United States federal judicial district
For purposes of the federal judicial system, Congress has divided the United States into judicial districts. There are 94 federal judicial districts, including at least one district in each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Three territories of the United States — the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands — have district courts that hear federal cases, including bankruptcy cases.[1] The breakdown of what is in each judicial district is at 28 U.S.C. §§ 81–131.
Federal judicial districts have also been established in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Courts in other insular areas are territorial courts under Article I of the Constitution, not United States district courts, although they have similar jurisdiction.
Only two districts have jurisdiction over areas outside the state in which the court sits:
- The District of Wyoming includes all of Yellowstone National Park, including areas in Montana and Idaho.
- The District of Hawaii includes Midway Island, Palmyra Island, and a number of other uninhabited Pacific island possessions of the United States.
Each district has its own United States district court (with a bankruptcy court under its authority), including judges, clerks, court reporters, and other support personnel, all employed by the judicial branch of the government and overseen by the Administrative Office of the Courts in Washington, D.C. There is also a United States Attorney in each district, who acts as the federal government's lawyer in the district, both prosecuting federal criminal cases and defending the government (and its employees) in civil suits against them; the U.S. Attorney is not employed by the judicial branch but by the Department of Justice, part of the executive branch. There is also a Federal Public Defender who represents people charged with federal crimes who cannot afford to hire their own lawyers; some FPDs cover more than one judicial district. Each district also has a United States Marshal who serves the court system.
Census 1790–1840[]
From 1790 to 1840 judicial district offices were responsible for census activities, which were in turn conducted by the United States Marshal Service. After the passage of the Census Act of 1840 a central federal census was formed to take charge of census activities.
List of districts[]
Below is a list of the federal judicial districts and the place(s) where each court "sits" (holds trials) in each district.
Circuit | State | District | Seat(s) |
---|---|---|---|
11 | Alabama | Northern | Florence, Huntsville, Decatur, Birmingham, Anniston, Tuscaloosa |
Middle | Montgomery, Dothan, Opelika | ||
Southern | Mobile | ||
9 | Alaska | Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan, Nome | |
9 | Arizona | Phoenix, Prescott, Tucson, Yuma, Flagstaff | |
8 | Arkansas | Eastern | Little Rock, Helena, Jonesboro |
Western | Texarkana, El Dorado, Fort Smith, Harrison, Fayetteville, Hot Springs | ||
9 | California | Northern | Eureka, Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose |
Eastern | Fresno, Redding, Sacramento, Bakersfield, Yosemite | ||
Central | Riverside, Los Angeles, Santa Ana | ||
Southern | San Diego, El Centro | ||
10 | Colorado | Denver, Durango, Grand Junction, Colorado Springs | |
2 | Connecticut | Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven | |
3 | Delaware | Wilmington | |
D.C. | District of Columbia | Washington | |
11 | Florida | Northern | Gainesville, Panama City, Pensacola, Tallahassee |
Middle | Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Ocala, Orlando, Tampa | ||
Southern | Fort Lauderdale, Fort Pierce, Key West, Miami, West Palm Beach | ||
11 | Georgia | Northern | Gainesville, Atlanta, Rome, Newnan |
Middle | Athens, Macon, Columbus, Albany, Valdosta | ||
Southern | Augusta, Dublin, Savannah, Waycross, Brunswick, Statesboro | ||
9 | Hawaii | Honolulu | |
9 | Idaho | Boise, Coeur d'Alene, Moscow, Pocatello | |
7 | Illinois | Northern | Chicago, Rockford |
