United States District Court for the Eastern District of California

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United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
(E.D. Cal.)
California-eastern.png
LocationRobert T. Matsui U.S. Courthouse
(Sacramento)
More locations
Appeals toNinth Circuit
EstablishedSeptember 18, 1966
Judges6
Chief JudgeKimberly J. Mueller
Officers of the court
U.S. AttorneyPhillip Talbert (acting)
www.caed.uscourts.gov

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of California (in case citations, E.D. Cal.) is a federal court in 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).

The District was created on March 18, 1966, with the division of the Northern and Southern districts, leading to the creation of the Central and Eastern districts.[1]

The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. As of February 28, 2021 the Acting United States Attorney is Phillip Talbert.

Organization of the court[]

Yosemite Office of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California located in Yosemite National Park

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of California is one of four federal judicial districts in California.[2] Court for the District is held at the Robert E. Coyle U.S. Courthouse in Fresno and Robert T. Matsui U.S. Courthouse in Sacramento.

Fresno Division comprises the following counties: Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Tuolumne.

Sacramento Division comprises the following counties: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo, and Yuba.

Bakersfield Office hears misdemeanor and petty criminal offenses on federal lands and National Parks in Inyo and Kern counties. Court is held at Bakersfield, Edwards Air Force Base, and Ridgecrest.

Redding Office hears misdemeanor and petty criminal offenses on federal lands and National Parks in Northern California. Court is held at Sierra Army Depot, Redding, and Susanville.

Yosemite Office hears misdemeanor and petty criminal offenses in Yosemite National Park. National parks are under federal jurisdiction. The perennially large crowds of tourists at Yosemite create a unique situation justifying the presence of a courthouse inside the park itself.

Current judges[]

As of February 2, 2020:

# Title Judge Duty station Born Term of service Appointed by
Active Chief Senior
20 Chief Judge Kimberly J. Mueller Sacramento 1957 2010–present 2020–present — Obama
19 District Judge John Mendez Sacramento 1955 2008–present — — G.W. Bush
21 District Judge Troy L. Nunley Sacramento 1964 2013–present — — Obama
22 District Judge Dale A. Drozd Fresno 1955 2015–present — — Obama
23 District Judge vacant — — — — — —
24 District Judge vacant — — — — — —
10 Senior Judge Edward J. Garcia inactive 1928 1984–1996 — 1996–present Reagan
11 Senior Judge William B. Shubb Sacramento 1938 1990–2004 1996–2003 2004–present G.H.W. Bush
14 Senior Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. inactive 1947 1992–2012 2007–2008 2012–present G.H.W. Bush
15 Senior Judge Anthony W. Ishii Fresno 1946 1997–2012 2008–2012 2012–present Clinton
17 Senior Judge Morrison C. England Jr. Sacramento 1954 2002–2019 2012–2016 2019–present G.W. Bush
18 Senior Judge Lawrence Joseph O'Neill inactive 1952 2007–2020 2016–2019 2020–present G.W. Bush

Vacancies and pending nominations[]

Seat Prior judge's duty station Seat last held by Vacancy reason Date of vacancy Nominee Date of nomination
3 Sacramento Morrison C. England Jr. Senior status December 17, 2019 – –
4 Fresno Lawrence Joseph O'Neill February 2, 2020 – –
5 Sacramento John Mendez April 17, 2022[3] – –

Former judges[]

# Judge State Born–died Active service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed by Reason for
termination
1 Myron Donovan Crocker CA 1915–2010 1966–1981[Note 1] 1966–1967 1981–2010 Eisenhower/Operation of law death
2 Sherrill Halbert CA 1901–1991 1966–1969[Note 1] — 1969–1991 Eisenhower/Operation of law death
3 Thomas Jamison MacBride CA 1914–2000 1966–1979[Note 2] 1967–1979 1979–2000 Kennedy/Operation of law death
4 Philip Charles Wilkins CA 1913–1998 1969–1983 1979–1983 1983–1998 Nixon death
5 Lawrence K. Karlton CA 1935–2015 1979–2000 1983–1990 2000–2015 Carter death
6 Milton Lewis Schwartz CA 1920–2005 1979–1990 — 1990–2005 Carter death
7 Edward Dean Price CA 1919–1997 1979–1989 — 1989–1997 Carter death
8 Raul Anthony Ramirez CA 1944–present 1980–1989 — — Carter resignation
9 Robert Everett Coyle CA 1930–2012 1982–1996 1990–1996 1996–2012 Reagan death
12 David F. Levi CA 1951–present 1990–2007 2003–2007 — G.H.W. Bush resignation
13 Oliver Winston Wanger CA 1940–present 1991–2006 — 2006–2011 G.H.W. Bush retirement
16 Frank C. Damrell Jr. CA 1938–present 1997–2008 — 2008–2011 Clinton retirement
  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Reassigned from the Southern District of California.
  2. ^ Reassigned from the Northern District of California.

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[]

Request for expansion[]

The six sitting judges and three senior judges have submitted a draft letter[4] to the members of the Senate and House of Representatives from the Eastern District in which they argue that population growth in the District has necessitated an increase in the number of District Judges.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/courts_district_ca.html U.S. District Courts of California, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center
  2. ^ 28 U.S.C. § 84
  3. ^ Future Judicial Vacancies
  4. ^ "The purpose of this letter … is to provide notice of a current crisis [In the Eastern District] | Central District Insider".

External links[]

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