United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma

Last updated
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma
(E.D. Okla.)
Location Ed Edmondson U.S. Courthouse
More locations
Appeals to Tenth Circuit
EstablishedJune 16, 1906
Judges2
Chief Judge Ronald A. White
Officers of the court
U.S. Attorney Christopher Wilson (interim)
U.S. Marshal Kerry L. Pettingill
www.oked.uscourts.gov

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma (in case citations, E.D. Okla. or E.D. Ok.) is a federal court in the Tenth 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 June 16, 1906, and became operational on November 16, 1907, with Oklahoma achieving statehood. [1]

The court's jurisdiction comprises the following counties: Adair, Atoka, Bryan, Carter, Cherokee, Choctaw, Coal, Haskell, Hughes, Johnston, Latimer, LeFlore, Love, Marshall, McCurtain, McIntosh, Murray, Muskogee, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Pittsburg, Pontotoc, Pushmataha, Seminole, Sequoyah, and Wagoner.

The court is housed in the Ed Edmondson U.S. Courthouse in Muskogee.

The United States Attorney's Office of the Eastern District of Oklahoma represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. As of December 26,2021 the interim United States attorney for the district is Christopher Wilson. [2]

History

Judge Frank Howell Seay, appointed to the court by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, was the first Native American (Seminole) appointed to any U.S. district court.

Current judges

As of May 27,2020:

#TitleJudgeDuty stationBornTerm of serviceAppointed by
Active Chief Senior
17Chief Judge Ronald A. White Muskogee 19612003–present2017–present G.W. Bush
18District Judge John F. Heil III [Note 1] Muskogee 19682020–present Trump
13Senior Judge Frank Howell Seay inactive19381979–20031980–19962003–present Carter
16Senior Judge James H. Payne [Note 1] inactive19412001–20172002–20172017–present G.W. Bush
  1. 1 2 Jointly appointed to the Eastern, Northern, and Western Districts of Oklahoma.

Vacancies and pending nominations

SeatPrior judge's duty stationSeat last held byVacancy reasonDate of vacancyNomineeDate of nomination
1 Muskogee Ronald A. White [3] Senior status January 27, 2026

Former judges

#JudgeStateBorn–diedActive service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed byReason for
termination
1 Ralph E. Campbell OK 1867–19211907–1918 [Note 1] T. Roosevelt resignation
2 Robert L. Williams OK 1868–19481919–1937 Wilson elevation to 10th Cir.
3 Franklin Elmore Kennamer OK 1879–19601924–1925 Coolidge reassignment to N.D. Okla.
4 Alfred P. Murrah OK 1904–19751937–1940 [Note 2] F. Roosevelt elevation to 10th Cir.
5 Eugene Rice OK 1891–19671937–19631949–19631963–1967 F. Roosevelt death
6 Bower Slack Broaddus OK 1888–19491940–1949 [Note 2] F. Roosevelt death
7 William Robert Wallace OK 1886–19601950–1960 [Note 2] Truman death
8 Luther L. Bohanon OK 1902–20031961–1974 [Note 2] 1974–2003 Kennedy death
9 Frederick Alvin Daugherty OK 1914–20061961–1982 [Note 3] [Note 2] 1973–19751982–2006 Kennedy death
10 Orville Edwin Langley OK 1908–19731965–19731965–1973 L. Johnson death
11 Joseph Wilson Morris OK 1922–20211974–19781975–1978 Nixon resignation
12 H. Dale Cook OK 1924–20081974–1992 [Note 2] 1992–2008 Ford death
14 David Lynn Russell OK 1942–present1981–1990 [Note 2] Reagan seat abolished
15 Michael Burrage OK 1950–present1994–2001 [Note 2] 1996–2001 Clinton resignation
  1. Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 8, 1907, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 13, 1908, and received commission the same day.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Jointly appointed to the Eastern, Northern, and Western Districts of Oklahoma.
  3. Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 15, 1962, confirmed by the Senate on February 7, 1962, and received commission on February 17, 1962.

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

References

  1. U.S. District Courts of Oklahoma, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center
  2. "Meet the U.S. Attorney". January 3, 2022. Archived from the original on January 21, 2022.
  3. "Future Judicial Vacancies | United States Courts". www.uscourts.gov.

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