The United States District Court for the District of Delaware (in case citations, D. Del.) is the Federal district court having jurisdiction over the entire state of Delaware. The Court sits in Wilmington. Currently, four district judges and five magistrate judges preside over the court.
| United States District Court for the District of Delaware | |
|---|---|
| (D. Del.) | |
 | |
| Location | Wilmington |
| Appeals to | Third Circuit |
| Established | September 24, 1789 |
| Judges | 4 |
| Chief Judge | Colm Connolly |
| Officers of the court | |
| U.S. Attorney | David C. Weiss |
| U.S. Marshal | Michael C. McGowan |
| www | |
Because Delaware is the state of incorporation for most major U.S. corporations, the District of Delaware hears and tries many patent and other complex commercial disputes that must be heard in federal court for diversity of citizenship reasons, and hears many appeals from bankruptcy disputes which are filed with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
Appeals from the Court are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which sits in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).
The current United States attorney for the District of Delaware is David C. Weiss since January 22, 2018.
History
editThe court was one of the original 13 courts established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, 1 Stat. 73, on September 24, 1789. From its establishment until 1946, the court had a single judge. A temporary additional judgeship was authorized on July 24, 1946, by 60 Stat. 654, and was made permanent on September 5, 1950, by 64 Stat. 578. A third judge was authorized on February 10, 1954, by 68 Stat. 8, and a fourth on July 10, 1984, by 98 Stat. 333.
Current judges
editAs of January 4, 2024[update]:
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Term of service | Appointed by | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active | Chief | Senior | ||||||
| 26 | Chief Judge | Colm Connolly | Wilmington | 1964 | 2018–present | 2021–present | — | Trump |
| 27 | District Judge | Maryellen Noreika | Wilmington | 1966 | 2018–present | — | — | Trump |
| 28 | District Judge | Gregory B. Williams | Wilmington | 1969 | 2022–present | — | — | Biden |
| 29 | District Judge | Jennifer L. Hall | Wilmington | 1976 | 2024–present | — | — | Biden |
| 17 | Senior Judge | Joseph J. Longobardi | inactive | 1930 | 1984–1997 | 1989–1996 | 1997–present | Reagan |
| 25 | Senior Judge | Richard G. Andrews | Wilmington | 1955 | 2011–2023 | — | 2023–present | Obama |
Former judges
edit| # | Judge | State | Born–died | Active service | Chief Judge | Senior status | Appointed by | Reason for termination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gunning Bedford Jr. | DE | 1747–1812 | 1789–1812 | — | — | Washington | death |
| 2 | John Fisher | DE | 1771–1823 | 1812–1823 | — | — | Madison | death |
| 3 | Willard Hall | DE | 1780–1875 | 1823–1871[Note 1] | — | — | Monroe | retirement |
| 4 | Edward Green Bradford | DE | 1819–1884 | 1871–1884 | — | — | Grant | death |
| 5 | Leonard Eugene Wales | DE | 1823–1897 | 1884–1897 | — | — | Arthur | death |
| 6 | Edward Green Bradford II | DE | 1848–1928 | 1897–1918 | — | — | McKinley | retirement |
| 7 | Hugh M. Morris | DE | 1878–1966 | 1919–1930 | — | — | Wilson | resignation |
| 8 | John Percy Nields | DE | 1868–1943 | 1930–1941 | — | 1941–1943 | Hoover | death |
| 9 | Paul Conway Leahy | DE | 1904–1966 | 1942–1957 | 1948–1957 | 1957–1966 | F. Roosevelt | death |
| 10 | Richard Seymour Rodney | DE | 1882–1963 | 1946–1957 | — | 1957–1963 | Truman | death |
| 11 | Caleb Merrill Wright | DE | 1908–2001 | 1955–1973 | 1957–1973 | 1973–2001 | Eisenhower | death |
| 12 | Caleb Rodney Layton III | DE | 1907–1988 | 1957–1968 | — | 1968–1988 | Eisenhower | death |
| 13 | Edwin DeHaven Steel Jr. | DE | 1904–1986 | 1958–1969 | — | 1969–1986 | Eisenhower | death |
| 14 | James Levin Latchum | DE | 1918–2004 | 1968–1983 | 1973–1983 | 1983–2004 | L. Johnson | death |
| 15 | Walter King Stapleton | DE | 1934–present | 1970–1985 | 1983–1985 | — | Nixon | elevation to 3d Cir. |
| 16 | Murray Merle Schwartz | DE | 1931–2013 | 1974–1989 | 1985–1989 | 1989–2013 | Nixon | death |
| 18 | Joseph James Farnan Jr. | DE | 1945–present | 1985–2010 | 1996–2000 | — | Reagan | retirement |
| 19 | Jane Richards Roth | DE | 1935–present | 1985–1991 | — | — | Reagan | elevation to 3d Cir. |
| 20 | Sue Lewis Robinson | DE | 1952–present | 1991–2017 | 2000–2007 | 2017 | G.H.W. Bush | retirement |
| 21 | Roderick R. McKelvie | DE | 1946–present | 1992–2002 | — | — | G.H.W. Bush | resignation |
| 22 | Gregory M. Sleet | DE | 1951–present | 1998–2017 | 2007–2014 | 2017–2018 | Clinton | retirement |
| 23 | Kent A. Jordan | DE | 1957–present | 2002–2006 | — | — | G.W. Bush | elevation to 3d Cir. |
| 24 | Leonard P. Stark | DE | 1969–present | 2010–2022 | 2014–2021 | — | Obama | elevation to Fed. Cir. |
- ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 5, 1823, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 9, 1823, and received commission on December 9, 1823.
Chief judges
editChief 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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United States attorneys
editSource: [1]
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See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "U.S. Attorneys | District of Delaware | United States District Court". www.ded.uscourts.gov. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
- ^ "The Political Graveyard: U.S. District Attorneys in Delaware". politicalgraveyard.com. Retrieved April 6, 2024.