United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama

United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama (M.D. Ala.)
Appeals to	Eleventh Circuit
Established	February 6, 1839
Judges assigned	3
Chief judge	William Keith Watkins
Official site

The United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama (in case citations, M.D. Ala.) is a federal court in 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 District was established on February 6, 1839 with the addition of the Middle district. The circuit court itself was established on June 22, 1874.^[1]

The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Alabama represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. The current United States Attorney is George L. Beck, Jr., who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on June 30, 2011.

Organization of the court

The United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama is one of three federal judicial districts in Alabama.^[2] Court for the District is held at Dothan, Montgomery, and Opelika.

Eastern Division comprises the following counties: Chambers, Lee, Macon, Randolph, Russell, and Tallapoosa.

Northern Division comprises the following counties: Autauga, Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Chilton, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Elmore, Lowndes, Montgomery, and Pike.

Southern Division comprises the following counties: Coffee, Dale, Geneva, Henry, and Houston.

Current judges

#	Title	Judge	Duty station	Born	Term of service			Appointed by
					Active	Chief	Senior
19	Chief Judge	William Keith Watkins	Montgomery	1951	2005–present	2011–present	—	G.W. Bush
20	District Judge	vacant	—	—	—	—	—	—
21	District Judge	vacant	—	—	—	—	—	—
14	Senior Judge	Myron Herbert Thompson	Montgomery	1947	1980–2013	1991–1998	2013–present	Carter
16	Senior Judge	William Harold Albritton III	Montgomery	1936	1991–2004	1998–2004	2004–present	G.H.W.Bush

Vacancies and pending nominations

Seat	Seat last held by	Vacancy reason	Date of vacancy	Nominee	Nominated
1	Thompson, Myron HerbertMyron Herbert Thompson	Senior Status	August 22, 2013	–	–
4	Fuller, MarkMark Fuller	Resignation	August 1, 2015	–	–

Former judges

#	Judge	State	Born/Died	Active service	Chief Judge	Senior status	Appointed by	Reason for termination
1	Crawford, WilliamWilliam Crawford	AL	1784–1849	1826–1849	—	—	Adams, J.Q.J.Q. Adams	death
2	Gayle, JohnJohn Gayle	AL	1792–1859	1849–1859	—	—	Taylor, Taylor	death
3	Jones, William GilesWilliam Giles Jones	AL	1808–1883	1859[3]–1861	—	—	Buchanan, Buchanan	resignation
4	Lane, George WashingtonGeorge Washington Lane	AL	1806–1863	1861–1863	—	—	Lincoln, Lincoln	death
5	Busteed, RichardRichard Busteed	AL	1822–1898	1863[4]–1874	—	—	Lincoln, Lincoln	resignation
6	Bruce, JohnJohn Bruce	AL	1832–1901	1875–1901	—	—	Grant, Grant	death
7	Jones, Thomas G.Thomas G. Jones	AL	1844–1914	1901–1914	—	—	Roosevelt, T.T. Roosevelt	death
8	Clayton, Jr., Henry De LamarHenry De Lamar Clayton, Jr.	AL	1857–1929	1914–1929	—	—	Wilson, Wilson	death
9	Kennamer, Charles BrentsCharles Brents Kennamer	AL	1874–1955	1931–1955	—	—	Hoover, Hoover	death
10	Johnson, Frank MinisFrank Minis Johnson	AL	1918–1999	1955–1979	1966–1979	—	Eisenhower, Eisenhower	reappointment
11	Pittman, Thomas VirgilThomas Virgil Pittman	AL	1916–2012	1966–1970	—	—	Johnson, Johnson	reassignment
12	Varner, Robert EdwardRobert Edward Varner	AL	1921–2006	1971–1986	1979–1984	1986–2006	Nixon, Nixon	death
13	Hobbs, Truman McGillTruman McGill Hobbs	AL	1921–2015	1980–1991	1984–1991	1991–2015	Carter, Carter	death
15	Dubina, Joel FredrickJoel Fredrick Dubina	AL	1947–present	1986–1990	—	—	Reagan, Reagan	reappointment
17	De Ment, IraIra De Ment	AL	1931–2011	1992–2002	—	2002–2011	G.H.W.Bush	death
18	Fuller, MarkMark Fuller	AL	1958–present	2002–2015	2004–2011	—	G.W. Bush	resignation

Court decisions

Browder v. Gayle (1956) - Court rules that bus segregation in Montgomery was unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment. Decision upheld by U.S. Supreme Court six months later.

Gomillion v. Lightfoot (1958) - Court dismissed action, which was later affirmed by the Fifth Circuit. In 1960, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the decision, finding that electoral districts drawn in Tuskegee, with the purpose of disenfranchising black voters, violated the Fifteenth Amendment.

Lee v. Macon County Board of Education (1963) - Court rules segregation in schooling was unconstitutional under the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendment. Decision upheld by U.S. Supreme Court.^[5]

United States v. Alabama (1966) - Court rules poll tax violates the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendment. U.S. Supreme Court concurred three weeks later in an unrelated case, Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections.

Glassroth v. Moore (2002) - Court rules that a display of the Ten Commandments, erected by Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore in the Alabama Judicial Building violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Succession of seats

Seat 1 Seat reassigned concurrent with the Northern and Southern Districts on February 6, 1839 by 5 Stat. 315 Crawford 1839–1849 Gayle 1849–1859 Jones 1859–1861 Lane 1861–1863 Busteed 1864–1874 Concurrency with Southern District abolished on August 2, 1886 by 24 Stat. 213 Bruce 1875–1901 Jones 1901–1914 Clayton 1914–1929 Concurrency with Northern District abolished on June 5, 1936 by 49 Stat. 1476 Kennamer 1931–1955 Johnson, Jr. 1955–1979 Thompson 1980–2013 vacant 2013–present

Seat 2 Seat established on March 18, 1966 by 80 Stat. 75 (concurrent with Southern District) Pittman 1966–1970 Seat reassigned solely to Southern District on June 2, 1970 by 84 Stat. 294

Seat 3 Seat established on June 2, 1970 by 84 Stat. 294 Varner 1971–1986 Dubina 1986–1990 Albritton III 1991–2004 Watkins 2005–present

Seat 4 Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 Hobbs 1980–1991 De Ment 1992–2002 Fuller 2002–2015 vacant 2015–present

See also

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

Notes

1. http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/courts_district_al.html U.S. District Courts of Alabama, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center
2. 28 U.S.C. § 81
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. http://www.leagle.com/decision/1964974231FSupp743_1831 (Lee v. Macon County Board of Education)

External links

• United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama
• United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama