The United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia (in case citations, S.D. Ga.) is a federal court in the Eleventh Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).
| United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia | |
|---|---|
| (S.D. Ga.) | |
 | |
| Location | Tomochichi Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse (Savannah) |
| Appeals to | Eleventh Circuit |
| Established | August 11, 1848 |
| Judges | 3 |
| Chief Judge | R. Stan Baker |
| Officers of the court | |
| U.S. Attorney | Jill E. Steinberg |
| U.S. Marshal | David L. Lyons |
| www | |
As of February 22, 2023[update] the United States attorney for the District is Jill E. Steinberg.
History
editThe United States District Court for the District of Georgia was one of the original thirteen courts established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, 1 Stat. 73, on September 24, 1789. The District was further subdivided into Northern and Southern Districts on August 11, 1848, by 9 Stat. 280. The Middle District was formed from portions of both the Northern and Southern Districts on May 28, 1926, by 44 Stat. 670.[1]
Jurisdiction
editThe Augusta Division comprises the following counties: Burke, Columbia, Glascock, Jefferson, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond, Taliaferro, Warren and Wilkes.
The Brunswick Division comprises the following counties: Appling, Camden, Glynn, Long, McIntosh, Jeff Davis, and Wayne.[2]
The Dublin Division comprises the following counties: Dodge, Johnson, Laurens, Montgomery, Telfair, Treutlen, and Wheeler.
The Savannah Division comprises the following counties: Bryan, Chatham, Effingham, and Liberty.
The Statesboro Division comprises the following counties: Bulloch, Candler, Emanuel, Evans, Jenkins, Screven, Tattnall, and Toombs.
The Waycross Division comprises the following counties: Atkinson, Bacon, Brantley, Charlton, Coffee, Pierce, and Ware.
Current judges
editAs of May 5, 2024[update]:
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Term of service | Appointed by | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active | Chief | Senior | ||||||
| 16 | Chief Judge | R. Stan Baker | Savannah | 1977 | 2018–present | 2024–present | — | Trump |
| 14 | District Judge | Lisa Godbey Wood | Brunswick | 1963 | 2007–present | 2010–2017 | — | G.W. Bush |
| 15 | District Judge | James Randal Hall | Augusta | 1958 | 2008–present | 2017–2024 | — | G.W. Bush |
| 12 | Senior Judge | Dudley Hollingsworth Bowen Jr. | Augusta | 1941 | 1979–2006 | 1997–2004 | 2006–present | Carter |
Former judges
edit| # | Judge | State | Born–died | Active service | Chief Judge | Senior status | Appointed by | Reason for termination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Cochran Nicoll | GA | 1793–1863 | 1848–1861[Note 1] | — | — | Van Buren/Operation of law | resignation |
| 2 | John Erskine | GA | 1813–1895 | 1865–1883[Note 2] | — | — | A. Johnson | retirement |
| 3 | Emory Speer | GA | 1848–1918 | 1885–1918 | — | — | Arthur | death |
| 4 | William Wallace Lambdin | GA | 1861–1916 | 1915–1916 | — | — | Wilson | death |
| 5 | Beverly Daniel Evans Jr. | GA | 1865–1922 | 1917–1922 | — | — | Wilson | death |
| 6 | William Hale Barrett | GA | 1866–1941 | 1922–1941 | — | — | Harding | death |
| 7 | Archibald Battle Lovett | GA | 1884–1945 | 1941–1945 | — | — | F. Roosevelt | death |
| 8 | Francis Muir Scarlett | GA | 1891–1971 | 1946–1968 | — | 1968–1971 | Truman | death |
| 9 | Alexander Atkinson Lawrence Jr. | GA | 1906–1979 | 1968–1978 | 1970–1976 | 1978–1979 | L. Johnson | death |
| 10 | Anthony Alaimo | GA | 1920–2009 | 1971–1991 | 1976–1990 | 1991–2009 | Nixon | death |
| 11 | Berry Avant Edenfield | GA | 1934–2015 | 1978–2006 | 1990–1997 | 2006–2015 | Carter | death |
| 13 | William Theodore Moore Jr. | GA | 1940–present | 1994–2017 | 2004–2010 | 2017–2024 | Clinton | retirement |
- ^ Reassigned from the District of Georgia; jointly appointed to the Northern and Southern Districts of Georgia.
- ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 20, 1865, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 22, 1866, and received commission the same day; from 1865–1882, Judge Erskine was jointly appointed to the Northern and Southern Districts of Georgia.
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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U.S. Attorneys
edit- Sion A. Darnell 1882–86 [3][4]
- Dupont Guerry 1886–1901
- Marion Erwin 1901-12
- Alexander Akerman 1912–14
- Erle M. Donalson 1914–19
- John W. Bennett 1919–22
- F. G. Boatright 1922–27
- Charles L. Redding 1927–32
- Walter W. Sheppard 1932–33
- Charles L. Redding 1933
- J. Saxton Daniel 1933–53
- William C. Calhoun 1953–61
- Donald H. Fraser 1961–69 R.
- R. Jackson B. Smith, Jr. 1969–77
- William T. Moore, Jr. 1977–81
- Hinton R. Pierce 1981–92
- Jay D. Gardner 1992–94
- Harry Donival Dixon, Jr. 1994–2001
- Richard S. Thompson[5] 2001–2004
- Paul B. Murphy[6] 2004
- Lisa Godbey Wood 2004–2007
- Edmund A. Booth, Jr. 2007–2009[7]
- Edward J. Tarver 2009–2017
- Bobby Christine 2017–2021
- David H. Estes 2021–2023
- Jill E. Steinberg 2023–present
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ U.S. District Courts of Georgia, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center
- ^ "28 U.S. Code § 90 - Georgia". LII / Legal Information Institute.
- ^ "The Political Graveyard: U.S. District Attorneys in Georgia". politicalgraveyard.com. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
- ^ "Southern District of Georgia | Former United States Attorneys For The Southern District Of Georgia". www.justice.gov. 2015-04-08. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
- ^ "PN1164 — Richard S. Thompson — Department of Justice". Congress.gov. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ "U.S. Attorneys' Offices". web.archive.org. 2004-02-07. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
- ^ "Edmund A. Booth, Jr., Of Counsel – Crowder Stewart LLP". web.archive.org. 2019-10-26. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
External links
edit- United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia
- United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia