United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi

Last updated
United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi
(S.D. Miss.)
Location Jackson
More locations
Appeals to Fifth Circuit
EstablishedJune 18, 1838
Judges6
Chief Judge Halil Suleyman Ozerden
Officers of the court
U.S. Attorney Patrick Lemon
U.S. Marshal Mark B. Shepherd
www.mssd.uscourts.gov

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi (in case citations, S.D. Miss.) is a federal court in the Fifth Circuit with facilities in Gulfport, Hattiesburg, Natchez, and Jackson.

Contents

Appeals from cases brought in the Southern District of Mississippi are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).

The United States attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. As of January 18,2025 the Acting United States attorney is Patrick Lemon. [1]

Counties under jurisdiction

Current judges

As of November 4,2024:

#TitleJudgeDuty stationBornTerm of serviceAppointed by
Active Chief Senior
19Chief Judge Halil Suleyman Ozerden Gulfport 19662007–present2024–present— G.W. Bush
12District Judge Henry Travillion Wingate Jackson 19471985–present2003–2010— Reagan
18District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III Jackson 19642006–present2017–2024— G.W. Bush
20District Judge Carlton W. Reeves Jackson 19642010–present—— Obama
21District Judge Kristi Haskins Johnson Jackson 19802020–present—— Trump
22District Judge Taylor B. McNeel Gulfport 19832020–present—— Trump
11Senior Judge Tom Stewart Lee Jackson 19411984–20061996–20032006–present Reagan
15Senior Judge David C. Bramlette Natchez 19391991–2006—2006–present G.H.W. Bush
16Senior Judge Louis Guirola Jr. Gulfport 19512004–20182010–20172018–present G.W. Bush
17Senior Judge Keith Starrett Hattiesburg 19512004–2019—2019–present G.W. Bush

Former judges

#JudgeStateBorn–diedActive service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed byReason for
termination
1 George Adams MS 1784–18441838 [Note 1] [Note 2] —— Jackson/Operation of law resignation
2 Samuel J. Gholson MS 1808–18831839–1861 [Note 2] —— Van Buren resignation
3 Robert Andrews Hill MS 1811–19001866–1891 [Note 2] —— A. Johnson retirement
4 Henry Clay Niles MS 1850–19181891–1918 [Note 3] [Note 2] —— B. Harrison death
5 Edwin R. Holmes MS 1878–19611918–1936 [Note 4] —— Wilson elevation to 5th Cir.
6 Sidney Carr Mize MS 1888–19651937–19651961–1962— F. Roosevelt death
7 William Harold Cox MS 1901–19881961–19821962–19711982–1988 Kennedy death
8 Dan Monroe Russell Jr. MS 1913–20111965–19831971–19821983–2011 L. Johnson death
9 Walter Nixon MS 1928–present1968–19891982–1989— L. Johnson impeachment and conviction
10 William H. Barbour Jr. MS 1941–20211983–20061989–19962006–2021 Reagan death
13 Walter J. Gex III MS 1939–20201986–2004—2004–2020 Reagan death
14 Charles W. Pickering MS 1937–present1990–2004—— G.H.W. Bush elevation to 5th Cir.
  1. ↑ Reassigned from the District of Mississippi.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Jointly appointed to the Northern and the Southern Districts of Mississippi.
  3. ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 10, 1891, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 11, 1892, and received commission the same day.
  4. ↑ From 1918 to 1929, Judge Holmes was jointly appointed to the Northern and the Southern Districts of Mississippi.

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

Footnotes

  1. ↑ https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdms/meet-us-attorney.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

Further reading

32°17′41″N90°11′02″W / 32.294765°N 90.183771°W / 32.294765; -90.183771

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