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United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio

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Coordinates: 41°29′47.1″N 81°41′50.4″W / 41.496417°N 81.697333°W / 41.496417; -81.697333
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United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
(N.D. Ohio)
LocationCarl B. Stokes U.S. Courthouse
(Cleveland)
More locations
Appeals toSixth Circuit
EstablishedFebruary 10, 1855
Judges11
Chief JudgeSara Elizabeth Lioi
Officers of the court
U.S. AttorneyRebecca C. Lutzko
U.S. MarshalPeter Elliott
www.ohnd.uscourts.gov

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio (in case citations, N.D. Ohio) is the federal trial court for the northern half of Ohio, encompassing most territories north of the city of Columbus. The court has courthouses in Cleveland, Toledo, Akron and Youngstown.

Appeals from this court are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).

The United States Attorney's Office of the Northern District of Ohio represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. As of June 9, 2023 the United States attorney, the district’s chief prosecutor, is Rebecca C. Lutzko.

History

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The United States District Court for the District of Ohio was established on February 19, 1803, by 2 Stat. 201.[1][2] The District was subdivided into Northern and Southern Districts on February 10, 1855, by 10 Stat. 604.[2]

Divisions

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The Northern District comprises two divisions.

Eastern Division

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The Eastern Division comprises the counties of Ashland, Ashtabula, Carroll, Columbiana, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Holmes, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Richland, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas and Wayne.

Court for the Eastern Division can be held in Akron, Cleveland and Youngstown.

Western Division

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The Western Division comprises the counties of Allen, Auglaize, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Huron, Lucas, Marion, Mercer, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, Van Wert, Williams, Wood and Wyandot.

Court for the Western Division can be held in Toledo.

Current judges

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As of October 1, 2023:

# Title Judge Duty station Born Term of service Appointed by
Active Chief Senior
52 Chief Judge Sara Elizabeth Lioi Akron 1960 2007–present 2023–present — G.W. Bush
49 District Judge John R. Adams Akron 1955 2003–present — — G.W. Bush
53 District Judge Benita Y. Pearson Youngstown 1963 2010–present — — Obama
54 District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick Toledo 1960 2012–present — — Obama
55 District Judge Pamela Barker Cleveland 1957 2019–present — — Trump
56 District Judge James R. Knepp II Toledo 1964 2020–present — — Trump
57 District Judge J. Philip Calabrese Cleveland 1971 2020–present — — Trump
58 District Judge Charles E. Fleming Cleveland 1962 2022–present[Note 1] — — Biden
59 District Judge David A. Ruiz Cleveland 1973 2022–present[Note 1] — — Biden
60 District Judge Bridget M. Brennan Cleveland 1974 2022–present[Note 1] — — Biden
61 District Judge vacant — — — — — —
40 Senior Judge James G. Carr Toledo 1940 1994–2010 2004–2010 2010–present Clinton
41 Senior Judge Solomon Oliver Jr. Cleveland 1947 1994–2021 2010–2017 2021–present Clinton
44 Senior Judge Peter C. Economus inactive 1943 1995–2009 — 2009–present Clinton
45 Senior Judge Donald C. Nugent Cleveland 1948 1995–2017 — 2017–present Clinton
46 Senior Judge Patricia Anne Gaughan Cleveland 1953 1995–2023 2017–2023 2023–present Clinton
47 Senior Judge James S. Gwin Cleveland 1954 1997–2021 — 2021–present Clinton
48 Senior Judge Dan Polster Cleveland 1951 1998–2021 — 2021–present Clinton
50 Senior Judge Christopher A. Boyko Cleveland 1954 2005–2020 — 2020–present G.W. Bush
51 Senior Judge Jack Zouhary Toledo 1951 2006–2019 — 2019–present G.W. Bush
  1. ^ a b c Despite identical commission dates, Judges Fleming, Ruiz and Brennan are organized chronologically by virtue of seniority of age.

