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United States District Court for the District of Oregon

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Coordinates: 45°30′57″N 122°40′34″W / 45.51580°N 122.67624°W / 45.51580; -122.67624
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"District of Oregon" redirects here. For the Civil-War-era U.S. Army district, see District of Oregon (military).
United States District Court for the District of Oregon
(D. Ore.)
LocationMark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse
(Portland)
More locations
Appeals toNinth Circuit
EstablishedMarch 3, 1859
Judges6
Chief JudgeMichael J. McShane
Officers of the court
U.S. AttorneyNatalie K. Wight
U.S. MarshalRussel Burger
www.ord.uscourts.gov

The United States District Court for the District of Oregon (in case citations, D. Ore. or D. Or.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the state of Oregon. It was created in 1859 when the state was admitted to the Union. Appellate jurisdiction belongs to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit). Matthew P. Deady served as its first judge.

The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. As of September 12, 2022, the United States attorney is Natalie K. Wight.[1]

Organization

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The District of Oregon met in the U.S. Custom House and Post Office of Portland until 1933.
The Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland.

The court has four divisional offices within the state (three with staff): Portland, Eugene, Medford, and Pendleton.[2] The Portland Division holds court at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse and handles cases from Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Hood River, Jefferson, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Wasco, Washington, and Yamhill Counties.[2] The Medford Division meets at the James A. Redden United States Courthouse and handles cases from Curry, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath and Lake Counties.[2][3] The Pendleton Division holds session at John F. Kilkenny United States Post Office and Courthouse and covers cases from Baker, Crook, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa and Wheeler Counties.[2][4] The Wayne L. Morse United States Courthouse houses the Eugene Division that handles cases from Benton, Coos, Deschutes, Douglas, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, and Marion Counties.[2]

History

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After Oregon became a state on February 14, 1859, the United States Congress created the District of Oregon encompassing the entire state on March 3, 1859.[5] The bill creating the district authorized a single judge and also designated it as a judicial circuit.[5] President James Buchanan appointed Matthew Deady as judge, and the court was to hold annual sessions in April and September at the seat of government in Salem.[6] Deady held the first session of the court on September 12, 1859, in Salem, but was able to have the court relocated to Portland by the September session of 1860.[6] Beginning in 1933, the court was housed in the United States Courthouse (now Gus J. Solomon United States Courthouse) before moving to the new Hatfield Courthouse in 1997.[7]

On March 3, 1863, Congress passed a law that removed the circuit court jurisdiction and transferred appeals court jurisdiction to the Tenth Circuit, and in 1866 transferred it again to the Ninth Circuit.[5] On April 18, 1877, court clerk Ralph Wilcox committed suicide in his office at the court using a Deringer pistol.[8] On March 27, 1885, Judge Deady admitted Mary Leonard to the federal bar, the first woman admitted in Oregon.[9] In 1909, Congress added another seat to the court, followed by another judgeship in 1949.[5] On October 20, 1978, Congress passed a law authorizing two more positions on the bench of the Oregon district court.[5] The first woman to serve on the court was Helen J. Frye, whose service began on February 20, 1980. In 1990, Congress added a sixth judgeship for the district.[5] Ancer L. Haggerty, the first African American on the court, began his service on March 28, 1994.

Current judges

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As of August 22, 2024:

# Title Judge Duty station Born Term of service Appointed by
Active Chief Senior
29 Chief Judge Michael J. McShane Eugene 1961 2013–present 2024–present — Obama
28 District Judge Michael H. Simon Portland 1956 2011–present — — Obama
30 District Judge Karin Immergut Portland 1960 2019–present — — Trump
31 District Judge Adrienne Nelson Portland 1967 2023–present — — Biden
32 District Judge Amy M. Baggio Portland 1973 2024–present — — Biden
33 District Judge vacant — — — — — —
19 Senior Judge Malcolm F. Marsh inactive 1928 1987–1998 — 1998–present Reagan
20 Senior Judge Robert E. Jones Portland 1927 1990–2000 — 2000–present G.H.W. Bush
22 Senior Judge Ancer L. Haggerty inactive 1944 1994–2009 2002–2009 2009–present Clinton
23 Senior Judge Ann Aiken Eugene 1951 1998–2023 2009–2016 2023–present Clinton
25 Senior Judge Anna J. Brown Portland 1952 1999–2017 — 2017–present Clinton
26 Senior Judge Michael W. Mosman Portland 1956 2003–2021 2016–2019 2021–present G.W. Bush
27 Senior Judge Marco A. Hernandez Portland 1957 2011–2024 2019–2024 2024–present Obama

