United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina

United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina
(M.D.N.C.)
Appeals to: Fourth Circuit
Established: March 2, 1927
Judges assigned: 4
Chief Judge: William Lindsay Osteen Jr.
http://www.ncmd.uscourts.gov/

The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina (in case citations, M.D.N.C.) is a United States district court with jurisdiction over 24 counties in the center of North Carolina. It consists of five divisions with a headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Appeals from the Middle District of North Carolina are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).

Jurisdiction

The Durham division covers Chatham, Durham, Lee, Orange, and Person counties.

The Greensboro division includes: Alamance, Caswell, Guilford, Randolph, and Rockingham counties.

The Rockingham division hears cases for: Hoke, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond, and Scotland.

The Salisbury division includes: Cabarrus, Davidson, Davie, Rowan, and Stanly counties.

The Winston-Salem division covers: Forsyth, Stokes, Surry, and Yadkin counties.

History

The United States District Court for the District of North Carolina was established on June 4, 1790, by 1 Stat. 126.[1][2] On June 9, 1794 it was subdivided into three districts by 1 Stat. 395,[2] but on March 3, 1797, the three districts were abolished and the single District restored by 1 Stat. 517,[2] until April 29, 1802, when the state was again subdivided into three different districts by 2 Stat. 156.[1][2]

In both instances, these districts, unlike those with geographic designations that existed in other states, were titled by the names of the cities in which the courts sat. After the first division, they were styled the District of Edenton, the District of New Bern, and the District of Wilmington; after the second division, they were styled the District of Albemarle, the District of Cape Fear, and the District of Pamptico. However, in both instances, only one judge was authorized to serve all three districts, causing them to effectively operate as a single district.[2] The latter combination was occasionally referred to by the cumbersome title of the United States District Court for the Albemarle, Cape Fear & Pamptico Districts of North Carolina.

On June 4, 1872, North Carolina was re-divided into two Districts, Eastern and Western, by 17 Stat. 215.[2] The Middle District was created from portions of the Eastern and Western Districts on March 2, 1927, by 44 Stat. 1339.[2] Shortly thereafter, President Calvin Coolidge appointed Johnson Jay Hayes by recess appointment to be the first judge of the Middle District of North Carolina.

Current judges

# Title Judge Duty station Born Term of service Appointed by
Active Chief Senior
11 Chief Judge William Lindsay Osteen Jr. Greensboro 1960 2007–present 2012–present — G.W. Bush
12 District Judge Thomas D. Schroeder Winston-Salem 1959 2008–present — — G.W. Bush
13 District Judge Catherine Eagles Greensboro 1958 2010–present — — Obama
14 District Judge Loretta Copeland Biggs Winston-Salem 1954 2014–present — — Obama
8 Senior District Judge Norwood Carlton Tilley, Jr. Greensboro 1943 1988–2008 1999–2006 2008–present Reagan
10 Senior District Judge James A. Beaty, Jr. Winston-Salem 1949 1994–2014 2006–2012 2014–present Clinton

Former judges

# Judge State Born–died Active service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed by Reason for
termination
1 Hayes, Johnson JayJohnson Jay Hayes NC 1886–1970 1927–1957[3] — 1957–1970 Coolidge, Coolidge death
2 Stanley, Edwin MonroeEdwin Monroe Stanley NC 1909–1971 1957–1971[4] 1961–1971 — Eisenhower, Eisenhower death
3 Preyer, L. RichardsonL. Richardson Preyer NC 1919–2001 1961–1963[5] — — Kennedy, Kennedy resignation
4 Gordon, Eugene AndrewEugene Andrew Gordon NC 1917–2002 1964–1982 1971–1982 1982–2002 Johnson, L.L. Johnson death
5 Ward, Hiram HamiltonHiram Hamilton Ward NC 1923–2002 1972–1988 1982–1988 1988–2002 Nixon, Nixon death
6 Erwin, RichardRichard Erwin NC 1923–2006 1980–1992 1988–1992 1992–2006 Carter, Carter death
7 Bullock Jr., Frank WilliamFrank William Bullock Jr. NC 1938–present 1982–2005 1992–1999 2005–2006 Reagan, Reagan retirement
9 Osteen, Sr., William LindsayWilliam Lindsay Osteen, Sr. NC 1930–2009 1991–2006 — 2006–2007 Bush, G.H.W.G.H.W. Bush retirement

Succession of seats

Seat 1
Seat established on March 2, 1927, by 44 Stat. 1339
Hayes 1928–1957
Stanley 1958–1971
Ward 1972–1988
Tilley, Jr. 1988–2008
Eagles 2010–present
Seat 2
Seat established on May 19, 1961, by 75 Stat. 80
Preyer 1962–1963
Gordon 1964–1982
Bullock, Jr. 1982–2005
Schroeder 2008–present
Seat 3
Seat established on October 20, 1978, by 92 Stat. 1629
Erwin 1980–1992
Beaty, Jr. 1994–2014
Copeland Biggs 2014–present
Seat 4
Seat established on December 1, 1990, by 104 Stat. 5089
Osteen, Sr. 1991–2006
Osteen, Jr. 2007–present

U.S. Attorneys for the Middle District

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 389.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 U.S. District Courts of North Carolina, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
  3. ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 6, 1927, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 9, 1928, and received commission on January 9, 1928.
  4. ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 13, 1958, confirmed by the United States Senate on February 25, 1958, and received commission on February 27, 1958.
  5. ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 15, 1962, confirmed by the United States Senate on February 7, 1962, and received commission on February 17, 1962.

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