Vacancies and pending nominations

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Seat Prior judge's duty station Seat last held by Vacancy reason Date of vacancy Nominee Date of nomination
12 Cleveland Patricia Anne Gaughan Senior status October 1, 2023 – –

Former judges

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# Judge State Born–died Active service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed by Reason for
termination
1 Hiram V. Willson OH 1808–1866 1855–1866 — — Pierce death
2 Charles Taylor Sherman OH 1811–1879 1867–1872 — — A. Johnson resignation
3 Martin Welker OH 1819–1902 1873–1889[Note 1] — — Grant retirement
4 Augustus J. Ricks OH 1843–1906 1889–1906[Note 2] — — B. Harrison death
5 Francis Joseph Wing OH 1850–1918 1901–1905 — — McKinley resignation
6 Robert Walker Tayler OH 1852–1910 1905–1910 — — T. Roosevelt death
7 John Milton Killits OH 1858–1938 1910–1928 — 1928–1938 Taft death
8 William Louis Day OH 1876–1936 1911–1914 — — Taft resignation
9 John Hessin Clarke OH 1857–1945 1914–1916 — — Wilson elevation to Supreme Court
10 David C. Westenhaver OH 1865–1928 1917–1928 — — Wilson death
11 Paul Jones OH 1880–1965 1923–1965 1948–1959 — Harding death
12 Samuel H. West OH 1872–1938 1928–1938 — — Coolidge death
13 George Philip Hahn OH 1879–1937 1928–1937 — — Coolidge death
14 Frank Le Blond Kloeb OH 1890–1976 1937–1964 1959–1960 1964–1976 F. Roosevelt death
15 Robert Nugen Wilkin OH 1886–1973 1939–1949 — 1949–1973 F. Roosevelt death
16 Emerich B. Freed OH 1897–1955 1941–1955 — — F. Roosevelt death
17 Charles Joseph McNamee OH 1890–1964 1951–1964 1960 — Truman death
18 James C. Connell OH 1897–1973 1954–1971 1960–1967 1971–1973 Eisenhower death
19 Paul Charles Weick OH 1899–1997 1956–1959 — — Eisenhower elevation to 6th Cir.
20 Girard Edward Kalbfleisch OH 1899–1990 1959–1970 1967–1969 1970–1990 Eisenhower death
21 Frank J. Battisti OH 1922–1994 1961–1994 1969–1990 1994–1994 Kennedy death
22 Ben Charles Green OH 1905–1983 1961–1976[Note 3] — 1976–1983 Kennedy death
23 Don John Young OH 1910–1996 1965–1980 — 1980–1996 L. Johnson death
24 William Kernahan Thomas OH 1911–2001 1966–1981 — 1981–2001 L. Johnson death
25 Thomas Demetrios Lambros OH 1930–2019 1967–1995 1990–1995 — L. Johnson retirement
26 Robert B. Krupansky OH 1921–2004 1970–1982 — — Nixon elevation to 6th Cir.
27 Nicholas Joseph Walinski Jr. OH 1920–1992 1970–1985 — 1985–1992 Nixon death
28 Leroy John Contie Jr. OH 1920–2001 1971–1982 — — Nixon elevation to 6th Cir.
29 John Michael Manos OH 1922–2006 1976–1991 — 1991–2006 Ford death
30 George Washington White OH 1931–2011 1980–1999 1995–1999 1999–2011 Carter death
31 Ann Aldrich OH 1927–2010 1980–1995 — 1995–2010 Carter death
32 Alvin Krenzler OH 1921–2010 1981–1992 — 1992–1992 Reagan retirement
33 John William Potter OH 1918–2013 1982–1992 — 1992–2013 Reagan death
34 David Dudley Dowd Jr. OH 1929–2016 1982–1996 — 1996–2016 Reagan death
35 Sam H. Bell OH 1925–2010 1982–1996 — 1996–2010 Reagan death
36 Alice M. Batchelder OH 1944–present 1985–1992 — — Reagan elevation to 6th Cir.
37 Richard B. McQuade Jr. OH 1940–present 1986–1989 — — Reagan resignation
38 Paul Ramon Matia OH 1937–present 1991–2004 1999–2004 2004–2005 G.H.W. Bush retirement
39 Lesley B. Wells OH 1937–present 1994–2006 — 2006–2015 Clinton retirement
42 David A. Katz OH 1933–2016 1994–2005 — 2005–2016 Clinton death
43 Kathleen M. O'Malley OH 1956–present 1994–2010 — — Clinton elevation to Fed. Cir.
  1. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 2, 1873, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 8, 1873, and received commission the same day.
  2. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 16, 1889, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 16, 1890, and received commission the same day.
  3. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 15, 1962, confirmed by the United States Senate on June 29, 1962, and received commission on July 2, 1962.

Chief judges

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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

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Asbury Dickens, A Synoptical Index to the Laws and Treaties of the United States of America (1852), p. 392.
  2. ^ a b U.S. District Courts of Ohio, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
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41°29′47.1″N 81°41′50.4″W / 41.496417°N 81.697333°W / 41.496417; -81.697333

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