Matthew W. McFarland

Matthew Walden McFarland (born August 5, 1967) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and former Judge of the Ohio Fourth District Court of Appeals.

Matthew W. McFarland
Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
Assumed office
December 31, 2019
Appointed byDonald Trump
Preceded byThomas M. Rose
Judge of the Ohio Fourth District Court of Appeals
In office
February 9, 2005 – December 31, 2019
Succeeded byKristy Wilkin
Personal details
Born
Matthew Walden McFarland

(1967-08-05) August 5, 1967
Portsmouth, Ohio, U.S.
EducationCapital University (BA, JD)

Education

McFarland received his Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Capital University, and his Juris Doctor from Capital University Law School.[1]

Prior to joining the bench, McFarland was a Scioto County Assistant Prosecutor and acted as Special Counsel for the Ohio Attorney General. He was also a Licking County Assistant County Prosecutor. He previously served as the Magistrate in Scioto County Common Pleas Court Probate/Juvenile Division and as Chairman of the Ohio Association of Magistrates, Juvenile Section.[1] He is an adjunct professor for Shawnee State University and formerly taught constitutional law at Capital University.[1]

Federal judicial service

On October 10, 2018, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate McFarland to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.[2] On November 13, 2018, his nomination was sent to the Senate. President Trump nominated McFarland to the seat vacated by Judge Thomas M. Rose, who assumed senior status on June 30, 2017.[3] On January 3, 2019, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate.

On January 23, 2019, President Trump announced his intent to renominate McFarland for a federal judgeship.[4] His nomination was sent to the Senate later that day.[5] On June 26, 2019, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[6] On July 18, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote.[7] On December 18, 2019, the Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 55–38 vote.[8] His nomination was confirmed later that day by a 56–38 vote.[9] He received his judicial commission on December 31, 2019.[10]

Notable rulings

In July 2022, McFarland ruled[11] that the U.S. Air Force's mandate of COVID-19 vaccinations for its members violated the First Amendment's free exercise clause. Later, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld[12] the decision. Not long after McFarland's ruling and the appellate decision upholding it, the U.S. Department of Defense rescinded the mandate for all troops.[13]

Memberships

He has been a member of the Federalist Society since 2017.[14]

References
  1. "President Donald J. Trump Announces Eighteenth Wave of Judicial Nominees, Eighteenth Wave of United States Attorney Nominees, and Thirteenth Wave of United States Marshal Nominees" White House, October 10, 2018 Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. Corrigan, Tom (October 11, 2018). "McFarland is nominated". Portsmouth Daily Times. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  3. "Twenty Six Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, November 13, 2018
  4. "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Judicial Nominees", White House, January 23, 2019
  5. "Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, January 23, 2019
  6. United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for June 26, 2019
  7. Results of Executive Business Meeting – July 18, 2019, Senate Judiciary Committee
  8. "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Matthew Walden McFarland, of Ohio, to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Ohio)". www.senate.gov. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
  9. "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Matthew Walden McFarland, of Ohio, to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Ohio)". www.senate.gov. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
  10. Matthew W. McFarland at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  11. Koeninger, Kevin (October 19, 2022). "Air Force urges panel to lift block on Covid vaccine mandate". Courthouse News Service.
  12. "Court Opinion" (PDF).
  13. "Pentagon ends coronavirus vaccine mandate that fueled political uproar". The Washington Post.
  14. United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees: Matthew McFarland
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