Central | Urbana, Peoria, Rock Island, Springfield | ||
Southern | Benton, East St. Louis | ||
7 | Indiana | Northern | Fort Wayne, South Bend, Hammond, Lafayette |
Southern | Indianapolis, Terre Haute, Evansville, New Albany | ||
8 | Iowa | Northern | Cedar Rapids, Sioux City |
Southern | Des Moines, Council Bluffs, Davenport | ||
10 | Kansas | Kansas City, Topeka, Wichita | |
6 | Kentucky | Eastern | Ashland, Covington, Frankfort, Lexington, London, Pikeville |
Western | Bowling Green, Louisville, Owensboro, Paducah | ||
5 | Louisiana | Eastern | New Orleans |
Middle | Baton Rouge | ||
Western | Alexandria, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, Shreveport | ||
1 | Maine | Bangor, Portland | |
4 | Maryland | Baltimore, Greenbelt | |
1 | Massachusetts | Boston, Springfield, Worcester | |
6 | Michigan | Eastern | Ann Arbor, Detroit, Flint, Port Huron, Bay City |
Western | Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Marquette | ||
8 | Minnesota | Saint Paul, Minneapolis, Duluth, Fergus Falls | |
5 | Mississippi | Northern | Aberdeen, Oxford, Greenville |
Southern | Jackson, Natchez, Gulfport, Hattiesburg | ||
8 | Missouri | Eastern | St. Louis, Hannibal, Cape Girardeau |
Western | Kansas City, Joplin, Saint Joseph, Jefferson City, Springfield | ||
9 | Montana | Billings, Butte, Great Falls, Helena, Missoula | |
8 | Nebraska | Lincoln, North Platte, Omaha | |
9 | Nevada | Las Vegas, Reno | |
1 | New Hampshire | Concord | |
3 | New Jersey | Camden, Newark, Trenton | |
10 | New Mexico | Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Roswell, Santa Fe | |
2 | New York | Northern | Albany, Binghamton, Plattsburgh, Syracuse, Utica |
Southern | New York City, White Plains | ||
Eastern | Brooklyn, Central Islip | ||
Western | Buffalo, Rochester | ||
4 | North Carolina | Eastern | Elizabeth City, Fayetteville, Greenville, New Bern, Raleigh, Wilmington |
Middle | Durham, Greensboro, Winston-Salem | ||
Western | Asheville, Charlotte, Statesville | ||
8 | North Dakota | Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot | |
6 | Ohio | Northern | Cleveland, Youngstown, Akron, Toledo |
Southern | Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus | ||
10 | Oklahoma | Northern | Tulsa |
Eastern | Muskogee | ||
Western | Oklahoma City | ||
9 | Oregon | Eugene, Medford, Pendleton, Portland | |
3 | Pennsylvania | Eastern | Allentown, Easton, Reading, Philadelphia |
Middle | Harrisburg, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Williamsport | ||
Western | Erie, Johnstown, Pittsburgh | ||
1 | Puerto Rico | San Juan | |
1 | Rhode Island | Providence | |
4 | South Carolina | Charleston, Columbia, Florence, Aiken, Greenville, Anderson, Spartanburg | |
8 | South Dakota | Aberdeen, Sioux Falls, Pierre, Rapid City | |
6 | Tennessee | Eastern | Knoxville, Greeneville, Chattanooga, Winchester |
Middle | Nashville, Cookeville, Columbia | ||
Western | Jackson, Memphis | ||
5 | Texas | Northern | Dallas, Fort Worth, Abilene, San Angelo, Amarillo, Wichita Falls, Lubbock |
Southern | Galveston, Houston, Laredo, Brownsville, Victoria, Corpus Christi, McAllen | ||
Eastern | Tyler, Beaumont, Sherman, Marshall, Texarkana, Lufkin | ||
Western | Austin, Waco, El Paso, San Antonio, Del Rio, Pecos, Midland, Alpine, Fort Hood | ||
10 | Utah | Salt Lake City, St. George | |
2 | Vermont | Brattleboro, Burlington, Rutland | |
4 | Virginia | Eastern | Alexandria, Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond |
Western | Abingdon, Big Stone Gap, Charlottesville, Danville, Harrisonburg, Lynchburg, Roanoke | ||
9 | Washington | Eastern | Spokane, Yakima, Richland |
Western | Seattle, Tacoma | ||
4 | West Virginia | Northern | Clarksburg, Elkins, Martinsburg, Wheeling |
Southern | Beckley, Bluefield, Charleston, Huntington | ||
7 | Wisconsin | Eastern | Green Bay, Milwaukee |
Western | Madison | ||
10 | Wyoming | Casper, Cheyenne, Mammoth |
References[]
- ^ "District Courts". United States Courts. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
- United States federal judicial districts