United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio (in case citations, N.D. Ohio) is the federal trial court for the northern half of Ohio, encompassing most territories north of the city of Columbus. The court has courthouses in Cleveland, Toledo, Akron and Youngstown.
United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio | |
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(N.D. Ohio) | |
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Location | Carl B. Stokes U.S. Courthouse |
Appeals to | Sixth Circuit |
Established | February 10, 1855 |
Judges | 11 |
Chief Judge | Sara Elizabeth Lioi |
Officers of the court | |
U.S. Attorney | Rebecca C. Lutzko (acting) |
U.S. Marshal | Peter Elliott |
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Appeals from this court are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth 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's Office of the Northern District of Ohio represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. As of February 8, 2021 the acting United States attorney, the district’s chief prosecutor, is Michelle M. Baeppler.
History
The United States District Court for the District of Ohio was established on February 19, 1803, by 2 Stat. 201.[1][2] The District was subdivided into Northern and Southern Districts on February 10, 1855, by 10 Stat. 604.[2]
Divisions
The Northern District comprises two divisions.
Eastern Division
The Eastern Division comprises the counties of Ashland, Ashtabula, Carroll, Columbiana, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Holmes, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Richland, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas and Wayne.
Court for the Eastern Division can be held in Akron, Cleveland and Youngstown.
Current judges
As of October 1, 2023:
# | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Term of service | Appointed by | ||
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Active | Chief | Senior | ||||||
52 | Chief Judge | Sara Elizabeth Lioi | Akron | 1960 | 2007–present | 2023–present | — | G.W. Bush |
49 | District Judge | John R. Adams | Akron | 1955 | 2003–present | — | — | G.W. Bush |
53 | District Judge | Benita Y. Pearson | Youngstown | 1963 | 2010–present | — | — | Obama |
54 | District Judge | Jeffrey J. Helmick | Toledo | 1960 | 2012–present | — | — | Obama |
55 | District Judge | Pamela Barker | Cleveland | 1957 | 2019–present | — | — | Trump |
56 | District Judge | James R. Knepp II | Toledo | 1964 | 2020–present | — | — | Trump |
57 | District Judge | J. Philip Calabrese | Cleveland | 1971 | 2020–present | — | — | Trump |
58 | District Judge | Charles E. Fleming | Cleveland | 1962 | 2022–present[Note 1] | — | — | Biden |
59 | District Judge | David A. Ruiz | Cleveland | 1973 | 2022–present[Note 1] | — | — | Biden |
60 | District Judge | Bridget M. Brennan | Cleveland | 1974 | 2022–present[Note 1] | — | — | Biden |
61 | District Judge | vacant | — | — | — | — | — | — |
40 | Senior Judge | James G. Carr | Toledo | 1940 | 1994–2010 | 2004–2010 | 2010–present | Clinton |
41 | Senior Judge | Solomon Oliver Jr. | Cleveland | 1947 | 1994–2021 | 2010–2017 | 2021–present | Clinton |
44 | Senior Judge | Peter C. Economus | inactive[3] | 1943 | 1995–2009 | — | 2009–present | Clinton |
45 | Senior Judge | Donald C. Nugent | Cleveland | 1948 | 1995–2017 | — | 2017–present | Clinton |
46 | Senior Judge | Patricia Anne Gaughan | Cleveland | 1953 | 1995–2023 | 2017–2023 | 2023–present | Clinton |
47 | Senior Judge | James S. Gwin | Cleveland | 1954 | 1997–2021 | — | 2021–present | Clinton |
48 | Senior Judge | Dan Polster | Cleveland | 1951 | 1998–2021 | — | 2021–present | Clinton |
50 | Senior Judge | Christopher A. Boyko | Cleveland | 1954 | 2005–2020 | — | 2020–present | G.W. Bush |
51 | Senior Judge | Jack Zouhary | Toledo | 1951 | 2006–2019 | — | 2019–present | G.W. Bush |
- Despite identical commission dates, Judges Fleming, Ruiz and Brennan are organized chronologically by virtue of seniority of age.
