United States District Court for the District of Delaware
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The United States District Court for the District of Delaware (in case citations, D. Del.) is the Federal district court having jurisdiction over the entire state of Delaware. The Court sits in Wilmington.
Because Delaware is the state of incorporation for most major U.S. corporations, the District of Delaware hears and tries many patent and other complex commercial disputes that must be heard in federal court for diversity of citizenship reasons, and hears many appeals from bankruptcy disputes which are filed with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
Appeals from the Court are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which sits in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).
The acting United States attorney for the District of Delaware is Shannon T. Hanson since January 21, 2025.
History
The court was one of the original 13 courts established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, 1 Stat. 73, on September 24, 1789. From its establishment until 1946, the court had a single judge. A temporary additional judgeship was authorized on July 24, 1946, by 60 Stat. 654, and was made permanent on September 5, 1950, by 64 Stat. 578. A third judge was authorized on February 10, 1954, by 68 Stat. 8, and a fourth on July 10, 1984, by 98 Stat. 333.
Current judges
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| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Term of service | Appointed by | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active | Chief | Senior | ||||||
| 26 | Chief Judge | Colm Connolly | Wilmington | 1964 | 2018–present | 2021–present | — | Trump |
| 27 | District Judge | Maryellen Noreika | Wilmington | 1966 | 2018–present | — | — | Trump |
| 28 | District Judge | Gregory B. Williams | Wilmington | 1969 | 2022–present | — | — | Biden |
| 29 | District Judge | Jennifer L. Hall | Wilmington | 1976 | 2024–present | — | — | Biden |
| 17 | Senior Judge | Joseph J. Longobardi | inactive | 1930 | 1984–1997 | 1989–1996 | 1997–present | Reagan |
| 25 | Senior Judge | Richard G. Andrews | Wilmington | 1955 | 2011–2023 | — | 2023–present | Obama |
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Former judges
| # | Judge | State | Born–died | Active service | Chief Judge | Senior status | Appointed by | Reason for termination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gunning Bedford Jr. | DE | 1747–1812 | 1789–1812 | — | — | Washington | death |
| 2 | John Fisher | DE | 1771–1823 | 1812–1823 | — | — | Madison | death |
| 3 | Willard Hall | DE | 1780–1875 | 1823–1871[Note 1] | — | — | Monroe | retirement |
| 4 | Edward Green Bradford | DE | 1819–1884 | 1871–1884 | — | — | Grant | death |
| 5 | Leonard Eugene Wales | DE | 1823–1897 | 1884–1897 | — | — | Arthur | death |
| 6 | Edward Green Bradford II | DE | 1848–1928 | 1897–1918 | — | — | McKinley | retirement |
| 7 | Hugh M. Morris | DE | 1878–1966 | 1919–1930 | — | — | Wilson | resignation |
| 8 | John Percy Nields | DE | 1868–1943 | 1930–1941 | — | 1941–1943 | Hoover | death |
| 9 | Paul Conway Leahy | DE | 1904–1966 | 1942–1957 | 1948–1957 | 1957–1966 | F. Roosevelt | death |
| 10 | Richard Seymour Rodney | DE | 1882–1963 | 1946–1957 | — | 1957–1963 | Truman | death |
| 11 | Caleb Merrill Wright | DE | 1908–2001 | 1955–1973 | 1957–1973 | 1973–2001 | Eisenhower | death |
| 12 | Caleb Rodney Layton III | DE | 1907–1988 | 1957–1968 | — | 1968–1988 | Eisenhower | death |
| 13 | Edwin DeHaven Steel Jr. | DE | 1904–1986 | 1958–1969 | — | 1969–1986 | Eisenhower | death |
| 14 | James Levin Latchum | DE | 1918–2004 | 1968–1983 | 1973–1983 | 1983–2004 | L. Johnson | death |
| 15 | Walter King Stapleton | DE | 1934–2024 | 1970–1985 | 1983–1985 | — | Nixon | elevation to 3d Cir. |
| 16 | Murray Merle Schwartz | DE | 1931–2013 | 1974–1989 | 1985–1989 | 1989–2013 | Nixon | death |
| 18 | Joseph James Farnan Jr. | DE | 1945–present | 1985–2010 | 1996–2000 | — | Reagan | retirement |
| 19 | Jane Richards Roth | DE | 1935–present | 1985–1991 | — | — | Reagan | elevation to 3d Cir. |
| 20 | Sue Lewis Robinson | DE | 1952–present | 1991–2017 | 2000–2007 | 2017 | G.H.W. Bush | retirement |
| 21 | Roderick R. McKelvie | DE | 1946–present | 1992–2002 | — | — | G.H.W. Bush | resignation |
| 22 | Gregory M. Sleet | DE | 1951–present | 1998–2017 | 2007–2014 | 2017–2018 | Clinton | retirement |
| 23 | Kent A. Jordan | DE | 1957–present | 2002–2006 | — | — | G.W. Bush | elevation to 3d Cir. |
| 24 | Leonard P. Stark | DE | 1969–present | 2010–2022 | 2014–2021 | — | Obama | elevation to Fed. Cir. |
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- ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 5, 1823, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 9, 1823, and received commission on December 9, 1823.
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Chief judges
Succession of seats
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United States attorneys
Source: [1]
See also
- Courts of Delaware
- List of current United States district judges
- List of United States federal courthouses in Delaware
References
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External links
- United States District Court for the District of Delaware
- U.S. District Court of Delaware, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
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- Pages with script errors
- Articles containing potentially dated statements from January 2024
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- Pages with broken file links
- Delaware law
- United States district courts
- Wilmington, Delaware
- 1789 establishments in Delaware
- Courts and tribunals established in 1789
- United States attorneys for the District of Delaware
- United States District Court for the District of Delaware