United States District Court for the District of South Carolina |
---|
(D.S.C.) |
|
|
Location |
ColumbiaMore locations
Simons Federal Court House(Aiken)
- Anderson
- Charleston
- Florence
Haynsworth Courthouse(Greenville)
- Spartanburg
|
---|
Appeals to |
Fourth Circuit
|
---|
Established |
October 7, 1965 |
---|
Judges assigned |
10 |
---|
Chief Judge |
Terry L. Wooten
|
---|
Officers of the court |
---|
U.S. Attorney |
Sherri Lydon
|
---|
U.S. Marshal |
Thomas M. Griffin Jr.
|
---|
www.scd.uscourts.gov
|
The United States District Court for the District of South Carolina (in case citations, D.S.C.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of South Carolina. Court is held in the cities of Aiken, Anderson, Beaufort, Charleston, Columbia, Florence, Greenville, and Spartanburg.
Appeals from the District of South Carolina are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).
Contents
1 History
2 Current judges
3 Vacancies and pending nominations
4 Former judges
5 Chief judges
6 Succession of seats
7 See also
8 Notes
9 External links
History
The District of South Carolina was one of the original 13 courts established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, 1 Stat. 73, on September 24, 1789.[1] It was subdivided into the United States District Court for the Eastern District of South Carolina and the United States District Court for the Western District of South Carolina Districts on February 21, 1823, by 3 Stat. 726.[1] The Eastern District was headquartered at Florence,[2] and the Western District was headquartered in Greenville.[3] The division was solely for the purposes of holding court – a single judge presided over both districts, and the act authorized no additional court staff.[1]
In 1898 the United States Supreme Court held in Barrett v. United States[4] that South Carolina legally constituted a single judicial district. Congress made another effort to subdivide the District on March 3, 1911, by 36 Stat. 1087, 1123. South Carolina was again split into Eastern and the Western Districts, with one judgeship authorized to serve both districts, effective January 1, 1912.[1] Congress finally authorized an additional judgeship for the Western District, and assigned the sitting judge exclusively to the Eastern District, on March 3, 1915, by 38 Stat. 961.[1] However, on October 7, 1965, by 79 Stat. 951, South Carolina was reorganized as a single judicial district with four judgeships authorized for the district court.[1] It has since remained a single District.
The United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. Beth Drake is the acting U.S. attorney for the district following the resignation of predecessor Bill Nettles.[5]
Current judges
#
|
Title
|
Judge
|
Duty station
|
Born
|
Term of service
|
Appointed by
|
---|
Active
|
Chief
|
Senior
|
---|
33
|
Chief Judge
|
Terry L. Wooten
|
Columbia
|
1954
|
2001–present
|
2013–present
|
—
|
G.W. Bush
|
26
|
District Judge
|
David C. Norton
|
Charleston
|
1946
|
1990–present
|
2007–2012
|
—
|
G.H.W. Bush
|
35
|
District Judge
|
Robert Bryan Harwell
|
Florence
|
1959
|
2004–present
|
—
|
—
|
G.W. Bush
|
36
|
District Judge
|
Richard Mark Gergel
|
Charleston
|
1954
|
2010–present
|
—
|
—
|
Obama
|
37
|
District Judge
|
J. Michelle Childs
|
Columbia
|
1966
|
2010–present
|
—
|
—
|
Obama
|
38
|
District Judge
|
Timothy M. Cain
|
Anderson
|
1961
|
2011–present
|
—
|
—
|
Obama
|
39
|
District Judge
|
Mary Geiger Lewis
|
Columbia
|
1958
|
2012–present
|
—
|
—
|
Obama
|
40
|
District Judge
|
Bruce Howe Hendricks
|
Greenville
|
1957
|
2014–present
|
—
|
—
|
Obama
|
41
|
District Judge
|
Donald C. Coggins Jr.
|
Spartanburg
|
1959
|
2017–present
|
—
|
—
|
Trump
|
42
|
District Judge
|
A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr.
|
Greenville
|
1964
|
2018–present
|
—
|
—
|
Trump
|
25
|
Senior Judge
|
Joseph Fletcher Anderson Jr.
|
Columbia
|
1949
|
1986–2014
|
2000–2007
|
2014–present
|
Reagan
|
28
|
Senior Judge
|
Henry Michael Herlong Jr.
