United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
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The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California is a United States district court. It is composed of six divisions.
The Eastern Division hears cases from Riverside and San Bernardino Counties at its Riverside courthouse.
The Bakersfield division has jurisdiction over certain cases in Inyo and Kern Counties and on federal lands and National Parks. These cases are heard in courthouses in Bakersfield, at Edwards Air Force Base, and in Independence, California.
Vacancy warning level
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of California's vacancy warning level is currently set at yellow. There is currently one vacancy on the court of six.
Jurisdiction
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The geographic jurisdiction of the Eastern District of California consists of all the following counties in the eastern part of the state of California.
There are five court divisions, with the two main court divisions covering the following counties:
The Fresno Division, covering Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Stanislaus, Tulare and Tuolumne Counties
The Sacramento Division, covering 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 Counties
The Redding/Susanville office hears misdemeanors and petty crimes for federal lands and National Parks in four locations: Alturas, Chester, Herlong, and Redding.
The South Lake Tahoe office hears misdemeanors and petty crimes for federal lands and National Parks.
The Yosemite office hears misdemeanors and petty crimes for Yosemite National Park.
When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals based in Downtown San Francisco at the James R. Browning Federal Courthouse.
Cases heard
The Eastern District of California has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
Case load
| Federal Court Case Load Statistics* |
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| Year | Starting case load: | Cases filed: | Total cases: | Cases terminated: | Remaining cases: | Median time(Criminal)**: | Median time(Civil)**: | 3 Year Civil cases#: | Vacant posts:## | Trials/Post | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 8144 | 6955 | 15099 | 6502 | 8597 | 12.7 | 8.3 | 723(9.3%) | 12.0 | 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | 7830 | 6817 | 14647 | 6418 | 8229 | 10.6 | 7.9 | 716(10.4%) | 8.9 | 19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | 7482 | 6004 | 13486 | 5642 | 7844 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 763(11.6%) | 6.3 | 23 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | 7057 | 5619 | 12676 | 5177 | 7499 | 12.0 | 9.3 | 715(11.1%) | 7.0 | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | 6358 | 5676 | 12034 | 4873 | 7161 | 9.8 | 10.1 | 642(10.5%) | 4.0 | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *All statistics are taken from the Official Federal Courts' Website and reflect the calendar year through September. **Time in months from filing to completion. #This statistic includes cases which have been appealed in higher courts. ##This is the total number of months that any all judicial posts had spent vacant that year. |
Clerk's office
The Eastern District of California has two separate courthouses. The Clerk's office is open Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., excluding Federal holidays. Please consult the chart below for more information:
| Branch | Address | Phone number | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno Division | U.S. District Court Room 1501 |
(559) 499-5600 | 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday - Friday |
| Sacramento Division | U.S. District Court 4th Floor of the United States Courthouse |
(916) 930 - 4000 | 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday - Friday |
History
Court history
The Eastern District of California was established by Congress on March 18, 1966 with one judicial post being transferred from the Southern District and two from the Northern District. Over time 3 additional judicial posts were added for a total of 6 current posts.[2]
Judicial posts
The following table highlights the development of judicial posts for the Eastern District of California:
| Year | Statute | Total Seats |
| March 18, 1966 | 80 Stat. 75 | 3 |
| October 20, 1978 | 92 Stat. 1629 | 6 |
Notable cases
For cases in the Eastern District of California, see United States District Court for the Eastern District of California Official Website or Justia.com.
