1901 by subdividing the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. The court is under the jurisdiction of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania</span> United States federal district court in Pennsylvania

The United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania is a federal trial court that sits in Pittsburgh, Erie, and Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It is composed of ten judges as authorized by federal law. Appeals from this court are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

The United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas is a federal court in the Eighth Circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas</span> U.S. federal district court in Arkansas

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas is a federal court in the Eighth Circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee</span> United States federal district court in Tennessee

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee is the federal court in the Sixth Circuit whose jurisdiction covers most of East Tennessee and a portion of Middle Tennessee. The court has jurisdiction over 41 counties with 4 divisions. Based in Knoxville, Tennessee, it maintains branch facilities in Chattanooga, Tennessee; Greeneville, Tennessee; and Winchester, Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky</span> United States federal district court in Kentucky

The United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky is the federal district court for the western part of the state of Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew McConnell January Cochran</span> American judge (1854–1934)

Andrew McConnell January Cochran was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

References

  1. Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 391.
  2. 1 2 3 4 U.S. District Courts of Kentucky, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center .
  3. "Meet the U.S. Attorney". April 25, 2022.

37°42′N83°30′W / 37.7°N 83.5°W / 37.7; -83.5