United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama

United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama (N.D. Ala.)
Appeals to	Eleventh Circuit
Established	March 10, 1824
Judges assigned	8
Chief judge	Sharon Blackburn
Official site

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama (in case citations, N.D. Ala.) is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the following counties: Bibb, Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Colbert, Cullman, De Kalb, Etowah, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan, Pickens, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tuscaloosa, Walker, and Winston. It has jurisdiction over the cities of Birmingham, Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, and Decatur.

The District was created by the United States Congress on March 10, 1824, by 4 Stat. 9, when the United States District Court for the District of Alabama was subdivided into a Northern and Southern District.^[1][2] Presiding judge Charles Tait continued to serve as the sole judge for both districts. Parts of these two districts were subsequently removed to form the Middle District on February 6, 1839, by 5 Stat. 315,^[1][2][3] with legislation specifying that the Middle District Court was to be held at Tuscaloosa, the Northern District Court at Huntsville, and the Southern District Court at Mobile.^[1] These Districts were again reorganized on August 7, 1848.^[4]

Appeals from cases brought in the Northern District of Alabama are 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 United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Alabama represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court.

As of August 27, 2009, the United States Attorney is Joyce Vance.

Current judges

#	Title	Judge	Duty station	Born	Term of service			Appointed by
					Active	Chief	Senior
28	Chief Judge	Sharon Lovelace Blackburn	Birmingham	1950	1991–present	2006–present	—	G.H.W. Bush
29	District Judge	Charles Lynwood Smith, Jr.	Huntsville	1943	1995–present	—	—	Clinton
31	District Judge	Inge Prytz Johnson	Birmingham	1945	1998–present	—	—	Clinton
32	District Judge	Karon O. Bowdre	Birmingham	1955	2001–present	—	—	G.W. Bush
33	District Judge	L. Scott Coogler	Tuscaloosa	1959	2003–present	—	—	G.W. Bush
34	District Judge	R. David Proctor	Birmingham	1960	2003–present	—	—	G.W. Bush
35	District Judge	Virginia Emerson Hopkins	Birmingham	1952	2004–present	—	—	G.W. Bush
36	District Judge	Abdul Kallon	(n/a)	1969	2010–present	—	—	Obama
21	Senior District Judge	James Hughes Hancock	Birmingham	1931	1973–1996	(none)	1996–present	Nixon
22	Senior District Judge	Junius Foy Guin, Jr.	Birmingham	1924	1973–1989	(none)	1989–present	Nixon
24	Senior District Judge	Robert Bruce Propst	Anniston	1931	1980–1996	(none)	1996–present	Carter
26	Senior District Judge	William Marsh Acker Jr.	Birmingham	1927	1982–1996	(none)	1996–present	Reagan

