United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia

The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia (in case citations, M.D. Ga.) is a United States District Court which serves the residents of sixty-nine counties from seven divisions from its headquarters in Macon, Georgia.

United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia
(M.D. Ga.)
LocationWilliam Augustus Bootle Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse
(Macon)
More locations
Appeals toEleventh Circuit
EstablishedMay 28, 1926
Judges4
Chief JudgeMarc Thomas Treadwell
Officers of the court
U.S. AttorneyPeter D. Leary (acting)
U.S. MarshalJohn Cary Bittick
www.gamd.uscourts.gov

Appeals from cases brought in the Middle District of Georgia are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for 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).

The current Acting United States Attorney is Peter D. Leary.

History

The United States District Court for the District of Georgia was one of the original 13 courts established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, 1 Stat. 73, on September 24, 1789.[1] The District was subdivided into Northern and Southern Districts on August 11, 1848, by 9 Stat. 280.[1][2][3] The Middle District was formed from portions of those two Districts on May 28, 1926, by 44 Stat. 670.[1]

Jurisdiction

The Albany division serves: Baker, Ben Hill, Calhoun, Crisp, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Lee, Miller, Mitchell, Schley, Seminole, Sumter, Terrell, Turner, Webster, and Worth counties.

The Athens division hears cases from: Clarke, Elbert, Franklin, Greene, Hart, Madison, Morgan, Oconee, Oglethorpe, and Walton counties.

The Columbus division includes: Chattahoochee, Clay, Harris, Marion, Muscogee, Quitman, Randolph, Stewart, Talbot, and Taylor counties.

The Macon division serves: Baldwin, Bibb, Bleckley, Butts, Crawford, Dooly, Hancock, Houston, Jasper, Jones, Lamar, Macon, Monroe, Peach, Pulaski, Putnam, Twiggs, Upson, Washington, Wilcox and Wilkinson counties.

The Valdosta division hears cases for: Berrien, Brooks, Clinch, Colquitt, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Thomas, and Tift counties.

Current judges

As of July 1, 2020:

# Title Judge Duty station Born Term of service Appointed by
Active Chief Senior
13 Chief Judge Marc Thomas Treadwell Macon 1955 2010–present 2020–present — Obama
12 District Judge Clay D. Land Columbus 1960 2001–present 2014–2020 — G.W. Bush
14 District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner Albany 1974 2014–present — — Obama
15 District Judge Tripp Self Macon 1968 2018–present — — Trump
9 Senior Judge W. Louis Sands Albany 1949 1994–2014 2001–2006 2014–present Clinton
10 Senior Judge Hugh Lawson Macon 1941 1995–2008 2006–2008 2008–present Clinton
11 Senior Judge C. Ashley Royal Macon 1949 2001–2016 2008–2014 2016–present G.W. Bush

Former judges
# Judge State Born–died Active service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed by Reason for
termination
1 William Josiah Tilson GA 1871–1949 1926–1927[Note 1]
1927–1928[Note 2]		 — — Coolidge not confirmed
resignation
2 Bascom Sine Deaver GA 1882–1944 1928–1944 — — Coolidge death
3 Thomas Hoyt Davis GA 1892–1969 1945–1961 1949–1961 1961–1969 F. Roosevelt death
4 Abraham Benjamin Conger GA 1887–1953 1949–1953 — — Truman death
5 William Augustus Bootle GA 1902–2005 1954–1972 1961–1972 1972–2005 Eisenhower death
6 J. Robert Elliott GA 1910–2006 1962–2000 1972–1980 — Kennedy retirement
7 Wilbur Dawson Owens Jr. GA 1930–2010 1972–1995 1980–1995 1995–2010 Nixon death
8 Duross Fitzpatrick GA 1934–2008 1985–2001 1995–2001 2001–2008 Reagan death
  1. Recess appointment; the United States Senate later rejected the appointment.
  2. Recess appointment; resigned prior to Senate consideration of the appointment.

Chief judges

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

See also

References
  1. U.S. District Courts of Georgia, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
  2. Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 390.
  3. Alfred Conkling, A Treatise on the Organization, Jurisdiction and Practice of the Courts of the United States (1864), p. 179.

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