| • Greyhound bus case Judge(s):Morrison England *Soto v. TU PHUOC NGUYEN No. 2:06-cv-01612-MCE-DAD |
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| Judge England ruled that Greyhound must face trial in a lawsuit for a July 1, 2005 accident that seriously injured passengers on Interstate 5.[3]
Passengers who filed the lawsuit claimed that their injuries could have been prevented if Greyhound equipped its buses with seat belts.[3] Greyhound asked Judge England to dismiss the cases claiming that federal laws preempted Greyhound from equipping their bus lines with seat belts. Attorneys for Greyhound believe since the federal government does not require seat belts on buses that any action based in a state-level court on the failure to install seat belts was preempted by the federal government's inaction.[3] England rejected Greyhound's arguments and ordered the lawsuits to a jury trial. Judge England found that "the absence of federal seat belt requirements for passengers is more descriptive of a minimum protection mandated by federal law, rather than a clear indication that such passive restraints should not be required." Judge England also wrote: "Government's failure to require seat belts on buses does not prevent injured bus passengers from pursuing claims based on the failure to install seat belts".[3] |
Federal courthouse
Two separate courthouses serve the Eastern District of California.
Major news
For new stories and other related material see California judicial news.
See also
External links
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of California Official Website
- Federal Judicial Center-U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California Website
- Local Rules of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
- Justice of the Pines: Yosemite National Park Has Its Own Rustic Courthouse and Homespun Judge[1]
- Opinions of the Eastern District of California
- Judges of the Eastern District of California
References
- ↑ Offices Information(Select the appropriate division for information)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 FJC History of the Eastern District of California
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Appeal Democrat" Judge rebuffs Greyhound in Colusa cases, July 5, 2009
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| Contents |
|---|
| 1 Court |
| 2 Judges |
| 2.1 Active Judges |
| 2.1.1 Article III judges |
| 2.1.2 Pending appointments |
| 2.1.3 Senior judges |
| 2.2 Past judges |
| 2.2.1 Former Chief judges |
| 2.2.2 Former judges |
Since the court was established, 76 Article III federal judges have served on it.[1]
Active judges
Article III judges
See: Article III federal judgeThe United States District Court for the Eastern District of California has 6 posts and 1 vacancy. The current Chief Judge is Morrison England. This is a list of the current judges on the court:
| Judge | Born | Home | Appointed by | Active | Chief | Preceeded | Bachelors | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Judge Lawrence O'Neill | 1952 | Oakland, CA | W. Bush | 4/17/2008 - Present | Oliver Wanger | U. of California at Berkeley, B.A., 1973 | U. of California, Hastings College of Law, J.D., 1979 | |
| Chief Judge Morrison England | 1954 | St. Louis, MO | W. Bush | 8/2/2002 - Present | 11/1/2012 - Present | Lawrence Karlton | U. of the Pacific, B.A., 1977 | U. of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, J.D., 1983 |
| Judge John Mendez | 1955 | Oakland, CA | W. Bush | 4/17/2008 - Present | David Levi | Stanford University, B.A., 1977 | Harvard Law School, J.D., 1980 | |
| Judge Kimberly Mueller | 1957 | Newton, Kansas | Obama | 12/21/2010 - Present | Frank Damrell | Pomona College, B.A., 1981 | Stanford Law School, J.D., 1995 | |
| Judge Troy L. Nunley | 1964 | San Francisco, CA | Obama | 3/23/2013 - Present | Garland Burrell | St. Mary`s College of California, B.A., 1986 | U. of California Law, J.D., 1990 |
Pending appointments
There are no current pending appointments for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California.
Senior judges
See: Federal judges on senior statusThe United States District Court for the Eastern District of California has 4 judges on senior status currently. This is a list of the current senior judges on the court:
| Judge | Appointed by | Active | Chief | Senior | Bachelors | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Judge Garland Burrell | H.W. Bush | March 2, 1992 - 7/4/2012 | 2007 - 2008 | 7/4/2012 - Present | California State U., Los Angeles, B.A., 1972 | California Western School of Law, San Diego, J.D., 1976 |
| Senior Judge Lawrence Karlton | 7/24/1979 - 5/28/2000 | 1983 - 1990 | 5/28/2000 - Present | Columbia Law School, J.D., 1958 | ||
| Senior Judge William Shubb | H.W. Bush | 10/1/1990 - 11/1/2004 | 1996 - 2003 | 11/1/2004 - Present | U. of California, Berkeley, A.B., 1960 | U. of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, J.D., 1963 |
| Senior Judge Anthony Ishii | Clinton | 10/14/1997 - 10/31/2012 | 2008 - 10/31/2012 | 10/31/2012 - Present | Reedley Junior College, A.S., 1966 | U. of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, J.D., 1973 |
Magistrate judges
| Judge | Active | Bachelors | Law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magistrate Judge Edmund Brennan | 8/21/2006 - Present | Doane College, B.A., 1973 | Southwestern University School of Law, J.D., 1979 |
| Magistrate Judge Greg Hollows | 3/7/1990 - Present | Muskingum College, B.A., 1969 | Loyola Law School, J.D., 1979 |
| Magistrate Judge Dale A. Drozd | 9/15/1997 - Present | California State University, San Diego, B.A. 1977 | U. of California, Los Angeles, J.D., 1980 |
| Magistrate Judge John Moulds | 1/1983 - Present | Sacramento State College, A.B., 1960 | U. of California, Boalt Hall School of Law, 1966 |
| Magistrate Judge Craig Kellison | 11/1/1983 - Present | U. of Nevada, B.S., 1972 | Gonzaga University School of Law, J.D., 1976 |
| Magistrate Judge Gary Austin | 10/12/2007 - Present | California State U. Fresno, B.A., 1972 | San Joaquin College of Law, J.D., 1976 |
| Magistrate Judge Sandra Snyder | 5/3/1993 - Present | California State University at Fresno, B.A., 1968 | Golden Gate University School of Law, J.D., 1976 |
| Judge Stanley A. Boone | 2012-Present | U. of California at Berkeley, 1988 | U. of the Pacific, 1995 |
| Judge Allison Claire | 2012-Present | U. of California Santa Cruz, 1990 | U. of California Berkeley, 1993 |
Past judges
Former Chief judges
| Judge | Term |
|---|---|
| Philip Wilkins | 1979 - 1983 |
| Thomas MacBride | 1967 - 1979 |
| David Levi | 2003 - 2007 |
| Robert Coyle | 1990 - 1996 |
| Myron Crocker | 1966 - 1967 |
| Anthony Ishii | 2008 - 10/31/2012 |
| William Shubb | 1996 - 2003 |
| Lawrence Karlton | 1983 - 1990 |
| Garland Burrell | 2007 - 2008 |
In order to qualify for the office of Chief Judge in one of the federal courts, 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 in the office of Chief Judge 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. Unlike the Chief Justice of the United States, a Chief Judge returns to active service after the expiration of his or her term and does not create a vacancy on the bench by the fact of his or her promotion. See 28 U.S.C. § 45.
These rules for Chief Judges in the federal judiciary have been in effect since October 1, 1982. The office of Chief Judge was created in 1948. Until August 6, 1959, the position was filled in each federal court by 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. From then until 1982 it was filled by the senior such judge who had not turned 70.
Former judges
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|---|---|---|---|
| Active judges |
Chief Judge: Morrison England • Lawrence O'Neill • John Mendez • Kimberly Mueller • Troy L. Nunley | ||
| Senior judges |
Garland Burrell • Lawrence Karlton • William Shubb • Anthony Ishii • | ||
| Magistrate judges | Edmund Brennan • Greg Hollows • Dale A. Drozd • John Moulds • Craig Kellison • Gary Austin • Sandra Snyder • Stanley A. Boone • Allison Claire • | ||
| Former Article III judges |
Edward Garcia • Myron Crocker • Robert Coyle • Frank Damrell • Oliver Wanger • Sherrill Halbert • David Levi • Thomas MacBride • Edward Price • Raul Ramirez • Milton Schwartz • Philip Wilkins • | ||
| Former Chief judges |
Garland Burrell • Lawrence Karlton • William Shubb • Anthony Ishii • Myron Crocker • Robert Coyle • David Levi • Thomas MacBride • Philip Wilkins • | ||