Former judges

#	Judge	State	Born/Died	Active service	Term as Chief Judge	Senior status	Appointed by	Reason for termination
1	Tait, CharlesCharles Tait	AL	1768–1835	1824[5]–1826	(none)	(none)	Monroe, Monroe	resignation
2	Crawford, WilliamWilliam Crawford	AL	1784–1849	1826–1849	(none)	(none)	Adams, J.Q.J.Q. Adams	death
3	Gayle, JohnJohn Gayle	AL	1792–1859	1849–1859	(none)	(none)	Taylor, Taylor	death
4	Jones, William GilesWilliam Giles Jones	AL	1808–1883	1859[6]–1861	(none)	(none)	Buchanan, Buchanan	resignation
5	Lane, George WashingtonGeorge Washington Lane	AL	1806–1863	1861–1863	(none)	(none)	Lincoln, Lincoln	death
6	Busteed, RichardRichard Busteed	AL	1822–1898	1863[7]–1874	(none)	(none)	Lincoln, Lincoln	resignation
7	Bruce, JohnJohn Bruce	AL	1832–1901	1875–1901	(none)	(none)	Grant, Grant	death
8	Jones, Thomas G.Thomas G. Jones	AL	1844–1914	1901–1914	(none)	(none)	Roosevelt, T.T. Roosevelt	death
9	Hundley, Oscar RichardOscar Richard Hundley	AL	1855–1921	1907–1908 1908–1909 1909	(none)	(none)	Roosevelt, T.T. Roosevelt Roosevelt, T.T. Roosevelt Taft, Taft	not confirmed[8]
10	Grubb, William IrwinWilliam Irwin Grubb	AL	1862–1935	1909–1935	(none)	(none)	Taft, Taft	death
11	Clayton, Jr., Henry De LamarHenry De Lamar Clayton, Jr.	AL	1857–1929	1914–1929	(none)	(none)	Wilson, Wilson	death
12	Kennamer, Charles BrentsCharles Brents Kennamer	AL	1874–1955	1931–1936	(none)	(none)	Hoover, Hoover	assignment to M.D. Ala
13	Davis, David JacksonDavid Jackson Davis	AL	1878–1938	1935[9]–1938	(none)	(none)	Roosevelt, F.F. Roosevelt	death
14	Murphree, Thomas AlexanderThomas Alexander Murphree	AL	1883–1945	1938–1945	(none)	(none)	Roosevelt, F.F. Roosevelt	death
15	Mullins, Clarence H.Clarence H. Mullins	AL	1895–1957	1943–1953	1948–1953	1953–1957	Roosevelt, F.F. Roosevelt	death
16	Lynne, Seybourn HarrisSeybourn Harris Lynne	AL	1907–2000	1946–1973	1953–1973	1973–2000	Truman, Truman	death
17	Grooms, Harlan HobartHarlan Hobart Grooms	AL	1900–1991	1953–1969	(none)	1969–1991	Eisenhower, Eisenhower	death
18	Allgood, Clarence W.Clarence W. Allgood	AL	1902–1991	1961[10]–1973	(none)	1973–1991	Kennedy, Kennedy	death
19	McFadden, Frank HamptonFrank Hampton McFadden	AL	1925–present	1969–1982	1973–1982	(none)	Nixon, Nixon	resignation
20	Pointer Jr., Sam ClydeSam Clyde Pointer Jr.	AL	1934–2008	1970–1999	1982–1999	1999–2000	Nixon, Nixon	retirement
23	Haltom, Jr., Elbert BertramElbert Bertram Haltom, Jr.	AL	1922–2003	1980–1991	(none)	1991–2003	Carter, Carter	death
25	Clemon, U. W.U. W. Clemon	AL	1943–present	1980–2009	1999–2006	(none)	Carter, Carter	retirement
27	Nelson, Edwin L.Edwin L. Nelson	AL	1940–2003	1990–2003	(none)	(none)	Bush, G.H.W.G.H.W. Bush	death
30	Buttram Jr., H. DeanH. Dean Buttram Jr.	AL	1950–present	1998–2002	(none)	(none)	Clinton, Clinton	resignation

See also

• Courts of Alabama
• List of United States federal courthouses in Alabama

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 390.
2. ^ ^{a b} U.S. District Courts of Alabama, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
3. ^ Alfred Conkling, A Treatise on the Organization, Jurisdiction and Practice of the Courts of the United States (1864), p. 178.
4. ^ Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 391.
5. ^ Initially appointed to the District of Alabama in 1820 by James Monroe; reassigned to both the Northern District of Alabama and the Southern District of Alabama in 1824.
6. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 23, 1860, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 30, 1860, and received commission on January 30, 1860.
7. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 5, 1864, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 20, 1864, and received commission on January 20, 1864.
8. ^ Recess appointment; the United States Senate later rejected the appointment; received a second recess appointment and was again rejected by the Senate; received a third recess appointment but resigned prior to consideration.
9. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 6, 1936, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 22, 1936, and received commission on January 28, 1936.
10. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 15, 1962, confirmed by the United States Senate on February 5, 1962, and received commission on February 9, 1962.

External links

• United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama Official Website
• United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama Official Website