United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
Template:Short description Template:Infobox U.S. federal court
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia (in case citations, N.D. Ga.) is a United States district court which serves the residents of forty-six counties. These are divided up into four divisions.
Appeals from cases brought in the Northern District of Georgia are to the United States Court of Appeals for 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).
History
The United States District Court for the District of Georgia was one of the original 13 courts established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, 1 Stat. 73, on September 24, 1789.[1] The District was subdivided into Northern and Southern Districts on August 11, 1848, by 9 Stat. 280.[1][2][3] The Middle District was formed from portions of those two Districts on May 28, 1926, by 44 Stat. 670.[1]
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction and venue are enumerated in 28 U.S.C. Template:Trim/Template:Trim § Template:Trim.
The Atlanta division includes: Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Newton, and Rockdale counties.
The Gainesville division serves: Banks, Barrow, Dawson, Fannin, Forsyth, Gilmer, Habersham, Hall, Jackson, Lumpkin, Pickens, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, and White counties.
The Newnan division hears cases for: Carroll, Coweta, Fayette, Haralson, Heard, Meriwether, Pike, Spalding, and Troup counties.
The Rome division serves: Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Murray, Paulding, Polk, Walker, and Whitfield counties.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court.
since May 13, 2025[update]Template:Dated maintenance category (articles)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"., the United States attorney is Theodore S. Hertzberg.[4]
Current judges
since May 24, 2025[update]Template:Dated maintenance category (articles)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".:
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Term of service | Appointed by | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active | Chief | Senior | ||||||
| 40 | Chief Judge | Leigh Martin May | Atlanta | 1971 | 2014–present | 2025–present | — | Obama |
| 41 | District Judge | Mark Howard Cohen | Atlanta | 1955 | 2014–present | — | — | Obama |
| 42 | District Judge | Eleanor L. Ross | Atlanta | 1967 | 2014–present | — | — | Obama |
| 43 | District Judge | Michael Lawrence Brown | Atlanta | 1968 | 2018–present | — | — | Trump |
| 44 | District Judge | William M. Ray II | Atlanta | 1963 | 2018–present | — | — | Trump |
| 45 | District Judge | J. P. Boulee | Atlanta | 1971 | 2019–present | — | — | Trump |
| 46 | District Judge | Steven D. Grimberg | Atlanta | 1974 | 2019–present | — | — | Trump |
| 47 | District Judge | Victoria Calvert | Atlanta | 1981 | 2022–present | — | — | Biden |
| 48 | District Judge | Sarah Geraghty | Atlanta | 1974 | 2022–present | — | — | Biden |
| 49 | District Judge | Tiffany R. Johnson | Atlanta | 1986 | 2025–present | — | — | Biden |
| 50 | District Judge | vacant | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 23 | Senior Judge | Orinda Dale Evans | inactive | 1943 | 1979–2008 | 1999–2006 | 2008–present | Carter |
| 29 | Senior Judge | Clarence Cooper | inactive | 1942 | 1994–2009 | — | 2009–present | Clinton |
| 31 | Senior Judge | Willis B. Hunt Jr. | inactive | 1932 | 1995–2005 | — | 2005–present | Clinton |
| 32 | Senior Judge | Thomas W. Thrash Jr. | Atlanta | 1951 | 1997–2021 | 2014–2021 | 2021–present | Clinton |
| 33 | Senior Judge | Richard W. Story | Atlanta Gainesville |
1953 | 1998–2018 | — | 2018–present | Clinton |
| 34 | Senior Judge | Charles A. Pannell Jr. | inactive | 1946 | 1999–2013 | — | 2013–present | Clinton |
| 38 | Senior Judge | Amy Totenberg | Atlanta | 1950 | 2011–2021 | — | 2021–present | Obama |
| 39 | Senior Judge | Steve C. Jones | Atlanta | 1957 | 2011–2025 | — | 2025–present | Obama |
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Vacancies and pending nominations
| Seat | Prior judge's duty station | Seat last held by | Vacancy reason | Date of vacancy | Nominee | Date of nomination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Atlanta Newnan |
Timothy Batten | Retirement | May 23, 2025 | Script error: No such module "sort". | Script error: No such module "sort". |
Former judges
| # | Judge | State | Born–died | Active service | Chief Judge | Senior status | Appointed by | Reason for termination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Cochran Nicoll | GA | 1793–1863 | 1848–1861[Note 1][Note 2] | — | — | Van Buren/Operation of law | resignation |
| 2 | John Erskine | GA | 1813–1895 | 1865–1882[Note 3][Note 2] | — | — | A. Johnson | seat abolished |
| 3 | Henry Kent McCay | GA | 1820–1886 | 1882–1886 | — | — | Arthur | death |
| 4 | William Truslow Newman | GA | 1843–1920 | 1886–1920[Note 4] | — | — | Cleveland | death |
| 5 | Samuel Hale Sibley | GA | 1873–1958 | 1919–1931 | — | — | Wilson | elevation to 5th Cir. |
| 6 | Emory Marvin Underwood | GA | 1877–1960 | 1931–1948 | — | 1948–1960 | Hoover | death |
| 7 | Robert Lee Russell | GA | 1900–1955 | 1940–1949 | 1949 | — | F. Roosevelt | elevation to 5th Cir. |
