United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (E.D. La.) is a federal trial court based in New Orleans. Like all U.S. district courts, the court has original jurisdiction over civil actions arising under the Constitution, laws, and treaties of the United States; [ [http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/28/1331.html 28 U.S.C. § 1331] ] certain civil actions between citizens of different states; [ [http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/28/1332.html 28 U.S.C. § 1332] ] civil actions within the admiralty or maritime jurisdiction of the United States; [ [http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/28/1333.html 28 U.S.C. § 1333] ] criminal prosecutions brought by the United States; [ [http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/3231.html 18 U.S.C. § 3231] ] and many other types of cases and controversies. [ [http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/28/usc_sup_01_28_10_IV_20_85.html Title 28, United States Code, Chapter 85] ] It also has appellate jurisdiction over a very limited class of judgments, orders, and decrees. [Under [http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/28/1332.html 28 U.S.C. § 158(a)(1)] , for example, the U.S. district courts are authorized to hear appeals from final judgments, orders, and decrees of U.S. bankruptcy judges.]

The court has twelve authorized judgeships, all of which are filled. The Hon. Sarah Vance has been Chief Judge since 2008. In addition to the active district judges, the court currently has five senior district judges and six magistrate judges. Jim Letten, the United States Attorney for the district, represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation before the court.

This district comprises the following parishes: Assumption, Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne and Washington. [ [http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/28/98.html 28 U.S.C. § 98(a)] ] Most appeals from the Eastern District of Louisiana are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Current Composition of the Court

U.S. judgeship row Current
index=—
title=Chief Judge
name=Sarah Vance
duty station=New Orleans, LA
born=1950
term=1994–present
chief term=2008-present
senior term=—
appointer=Clinton
U.S. judgeship row Current
index=—
title=District Judge
name=Martin Feldman
duty station=New Orleans, LA
born=1934
term=1983–present
chief term=—
senior term=—
appointer=Reagan
U.S. judgeship row Current
index=—
title=District Judge
name=Helen Ginger Berrigan
duty station=New Orleans, LA
born=1948
term=1994–present
chief term=2001–2008
senior term=—
appointer=Clinton
U.S. judgeship row Current
index=—
title=District Judge
name=Stanwood Duval
duty station=New Orleans, LA
born=1942
term=1994–present
chief term=—
senior term=—
appointer=Clinton
U.S. judgeship row Current
index=—
title=District Judge
name=Thomas Porteous
duty station=New Orleans, LA
born=1946
term=1994–present
chief term=—
senior term=—
appointer=Clinton
U.S. judgeship row Current
index=—
title=District Judge
name=Eldon Fallon
duty station=New Orleans, LA
born=1939
term=1995–present
chief term=—
senior term=—
appointer=Clinton
U.S. judgeship row Current
index=—
title=District Judge
name=Mary Ann Lemmon
duty station=New Orleans, LA
born=1941
term=1996–present
chief term=—
senior term=—
appointer=Clinton
U.S. judgeship row Current
index=—
title=District Judge
name=Ivan Lemelle
duty station=New Orleans, LA
born=1950
term=1998–present
chief term=—
senior term=—
appointer=Clinton
U.S. judgeship row Current
index=—
title=District Judge
name=Carl Barbier
duty station=New Orleans, LA
born=1944
term=1998–present
chief term=—
senior term=—
appointer=Clinton
U.S. judgeship row Current
index=—
title=District Judge
name=Kurt Engelhardt
duty station=New Orleans, LA
born=1960
term=2001–present
chief term=—
senior term=—
appointer=G.W. Bush
U.S. judgeship row Current
index=—
title=District Judge
name=Jay Zainey
duty station=New Orleans, LA
born=1951
term=2002–present
chief term=—
senior term=—
appointer=G.W. Bush
U.S. judgeship row Current
index=—
title=District Judge
name=Lance Africk
duty station=New Orleans, LA
born=1951
term=2002–present
chief term=—
senior term=—
appointer=G.W. Bush
U.S. judgeship row Current
index=—
title=Senior District Judge
name=Frederick Heebe
duty station="(inactive)"
born=1922
term=1966–1992
chief term=1972–1992
senior term=1992–present
appointer=Johnson
U.S. judgeship row Current
index=—
title=Senior District Judge
name=Charles Schwartz, Jr.
duty station="(inactive)"
born=1922
term=1976–1991
chief term=—
senior term=1991–present
appointer=Ford
U.S. judgeship row Current
index=—
title=Senior District Judge
name=Peter Beer
duty station=New Orleans, LA
born=1928
term=1979–1994
chief term=—
senior term=1994–present
appointer=Carter
U.S. judgeship row Current
index=—
title=Senior District Judge
name=A.J. McNamara
duty station=New Orleans, LA
born=1936
term=1982–2001
chief term=1999–2001
senior term=2001–present
appointer=Reagan
U.S. judgeship row Current
index=—
title=Senior District Judge
name=Marcel Livaudais
duty station=New Orleans, LA
born=1925
term=1984–1996
chief term=—
senior term=1996–present
appointer=Reagan

Pending Nominations

(none)

Current Magistrate Judges

* Alma Chasez
* Daniel Knowles, III
* Louis Moore, Jr.
* Karen Wells Roby
* Joseph Wilkinson, Jr.

List of Former Judges

* Patrick Carr, 1979 - 1989
* Edith Brown Clement, 1991 - 2001
* J. Skelly Wright, 1949 - 1962

See also

* United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
* United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana
* United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana

References

External links

* [http://www.laed.uscourts.gov/ U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana]