United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana

United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana
(M.D. La.)
Appeals to: Fifth Circuit
Established: December 18, 1971
Judges assigned: 3
Chief Judge: Brian Anthony Jackson
http://www.lamd.uscourts.gov/

The United States Court for the Middle District of Louisiana (in case citations, M.D. La.) comprises the parishes of Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, Saint Helena, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana. Court is held at the United States Courthouse in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It falls under the jurisdiction of 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's Office for the Middle District of Louisiana represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. The current U.S. Attorney for the District is Walt Green, he was confirmed the U.S. Senate by voice vote on May 21, 2014.

History

On March 26, 1804, Congress organized the Territory of Orleans and created the United States District Court for the District of Orleans - the only time Congress provided a territory with a district court equal in its authority and jurisdiction to those of the states.[1] The United States District Court for the District of Louisiana was established on April 8, 1812, by 2 Stat. 701,[1][2] several weeks before Louisiana was formally admitted as a state of the union. The District was thereafter subdivided and reformed several times. It was first subdivided into Eastern and Western Districts on March 3, 1823, by 3 Stat. 774.[1][2]

On February 13, 1845, Louisiana was reorganized into a single District with one judgeship, by 5 Stat. 722,[1] but was again divided into Eastern and the Western Districts on March 3, 1849, by 9 Stat. 401.[1] Congress again abolished the Western District of Louisiana and reorganized Louisiana as a single judicial district on July 27, 1866, by 14 Stat. 300.[1] On March 3, 1881, by 21 Stat. 507, Louisiana was for a third time divided into Eastern and the Western Districts, with one judgeship authorized for each.[1] The Middle District was formed from portions of those two Districts on December 18, 1971, by 85 Stat. 741,[1] making it one of the youngest districts in the United States.

Current U.S. District Judges

# Title Judge Duty station Born Term of service Appointed by
Active Chief Senior
6 Chief Judge Brian Anthony Jackson Baton Rouge 1960 2010–present 2011–present Obama
7 District Judge Shelley Deckert Dick Baton Rouge 1960 2013–present Obama
8 District Judge John W. deGravelles Baton Rouge 1949 2014–present Obama
5 Senior Judge James J. Brady Baton Rouge 1944 2000–2013 2013–present Clinton

Former U.S. District Judges

# Judge State Born–died Active service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed by Reason for
termination
1 West, Elmer GordonElmer Gordon West LA 1914–1992 1972[3]–1979 1978–1979 1979–1992 Kennedy, Kennedy death
2 John Victor Parker LA 1928–2014 1979–1998 1979–1998 1998–2014 Carter death
3 Polozola, Frank JosephFrank Joseph Polozola LA 1942–2013 1980–2007 1998–2005 2007–2013 Carter death
4 Tyson, Ralph E.Ralph E. Tyson LA 1948–2011 1998–2011 2005–2011 Clinton death

Succession of seats

Seat 1
Seat reassigned from Eastern District on April 16, 1972 by 85 Stat. 741
E. West 1972–1979
Polozola 1980–2007
Jackson 2010–present

Seat 2
Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629
Parker 1979–1998
Brady 2000–2013
deGravelles 2014–present

Seat 3
Seat reassigned from Eastern District on October 6, 1997 by 111 Stat. 1173
Tyson 1998–2011
Dick 2013–present

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 U.S. District Courts of Louisiana, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
  2. 1 2 Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 392.
  3. Initially appointed to the Eastern District of Louisiana in 1961 by John F. Kennedy; reassigned to the Middle District of Louisiana in 1972.

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