Tanya Walton Pratt

Tanya Marie Walton Pratt (born December 14, 1959) is the Chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.

Tanya Walton Pratt
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
Assumed office
March 20, 2021
Preceded byJane Magnus-Stinson
Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
Assumed office
June 15, 2010
Appointed byBarack Obama
Preceded byDavid Hamilton
Judge of the Marion County Superior Court
In office
1997–2010
ConstituencyCriminal Division (1997-2008)
Probate Division (2009-2010)
Personal details
Born
Tanya Marie Walton

(1959-12-14) December 14, 1959
Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
EducationSpelman College (BA)
Howard University (JD)

Early life and education

Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Pratt graduated from Cathedral High School, then went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from Spelman College in 1981 and a Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law in 1984.[1][2]

Career

In 1981 she was a security guard at Brink's in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1982 she was a summer intern for the center township assessor's office in Indianapolis, Indiana. From 1986 to 1991 she was a deputy public defender for Marion County, Indiana. From 1993 to 1996 she was a pro tempore judge for the Marion County Superior Court. From 1984 until 1992, Pratt worked as an associate attorney for the Moss & Walton law firm in Indianapolis. From 1992 until 1996, Pratt was with the same firm with the title of attorney. In 1997, Pratt became a judge in Marion County, Indiana, working in the Criminal Division and presiding over major felony matters from 1997 until 2008. She was assigned to Marion County's probate court in 2009, and served there from 2009 until 2010.[1][2]

Federal judicial service

In March 2009, Pratt expressed her interest in a federal judgeship to the staff of Indiana Senator Evan Bayh. After interviewing with representatives from the United States Department of Justice and the Office of the White House Counsel, Pratt was nominated by President Barack Obama to the judgeship on January 20, 2010. Pratt filled the vacancy that was created by Judge David F. Hamilton, who was elevated to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.[3] The Senate confirmed Pratt by a 95–0 vote on June 15, 2010.[4] She received her commission the same day. Pratt is the first African American federal judge in Indiana's history.[5] She became Chief Judge on March 20, 2021.[6][7] With her swearing in, she became the first African-American chief judge of the Southern District of Indiana.[8]

Notable rulings
  • In 2016, she ruled against Governor Mike Pence's order to cut federally allocated funds for the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Indiana.[9]
  • In 2018, she ruled against a pregnant woman who was mauled by a police dog because she was not the intended target.[10]

Notable cases

See also

References
  1. "President Obama Nominates Five to Serve on the United States District Court Bench". whitehouse.gov (Press release). January 20, 2010 – via National Archives..
  2. Tanya Walton Pratt at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  3. "Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate". whitehouse.gov (Press release). January 20, 2010 – via National Archives.
  4. "On the Nomination (Confirmation Tanya Walton Pratt, of Indiana, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Indiana)". June 15, 2010 – via United States Senate.
  5. Associated Press. "Pratt confirmed as 1st black Indiana federal judge" Archived March 6, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. June 15, 2010.
  6. "Southern District of Indiana Announces New Chief Judge" (Press release). United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. March 22, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  7. "Honorable Tanya Walton-Pratt Sworn in as Chief Judge". Indiana Intellectual Property Law News. March 26, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  8. Odendahl, Marilyn (April 14, 2021). "Making history: Pratt first African American chief judge of Southern District". The Indiana Lawyer. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  9. "Exodus, continued: Indiana's governor is losing his fight to keep Syrian refugees away: Most other governors seem to have quietly dropped the matter". The Economist. March 14, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  10. "District court judge says 2015 police K-9 attack did not violate pregnant woman's rights". The Indianapolis Star. October 2, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
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