Vacancies and pending nominations
Seat | Prior judge's duty station | Seat last held by | Vacancy reason | Date of vacancy | Nominee | Date of nomination |
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12 | Cleveland | Patricia Anne Gaughan | Senior status | October 1, 2023 | – | – |
Former judges
# | Judge | State | Born–died | Active service | Chief Judge | Senior status | Appointed by | Reason for termination |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Hiram V. Willson | OH | 1808–1866 | 1855–1866 | — | — | Pierce | death |
2 | Charles Taylor Sherman | OH | 1811–1879 | 1867–1872 | — | — | A. Johnson | resignation |
3 | Martin Welker | OH | 1819–1902 | 1873–1889[Note 1] | — | — | Grant | retirement |
4 | Augustus J. Ricks | OH | 1843–1906 | 1889–1906[Note 2] | — | — | B. Harrison | death |
5 | Francis Joseph Wing | OH | 1850–1918 | 1901–1905 | — | — | McKinley | resignation |
6 | Robert Walker Tayler | OH | 1852–1910 | 1905–1910 | — | — | T. Roosevelt | death |
7 | John Milton Killits | OH | 1858–1938 | 1910–1928 | — | 1928–1938 | Taft | death |
8 | William Louis Day | OH | 1876–1936 | 1911–1914 | — | — | Taft | resignation |
9 | John Hessin Clarke | OH | 1857–1945 | 1914–1916 | — | — | Wilson | elevation to Supreme Court |
10 | David C. Westenhaver | OH | 1865–1928 | 1917–1928 | — | — | Wilson | death |
11 | Paul Jones | OH | 1880–1965 | 1923–1965 | 1948–1959 | — | Harding | death |
12 | Samuel H. West | OH | 1872–1938 | 1928–1938 | — | — | Coolidge | death |
13 | George Philip Hahn | OH | 1879–1937 | 1928–1937 | — | — | Coolidge | death |
14 | Frank Le Blond Kloeb | OH | 1890–1976 | 1937–1964 | 1959–1960 | 1964–1976 | F. Roosevelt | death |
15 | Robert Nugen Wilkin | OH | 1886–1973 | 1939–1949 | — | 1949–1973 | F. Roosevelt | death |
16 | Emerich B. Freed | OH | 1897–1955 | 1941–1955 | — | — | F. Roosevelt | death |
17 | Charles Joseph McNamee | OH | 1890–1964 | 1951–1964 | 1960 | — | Truman | death |
18 | James C. Connell | OH | 1897–1973 | 1954–1971 | 1960–1967 | 1971–1973 | Eisenhower | death |
19 | Paul Charles Weick | OH | 1899–1997 | 1956–1959 | — | — | Eisenhower | elevation to 6th Cir. |
20 | Girard Edward Kalbfleisch | OH | 1899–1990 | 1959–1970 | 1967–1969 | 1970–1990 | Eisenhower | death |
21 | Frank J. Battisti | OH | 1922–1994 | 1961–1994 | 1969–1990 | 1994–1994 | Kennedy | death |
22 | Ben Charles Green | OH | 1905–1983 | 1961–1976[Note 3] | — | 1976–1983 | Kennedy | death |
23 | Don John Young | OH | 1910–1996 | 1965–1980 | — | 1980–1996 | L. Johnson | death |
24 | William Kernahan Thomas | OH | 1911–2001 | 1966–1981 | — | 1981–2001 | L. Johnson | death |
25 | Thomas Demetrios Lambros | OH | 1930–2019 | 1967–1995 | 1990–1995 | — | L. Johnson | retirement |
26 | Robert B. Krupansky | OH | 1921–2004 | 1970–1982 | — | — | Nixon | elevation to 6th Cir. |
27 | Nicholas Joseph Walinski Jr. | OH | 1920–1992 | 1970–1985 | — | 1985–1992 | Nixon | death |
28 | Leroy John Contie Jr. | OH | 1920–2001 | 1971–1982 | — | — | Nixon | elevation to 6th Cir. |
29 | John Michael Manos | OH | 1922–2006 | 1976–1991 | — | 1991–2006 | Ford | death |
30 | George Washington White | OH | 1931–2011 | 1980–1999 | 1995–1999 | 1999–2011 | Carter | death |
31 | Ann Aldrich | OH | 1927–2010 | 1980–1995 | — | 1995–2010 | Carter | death |
32 | Alvin Krenzler | OH | 1921–2010 | 1981–1992 | — | 1992–1992 | Reagan | retirement |
33 | John William Potter | OH | 1918–2013 | 1982–1992 | — | 1992–2013 | Reagan | death |
34 | David Dudley Dowd Jr. | OH | 1929–2016 | 1982–1996 | — | 1996–2016 | Reagan | death |
35 | Samuel H. Bell | OH | 1925–2010 | 1982–1996 | — | 1996–2010 | Reagan | death |
36 | Alice M. Batchelder | OH | 1944–present | 1985–1992 | — | — | Reagan | elevation to 6th Cir. |
37 | Richard B. McQuade Jr. | OH | 1940–present | 1986–1989 | — | — | Reagan | resignation |
38 | Paul Ramon Matia | OH | 1937–present | 1991–2004 | 1999–2004 | 2004–2005 | G.H.W. Bush | retirement |
39 | Lesley B. Wells | OH | 1937–present | 1994–2006 | — | 2006–2015 | Clinton | retirement |
42 | David A. Katz | OH | 1933–2016 | 1994–2005 | — | 2005–2016 | Clinton | death |
43 | Kathleen M. O'Malley | OH | 1956–present | 1994–2010 | — | — | Clinton | elevation to Fed. Cir. |
- Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 2, 1873, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 8, 1873, and received commission the same day.
- Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 16, 1889, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 16, 1890, and received commission the same day.
- Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 15, 1962, confirmed by the United States Senate on June 29, 1962, and received commission on July 2, 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
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See also
References
- Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 392.
- U.S. District Courts of Ohio, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
- "Judge Peter C. Economus". www.ohsd.uscourts.gov. Retrieved 8 December 2019.