|
Greenville
|
1944
|
1991–2009
|
—
|
2009–present
|
G.H.W. Bush
|
30
|
Senior Judge
|
Cameron McGowan Currie
|
Columbia
|
1948
|
1994–2013
|
—
|
2013–present
|
Clinton
|
31
|
Senior Judge
|
Patrick Michael Duffy
|
Charleston
|
1943
|
1995–2009
|
—
|
2009–present
|
Clinton
|
32
|
Senior Judge
|
Margaret B. Seymour
|
Columbia
|
1947
|
1998–2013
|
2012–2013
|
2013–present
|
Clinton
|
Vacancies and pending nominations
Seat
|
Seat last held by
|
Vacancy reason
|
Date of vacancy
|
Nominee
|
Date of nomination
|
---|
8
|
A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr.
|
Elevation
|
TBD[6]
|
–
|
–
|
Former judges
#
|
Judge
|
State
|
Born–died
|
Active service
|
Chief Judge
|
Senior status
|
Appointed by
|
Reason for termination
|
---|
1
|
William Drayton Sr.
|
SC
|
1732–1790
|
1789[7]–1790
|
—
|
—
|
Washington
|
death
|
2
|
Thomas Bee
|
SC
|
1739–1812
|
1790–1812
|
—
|
—
|
Washington
|
death
|
3
|
John Drayton
|
SC
|
1766–1822
|
1812–1822
|
—
|
—
|
Madison
|
death
|
4
|
Thomas Lee
|
SC
|
1769–1839
|
1823–1839
|
—
|
—
|
Monroe
|
death
|
5
|
Robert Budd Gilchrist
|
SC
|
1796–1856
|
1839[8]–1856
|
—
|
—
|
Van Buren
|
death
|
6
|
Andrew Gordon Magrath
|
SC
|
1813–1893
|
1856–1860
|
—
|
—
|
Pierce
|
resignation
|
7
|
George Seabrook Bryan
|
SC
|
1809–1905
|
1866–1886
|
—
|
—
|
A. Johnson
|
retirement
|
8
|
Charles Henry Simonton
|
SC
|
1829–1904
|
1886[9]–1893
|
—
|
—
|
Cleveland
|
appointment to 4th Cir.
|
9
|
William H. Brawley
|
SC
|
1841–1916
|
1894–1911
|
—
|
—
|
Cleveland
|
retirement
|
10
|
Henry Augustus Middleton Smith
|
SC
|
1853–1924
|
1911–1912
|
—
|
—
|
Taft
|
seat reassigned
|
11
|
Charles Cecil Wyche
|
SC
|
1885–1966
|
1965[10]–1966
|
—
|
—
|
F. Roosevelt
|
death
|
12
|
James Robert Martin Jr.
|
SC
|
1909–1984
|
1965[11]–1979
|
1965–1979
|
1979–1984
|
Kennedy
|
death
|
13
|
Robert W. Hemphill
|
SC
|
1915–1983
|
1965[12]–1980
|
1979–1980
|
1980–1983
|
L. Johnson
|
death
|
14
|
Charles Earl Simons Jr.
|
SC
|
1916–1999
|
1965[13]–1986
|
1980–1986
|
1986–1999
|
L. Johnson
|
death
|
15
|
Donald S. Russell
|
SC
|
1906–1998
|
1966–1971
|
—
|
—
|
L. Johnson
|
appointment to 4th Cir.
|
16
|
Robert F. Chapman
|
SC
|
1926–2018
|
1971–1981
|
—
|
—
|
Nixon
|
appointment to 4th Cir.
|
17
|
Solomon Blatt Jr.
|
SC
|
1921–2016
|
1971–1990
|
1986–1990
|
1990–2016
|
Nixon
|
death
|
18
|
Matthew James Perry Jr.
|
SC
|
1921–2011
|
1979–1995
|
—
|
1995–2011
|
Carter
|
death
|
19
|
Falcon Black Hawkins Jr.
|
SC
|
1927–2005
|
1979–1993
|
1990–1993
|
1993–2005
|
Carter
|
death
|
20
|
Charles Weston Houck
|
SC
|
1933–2017
|
1979–2003
|
1993–2000
|
2003–2017
|
Carter
|
death
|
21
|
George Ross Anderson Jr.
|
SC
|
1929–present
|
1980–2009
|
—
|
2009–2016
|
Carter
|
retirement
|
22
|
William Walter Wilkins
|
SC
|
1942–present
|
1981–1986
|
—
|
—
|
Reagan
|
appointment to 4th Cir.
|
23
|
Clyde H. Hamilton
|
SC
|
1934–present
|
1981–1991
|
—
|
—
|
Reagan
|
appointment to 4th Cir.
|
24
|
Karen L. Henderson
|
SC
|
1944–present
|
1986–1990
|
—
|
—
|
Reagan
|
appointment to D.C. Cir.
|
27
|
Dennis Shedd
|
SC
|
1953–present
|
1990–2002
|
—
|
—
|
G.H.W. Bush
|
appointment to 4th Cir.
|
29
|
William Byrd Traxler Jr.
|
SC
|
1948–present
|
1992–1998
|
—
|
—
|
G.H.W. Bush
|
appointment to 4th Cir.
|
34
|
Henry Franklin Floyd
|
SC
|
1947–present
|
2003–2011
|
—
|
—
|
G.W. Bush
|
appointment to 4th Cir.
|
Chief judges
Chief judges have administrative responsibilities with respect to their district court. Unlike the Supreme Court, where one justice is specifically nominated to be chief, the office of chief judge rotates among the district court judges. To be chief, 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 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.
When the office was created in 1948, the chief judge was 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. After August 6, 1959, judges could not become or remain chief after turning 70 years old. The current rules have been in operation since October 1, 1982.
Succession of seats
Seat 1
|
---|
Seat established on September 24, 1789 by 1 Stat. 73
|
W. Drayton |
1789–1790
|
Bee |
1790–1812
|
J. Drayton |
1812–1822
|
Lee |
1823–1839
|
Gilchrist |
1840–1856
|
Magrath |
1856–1860
|
Bryan |
1866–1886
|
Simonton |
1887–1893
|
Brawley |
1894–1911
|
Smith |
1911–1912
|
Seat reassigned to the Eastern and Western Districts on January 1, 1912, by 36 Stat. 1087, 1123
|
|
Seat 2
|
---|
Seat reassigned from the Western District on November 1, 1965, by 79 Stat. 951
|
Wyche |
1965–1966
|
Russell |
1966–1971
|
Blatt, Jr. |
1971–1990
|
Norton |
1990–present
|
|
Seat 3
|
---|
Seat reassigned from the Eastern and Western Districts on November 1, 1965, by 79 Stat. 951
|
Martin, Jr. |
1965–1979
|
G. Anderson, Jr. |
1980–2009
|
Childs |
2010–present
|
|
Seat 4
|
---|
Seat reassigned from the Eastern and Western Districts on November 1, 1965, by 79 Stat. 951
|
Hemphill |
1965–1980
|
Wilkins |
1981–1986
|
Henderson |
1986–1990
|
Shedd |
1990–2002
|
Floyd |
2003–2011
|
Lewis |
2012–present
|
|
|
Seat 5
|
---|
Seat reassigned from the Eastern District on November 1, 1965, by 79 Stat. 951
|
Simons, Jr. |
1965–1986
|
J. Anderson, Jr. |
1986–2014
|
Coggins, Jr. |
2017–present
|
|
Seat 6
|
---|
Seat established on June 2, 1970, by 84 Stat. 294
|
Chapman |
1971–1981
|
Hamilton |
1981–1991
|
Traxler, Jr. |
1992–1998
|
Seymour |
1998–2013
|
Hendricks |
2014–present
|
|
Seat 7
|
---|
Seat established on October 20, 1978, by 92 Stat. 1629
|
Perry, Jr. |
1979–1995
|
Duffy |
1995–2009
|
Cain |
2011–present
|
|
Seat 8
|
---|
Seat established on October 20, 1978, by 92 Stat. 1629
|
Hawkins, Jr. |
1979–1993
|
Currie |
1994–2013
|
Quattlebaum, Jr. |
2018–present
|
|
|
Seat 9
|
---|
Seat established on October 20, 1978, by 92 Stat. 1629
|
Houck |
1979–2003
|
Harwell |
2004–present
|
|
Seat 10
|
---|
Seat established on December 1, 1990, by 104 Stat. 5089
|
Herlong, Jr. |
1991–2009
|
Gergel |
2010–present
|
|
Seat 11
|
---|
Seat established on December 21, 2000 by 114 Stat. 2762
|
Wooten |
2001–present
|
|
|
See also
- Courts of South Carolina
- List of United States federal courthouses in South Carolina
Notes
^ abcdef U.S. District Courts of South Carolina, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
^ The Florence, South Carolina, courthouse, Federal Judicial Center.
^ The Greenville, South Carolina, courthouse, Federal Judicial Center.
^ Barrett v. United States, 169 U.S. 219 (1898).
^ Kinnard, Meg (15 June 2016). "US Attorney steps down months before church shooting trial". Associated Press. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
^ Future Judicial Vacancies
^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on February 8, 1790, confirmed by the United States Senate on February 10, 1790, and received commission on February 10, 1790.
^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 29, 1840, confirmed by the United States Senate on February 17, 1840, and received commission on February 17, 1840.
^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 9, 1886, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 13, 1887, and received commission on January 13, 1887.
^ Initially appointed to the Western District of South Carolina in 1937 by Franklin D. Roosevelt; reassigned to the District of South Carolina in 1965.
^ Initially appointed to both the Eastern District of South Carolina and the Western District of South Carolina in 1961 by John F. Kennedy; reassigned to the District of South Carolina in 1965.
^ Initially appointed to both the Eastern District of South Carolina and the Western District of South Carolina in 1964 by Lyndon B. Johnson; reassigned to the District of South Carolina in 1965.
^ Initially appointed to the Eastern District of South Carolina in 1964 by Lyndon B. Johnson; reassigned to the District of South Carolina in 1965.
External links
- United States District Court for the District of South Carolina Official Website
- United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina Official Website
Current active district judges of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
|
---|
Maryland |
- Bredar
- Blake
- Bennett
- Hollander
- Russell
- Grimm
- Chuang
- Hazel
- Xinis
- 1 seat vacant
|
---|
E. North Carolina |
- Dever
- Boyle
- Flanagan
- 1 seat vacant
|
---|
M. North Carolina |
- Schroeder
- Osteen
- Eagles
- Biggs
|
---|
W. North Carolina |
- Whitney
- Conrad
- Reidinger
- Cogburn
- 1 seat vacant
|
---|
South Carolina |
- Wooten
- Norton
- Harwell
- Gergel
- Childs
- Cain
- Lewis
- Hendricks
- Coggins
- Quattlebaum
|
---|
E. Virginia |
- Smith
- Brinkema
- Jackson
- O'Grady
- Davis
- Trenga
- Gibney
- Allen
- Lauck
- 2 seats vacant
|
---|
W. Virginia |
- Urbanski
- Jones
- Dillon
- 1 seat vacant
|
---|
N. West Virginia |
|
---|
S. West Virginia |
- Johnston
- Copenhaver
- Goodwin
- Chambers
- Berger
|
---|
Current senior district judges of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
|
---|
Maryland |
- Motz
- Nickerson
- Chasanow
- Messitte
- Titus
|
---|
E. North Carolina |
|
---|
M. North Carolina |
|
---|
W. North Carolina |
|
---|
South Carolina |
- J. Anderson
- Herlong
- Currie
- Duffy
- Seymour
|
---|
E. Virginia |
- Bryan
- Doumar
- Hilton
- Ellis
- Morgan
- Payne
- Hudson
|
---|
W. Virginia |
|
---|
N. West Virginia |
|
---|
S. West Virginia |
|
---|
United States district and territorial courts
|
---|
List of United States district and territorial courts |
|
District Courts |
- Alabama (M, N, S)
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas (E, W)
- California (C, E, N, S)
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida (M, N, S)
- Georgia (M, N, S)
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois (C, N, S)
- Indiana (N, S)
- Iowa (N, S)
- Kansas
- Kentucky (E, W)
- Louisiana (E, M, W)
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan (E, W)
- Minnesota
- Mississippi (N, S)
- Missouri (E, W)
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (E, N, S, W)
- North Carolina (E, M, W)
- North Dakota
- Ohio (N, S)
- Oklahoma (E, N, W)
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania (E, M, W)
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (E, M, W)
- Texas (E, N, S, W)
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia (E, W)
- Washington (E, W)
- West Virginia (N, S)
- Wisconsin (E, W)
- Wyoming
|
---|
Territorial courts |
- Guam
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Virgin Islands
|
---|
Extinct courts |
- Former United States district courts
- District of Orleans
- District of Potomac
- Eastern District of Illinois
- District of the Canal Zone
- District of China
|
---|