United States District Court for the District of Maryland

Appeals toFourth CircuitEstablishedSeptember 24, 1789Judges10Chief JudgeJames K. BredarOfficers of the courtU.S. AttorneyErek BarronU.S. MarshalJohnny L. Hugheswww.mdd.uscourts.gov

The United States District Court for the District of Maryland (in case citations, D. Md.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Maryland. Appeals from the District of Maryland 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).

Notable past judges of this district include William Paca, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence. The United States Attorney for the District of Maryland represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. As of October 7, 2021^[update], the U.S. attorney is Erek Barron.^[1]

Organization of the court

Under 28 U.S.C. § 100, Maryland consists of a single federal judicial district with two statutory divisions.

Northern Division

The Northern Division includes Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, Worcester counties and the City of Baltimore, is located in Baltimore, while the statute also provides for the court to sit in Cumberland and Denton. The Court also maintains an unstaffed location in Salisbury, Maryland.^[2]

Southern Division

The Southern Division includes Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George's, and St. Mary's counties and sits in Greenbelt.

Current judges

As of November 3, 2023^[update]:

#	Title	Judge	Duty station	Born	Term of service			Appointed by
					Active	Chief	Senior
43	Chief Judge	James K. Bredar	Baltimore	1957	2010–present	2017–present	—	Obama
45	District Judge	George L. Russell III	Baltimore	1965	2012–present	—	—	Obama
47	District Judge	Theodore D. Chuang	Greenbelt	1969	2014–present	—	—	Obama
49	District Judge	Paula Xinis	Greenbelt	1968	2016–present	—	—	Obama
50	District Judge	Stephanie A. Gallagher	Baltimore	1972	2019–present	—	—	Trump
51	District Judge	Deborah Boardman	Greenbelt	1974	2021–present	—	—	Biden
52	District Judge	Lydia Griggsby	Greenbelt	1968	2021–present	—	—	Biden
53	District Judge	Julie Rubin	Baltimore	1972	2022–present	—	—	Biden
54	District Judge	Brendan A. Hurson	Baltimore	1977	2023–present	—	—	Biden
55	District Judge	Matthew J. Maddox	Baltimore	1977	2023–present	—	—	Biden
33	Senior Judge	William M. Nickerson	inactive	1933	1990–2002	—	2002–present	G.H.W. Bush
35	Senior Judge	Deborah K. Chasanow	Greenbelt	1948	1993–2014	2010–2014	2014–present	Clinton
36	Senior Judge	Peter J. Messitte	Greenbelt	1941	1993–2008	—	2008–present	Clinton
38	Senior Judge	Catherine C. Blake	Baltimore	1950	1995–2021	2014–2017	2021–present	Clinton
41	Senior Judge	Richard D. Bennett	Baltimore	1947	2003–2021	—	2021–present	G.W. Bush
44	Senior Judge	Ellen Lipton Hollander	Baltimore	1949	2010–2022	—	2022–present	Obama

Vacancies and pending nominations

Seat	Prior judge's duty station	Seat last held by	Vacancy reason	Date of vacancy	Nominee	Date of nomination
11	Baltimore	James K. Bredar	Senior status	April 30, 2024[3]	–	–

Former judges

#	Judge	State	Born–died	Active service	Chief Judge	Senior status	Appointed by	Reason for termination
1	William Paca	MD	1740–1799	1789–1799[Note 1]	—	—	Washington	death
2	James Winchester	MD	1772–1806	1799–1806	—	—	J. Adams	death
3	James Houston	MD	1767–1819	1806–1819	—	—	Jefferson	death
4	Theodorick Bland	MD	1776–1846	1819–1824[Note 2]	—	—	Monroe	resignation
5	Elias Glenn	MD	1769–1846	1824–1836[Note 3]	—	—	Monroe	resignation
6	Upton Scott Heath	MD	1784–1852	1836–1852	—	—	Jackson	death
7	John Glenn	MD	1795–1853	1852–1853	—	—	Fillmore	death
8	William Fell Giles	MD	1807–1879	1853–1879[Note 4]	—	—	Pierce	death
9	Thomas John Morris	MD	1837–1912	1879–1912	—	—	Hayes	death
10	John Carter Rose	MD	1861–1927	1910–1922	—	—	Taft	elevation to 4th Cir.
11	Morris Ames Soper	MD	1873–1963	1923–1931	—	—	Harding	elevation to 4th Cir.
12	William Caldwell Coleman	MD	1884–1968	1927–1955[Note 5]	1948–1955	—	Coolidge	resignation
13	William Calvin Chesnut	MD	1873–1962	1931–1953[Note 6]	—	1953–1962	Hoover	death
14	Roszel Cathcart Thomsen	MD	1900–1992	1954–1971	1955–1970	1971–1992	Eisenhower	death
15	Robert Dorsey Watkins	MD	1900–1986	1955–1971[Note 7]	1970	1971–1986	Eisenhower	death
16	Edward Skottowe Northrop	MD	1911–2003	1961–1981	1970–1981	1981–2003	Kennedy	death
17	Harrison Lee Winter	MD	1921–1990	1961–1966[Note 8]	—	—	Kennedy	elevation to 4th Cir.
18	Frank Albert Kaufman	MD	1916–1997	1966–1986	1981–1986	1986–1997	L. Johnson	death
19	Alexander Harvey II	MD	1923–2017	1966–1991	1986–1991	1991–2017	L. Johnson	death
20	James Rogers Miller Jr.	MD	1931–2014	1970–1986	—	—	Nixon	retirement
21	Charles Stanley Blair	MD	1927–1980	1971–1980	—	—	Nixon	death
22	Herbert Frazier Murray	MD	1923–1999	1971–1988	—	1988–1999	Nixon	death
23	Joseph H. Young	MD	1922–2015	1971–1987	—	1987–2015	Nixon	death
24	Joseph C. Howard Sr.	MD	1922–2000	1979–1991	—	1991–2000	Carter	death
25	Shirley Brannock Jones	MD	1925–2019	1979–1982	—	—	Carter	resignation
26	Norman Park Ramsey	MD	1922–1993	1980–1991	—	1991–1992	Carter	retirement
27	Walter Evan Black Jr.	MD	1926–2014	1982–1994	1991–1994	1994–2014	Reagan	death
28	John R. Hargrove Sr.	MD	1923–1997	1984–1994	—	1994–1997	Reagan	death
29	J. Frederick Motz	MD	1942–2023	1985–2010	1994–2001	2010–2023	Reagan	death
30	Frederic N. Smalkin	MD	1946–present	1986–2003	2001–2003	2003–2011	Reagan	retirement
31	Paul V. Niemeyer	MD	1941–present	1988–1990	—	—	Reagan	elevation to 4th Cir.
32	Marvin J. Garbis	MD	1936–present	1989–2003	—	2003–2018	G.H.W. Bush	retirement
34	Benson Everett Legg	MD	1947–present	1991–2012	2003–2010	2012–2013	G.H.W. Bush	retirement
37	Alexander Williams Jr.	MD	1948–present	1994–2013	—	2013–2014	Clinton	retirement
39	Andre M. Davis	MD	1949–present	1995–2009	—	—	Clinton	elevation to 4th Cir.
40	William D. Quarles Jr.	MD	1948–present	2003–2016	—	—	G.W. Bush	retirement
42	Roger W. Titus	MD	1941–2019	2003–2014	—	2014–2019	G.W. Bush	death
46	Paul W. Grimm	MD	1951–present	2012–2022	—	2022	Obama	retirement
48	George J. Hazel	MD	1975–present	2014–2023	—	—	Obama	resignation

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

See also

• Courts of Maryland
• List of current United States district judges
• List of United States federal courthouses in Maryland

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from Former Maryland United States Attorneys. United States Government.

External links

• United States District Court for the District of Maryland Official Website
• United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Official Website

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