Vacancy and pending nomination

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Seat Prior Judge's Duty Station Seat last held by Vacancy reason Date of vacancy Nominee Date of nomination
4 Eugene Ann Aiken Senior status December 29, 2023 Mustafa T. Kasubhai September 18, 2023

Former judges

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# Judge State Born–died Active service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed by Reason for
termination
1 Matthew Deady OR 1824–1893 1859–1893 — — Buchanan death
2 Charles B. Bellinger OR 1839–1905 1893–1905 — — Cleveland death
3 Charles E. Wolverton OR 1851–1926 1905–1926[Note 1] — — T. Roosevelt death
4 Robert S. Bean OR 1854–1931 1909–1931 — — Taft death
5 John Hugh McNary OR 1867–1936 1927–1936 — — Coolidge death
6 James Alger Fee OR 1888–1959 1931–1954[Note 2] 1948–1954 — Hoover elevation to 9th Cir.
7 Claude C. McColloch OR 1888–1959 1937–1958 1954–1958 1958–1959 F. Roosevelt death
8 Gus J. Solomon OR 1906–1987 1949–1971[Note 3] 1958–1971 1971–1987 Truman death
9 William G. East OR 1908–1985 1955–1967 — 1967–1985 Eisenhower death
10 John Kilkenny OR 1901–1995 1959–1969 — — Eisenhower elevation to 9th Cir.
11 Robert C. Belloni OR 1919–1999 1967–1984 1971–1976 1984–1999 L. Johnson death
12 Alfred Goodwin OR 1923–2022 1969–1971 — — Nixon elevation to 9th Cir.
13 Otto Richard Skopil Jr. OR 1919–2012 1972–1979 1976–1979 — Nixon elevation to 9th Cir.
14 James M. Burns OR 1924–2001 1972–1989 1979–1984 1989–2001 Nixon death
15 Helen J. Frye OR 1930–2011 1980–1995 — 1995–2011 Carter death
16 Owen M. Panner OR 1924–2018 1980–1992 1984–1990 1992–2018 Carter death
17 James A. Redden OR 1929–2020 1980–1995 1990–1995 1995–2020 Carter death
18 Edward Leavy OR 1929–2023 1984–1987 — — Reagan elevation to 9th Cir.
21 Michael Robert Hogan OR 1946–present 1991–2011 1995–2002 2011–2012 G.H.W. Bush retirement
24 Garr King OR 1936–2019 1998–2009 — 2009–2019 Clinton death
  1. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 5, 1905, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 10, 1906, and received commission the same day.
  2. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 15, 1931, confirmed by the Senate on December 22, 1931, and received commission on December 23, 1931.
  3. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 5, 1950, confirmed by the Senate on June 27, 1950, and received commission on July 5, 1950.

Chief judges

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Chief Judge
Fee 1948–1954
McColloch 1954–1958
Solomon 1958–1971
Belloni 1971–1976
Skopil, Jr. 1976–1979
Burns 1979–1984
Panner 1984–1990
Redden, Jr. 1990–1995
Hogan 1995–2002
Haggerty 2002–2009
Aiken 2009–2016
Mosman 2016–2019
Hernandez 2019–2024
McShane 2024-present

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

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References

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  1. ^ "Meet the U.S. Attorney". September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e "U.S. District Court District of Oregon: Local Rules of Civil Practice".
  3. ^ GAS: Historic Federal Buildings
  4. ^ "Judge John Kilkenny, 93, Dies". The Oregonian. Oregonian Publishing Co.: B01 February 20, 2000.
  5. ^ a b c d e f U.S. District Court of Oregon: Legislative history
  6. ^ a b Horner, John B. (1919). Oregon: Her History, Her Great Men, Her Literature. The J.K. Gill Co.: Portland. p. 168-169.
  7. ^ Historic Federal Courthouses: Portland, Oregon. Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved on November 19, 2007.
  8. ^ "Shocking suicide". Stockton Daily Independent. April 21, 1877. Retrieved June 29, 2007.
  9. ^ Abrams, Kerry. Folk Hero, Hell Raiser, Mad Woman, Lady Lawyer: What is the Truth about Mary Leonard? Women's Legal History Biography Project. Stanford Law School. Retrieved on May 7, 2008.
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45°30′57″N 122°40′34″W / 45.51580°N 122.67624°W / 45.51580; -122.67624

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