| 8 | Maurice Neil Andrews | GA | 1894–1967 | 1949–1950[Note 5] | 1949–1950 | — | Truman | resignation |
| 9 | Frank Arthur Hooper | GA | 1895–1985 | 1949–1967[Note 6] | 1950–1965 | 1967–1985 | Truman | death |
| 10 | William Boyd Sloan | GA | 1895–1970 | 1951–1965 | — | 1965–1970 | Truman | death |
| 11 | Lewis Render Morgan | GA | 1913–2001 | 1961–1968 | 1965–1968 | — | Kennedy | elevation to 5th Cir. |
| 12 | Sidney Oslin Smith Jr. | GA | 1923–2012 | 1965–1974 | 1968–1974 | — | L. Johnson | resignation |
| 13 | Newell Edenfield | GA | 1911–1981 | 1967–1981 | 1974–1976 | 1981 | L. Johnson | death |
| 14 | Albert John Henderson | GA | 1920–1999 | 1968–1979 | 1976–1979 | — | L. Johnson | elevation to 5th Cir. |
| 15 | Charles Allen Moye Jr. | GA | 1918–2010 | 1970–1988 | 1979–1987 | 1988–2010 | Nixon | death |
| 16 | William Clark O'Kelley | GA | 1930–2017 | 1970–1996 | 1988–1994 | 1996–2017 | Nixon | death |
| 17 | Richard Cameron Freeman | GA | 1926–1999 | 1971–1991 | — | 1991–1999 | Nixon | death |
| 18 | James Clinkscales Hill | GA | 1924–2017 | 1974–1976 | — | — | Nixon | elevation to 5th Cir. |
| 19 | Harold Lloyd Murphy | GA | 1927–2022 | 1977–2017 | — | 2017–2022 | Carter | death |
| 20 | Marvin Herman Shoob | SC | 1923–2017 | 1979–1991 | — | 1991–2017 | Carter | death |
| 21 | Robert L. Vining Jr. | GA | 1931–2022 | 1979–1996 | 1995–1996 | 1996–2022 | Carter | death |
| 22 | George Ernest Tidwell | GA | 1931–2011 | 1979–1999 | 1996–1999 | 1999–2011 | Carter | death |
| 24 | Robert Howell Hall | GA | 1921–1995 | 1979–1990 | — | 1990–1995 | Carter | death |
| 25 | Horace Ward | GA | 1927–2016 | 1979–1993 | — | 1993–2016 | Carter | death |
| 26 | J. Owen Forrester | GA | 1939–2014 | 1981–2004 | — | 2004–2014 | Reagan | death |
| 27 | Jack Tarpley Camp Jr. | GA | 1943–present | 1988–2008 | 2006–2008 | 2008–2010 | Reagan | retirement |
| 28 | Julie E. Carnes | GA | 1950–present | 1992–2014 | 2009–2014 | — | G.H.W. Bush | elevation to 11th Cir. |
| 30 | Frank M. Hull | GA | 1948–present | 1994–1997 | — | — | Clinton | elevation to 11th Cir. |
| 35 | Beverly B. Martin | GA | 1955–present | 2000–2010 | — | — | Clinton | elevation to 11th Cir. |
| 36 | William S. Duffey Jr. | GA | 1952–present | 2004–2018 | — | — | G.W. Bush | retirement |
| 37 | Timothy Batten | GA | 1960–present | 2006–2025 | 2021–2025 | — | G.W. Bush | retirement |
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- ↑ Reassigned from the District of Georgia.
- ↑ a b Jointly appointed to the Northern and Southern Districts of Georgia.
- ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 20, 1865, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 22, 1866, and received commission the same day.
- ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 9, 1886, confirmed by the Senate on January 13, 1887, and received commission the same day.
- ↑ Recess appointment; resigned before the Senate considered the appointment.
- ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 5, 1950, confirmed by the Senate on February 21, 1950, and received commission on February 23, 1950.
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Chief judges
Succession of seats
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U.S. Attorneys
- Emory Speer 1883–1885 [5]
- Ben H. Hill, Jr. 1885–1889
- Sion A. Darnell 1889–1893
- Joseph S. James 1893–1897
- Edgar A. Angier 1897–1905
- Farish C. Tate 1905–1913
- Hooper Alexander 1913–1921
- Clint W. Hager 1921–1934
- Lawrence S. Camp 1934–1942
- J. Ellis Mundy 1942
- M. Neil Andrews 1942–1946
- J. Ellis Mundy 1946–1953
- James W. Dorsey 1953–1959
- Charles D. Read, Jr. 1959–1961
- Charles L. Goodson 1961–1977
- William L. Harper 1977–1981
- Robert J. Castellani 1981
- Dorothy Y. Kirkley 1981
- James E. Baker 1981–1982
- Larry D. Thompson 1982–1986
- Stephen S. Cowen 1986
- Bob Barr 1986–1990
- Rimantas Rukstele 1990
- Joe D. Whitley 1990–1993
- Gerrilyn G. Brill 1993
- Kent B. Alexander 1994–1997
- Janet King 1997–1998
- Richard H. Deane, Jr. 1998–2001
- William S. Duffey Jr. 2001–2004
- Sally Yates 2004–2004
- David Nahmias 2004–2009
- Sally Yates 2010–2015
- John A. Horn 2015–2017
- BJay Pak 2017–2021
- Bobby Christine 2021
- Kurt Erskine 2021–2022
- Ryan K. Buchanan 2022–2025
- Theodore S. Hertzberg 2025–present
See also
- Courts of Georgia
- Garcia-Mir v. Meese
- List of current United States district judges
- List of United States federal courthouses in Georgia
References
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- ↑ a b c U.S. District Courts of Georgia, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
- ↑ Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 390.
- ↑ Alfred Conkling, A Treatise on the Organization, Jurisdiction and Practice of the Courts of the United States (1864), p. 179.
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External links
Template:United States 11th Circuit district judges Template:USDistCourts Template:Authority control
- Pages with script errors
- United States district courts
- Georgia (U.S. state) law
- Organizations based in Atlanta
- Gainesville, Georgia
- Coweta County, Georgia
- Rome, Georgia
- 1848 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Courts and tribunals established in 1848
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia