John Daniel Tinder

John Tinder
Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
In office February 18, 2015 – October 9, 2015
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
In office December 21, 2007 – February 18, 2015
Appointed by	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Daniel Manion
Succeeded by	Vacant
Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
In office August 10, 1987 – December 21, 2007
Appointed by	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	James Noland
Succeeded by	William Lawrence
Personal details
Born	February 17, 1950 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Alma mater	Indiana University, Bloomington

John Daniel Tinder (born February 17, 1950) is a retired federal judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Background

Born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1950, Tinder attended Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University Bloomington in 1972, and a J.D. from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 1975. He is listed as a member of the Indiana University School of Law (Bloomington) Academy of Law Alumni here.

While in law school, Tinder worked at the U.S. Attorney's office in Indianapolis during 1974, and served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana from 1974-77. In 1977, Tinder entered private practice in Indianapolis, which he continued in until 1984 when he returned to the United States Attorney Office in Indianapolis, this time as its leader. In addition to his work in the private sector, Tinder served as a public defender from 1977-78 for the Marion County Criminal Court. From 1979-82, Tinder was chief trial deputy for the Marion County Prosecutor's Office. He was the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana from 1984-87, and was also an adjunct professor at the Indiana University School of Law from 1980-88.^[1]

District Court nomination and confirmation

Tinder was nominated to a judgeship on the U.S. District Court by President Ronald Reagan on June 2, 1987, to replace Judge James Noland on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, and the U.S. Senate confirmed him just two months later on August 7, 1987.^[2][3][4]

Seventh Circuit nomination and confirmation

After twenty years of service as a trial judge, Tinder was nominated on July 17, 2007, by President George W. Bush to replace Judge Daniel Anthony Manion on the Seventh Circuit bench. Manion had previously indicated he would assume Senior status upon confirmation of a successor. Tinder's hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee were uncontroversial, and he was voted out of Committee to the Senate floor in November 2007. He was confirmed on December 19, 2007, by a vote of 93-0, almost exactly five months after his nomination. He was the second and final judge appointed to the Seventh Circuit by Bush and confirmed by the United States Senate.

Retirement

In March 2014, Tinder announced his retirement plans for February 2015, when he will turn 65 years old.^[5]

Tinder previewed his post-retirement career plans in an interview with The Indiana Lawyer.^[6]

He assumed senior status on February 18, 2015, one day after his 65th birthday. He retired from senior service on October 9, 2015.

References

1. Profile, fjc.gov; accessed August 5, 2014.
2. A detailed and revealing interview of Judge Tinder can be found on the blog "Underneath Their Robes"
3. A similar but shorter interview can be found on the Indiana Barrister blog here
4. A brief video interviews can be found on the Seventh Circuit Bar Association web site here
5. Cassens Weiss, Debra (March 5, 2014). "Judiciary: Rejection letter reveals 7th Circuit judge’s plan to retire". ABA Journal. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
6. "Judge Tinder’s retirement plans leaked", The Indiana Lawyer, March 12, 2014

External links

• John Daniel Tinder at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
• Groppe, Maureen, "Senate approves Tinder for appeals court," Indianapolis Star, December 19, 2007.