W.D._Okla.
United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
United States federal district court in Oklahoma
The United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma (in case citations, W.D. Okla. or W.D. Ok.) is a federal court in the Tenth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).
| United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma | |
|---|---|
| (W.D. Okla.) | |
| Location | William J. Holloway Jr. U.S. Courthouse |
| Appeals to | Tenth Circuit |
| Established | June 16, 1906 |
| Judges | 7 |
| Chief Judge | Timothy D. DeGiusti |
| Officers of the court | |
| U.S. Attorney | Robert J. Troester |
| U.S. Marshal | Johnny Lee Kuhlman |
| www | |
The District was established on June 16, 1906, and became operational on November 16, 1907, with Oklahoma achieving statehood.[1]
The United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma is one of three federal judicial districts in Oklahoma.[2] Court for the District is held at Lawton and Oklahoma City.
Enid and Ponca City Division comprises the following counties: Alfalfa, Garfield, Grant, Kay, Noble, and Payne.
Lawton and Mangum Division comprises the following counties: Beckham, Caddo, Comanche, Cotton, Greer, Harmon, Jackson, Jefferson, Kiowa, Stephens, Tillman, and Washita.
Oklahoma City, Guthrie, Chickasha, Pauls Valley, and Shawnee Division comprises the following counties: Blaine, Canadian, Cleveland, Garvin, Grady, Kingfisher, Lincoln, Logan, McClain, Oklahoma, and Pottawatomie.
Woodward Division comprises the following counties: Beaver, Cimarron, Custer, Dewey, Ellis, Harper, Major, Roger Mills, Texas, Woods, and Woodward.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Oklahoma represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. As of December 28, 2021[update] the United States attorney is Robert J. Troester.[3]
As of May 27, 2020[update]:
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Term of service | Appointed by | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active | Chief | Senior | ||||||
| 24 | Chief Judge | Timothy D. DeGiusti | Oklahoma City | 1962 | 2007–present | 2019–present | — | G.W. Bush |
| 25 | District Judge | Scott L. Palk | Oklahoma City | 1967 | 2017–present | — | — | Trump |
| 26 | District Judge | Charles Barnes Goodwin | Oklahoma City | 1970 | 2018–present | — | — | Trump |
| 27 | District Judge | Patrick Wyrick | Oklahoma City | 1981 | 2019–present | — | — | Trump |
| 28 | District Judge | Jodi W. Dishman | Oklahoma City | 1979 | 2019–present | — | — | Trump |
| 29 | District Judge | Bernard M. Jones | Oklahoma City | 1979 | 2019–present | — | — | Trump |
| 30 | District Judge | John F. Heil III[Note 1] | none[Note 2] | 1968 | 2020–present | — | — | Trump |
| 14 | Senior Judge | David Lynn Russell | Oklahoma City | 1942 | 1981–2013[Note 3] | 1994–2001 | 2013–present | Reagan |
| 15 | Senior Judge | Wayne Alley | inactive | 1932 | 1985–1999 | — | 1999–present | Reagan |
| 17 | Senior Judge | Robin J. Cauthron | Oklahoma City | 1950 | 1991–2015 | 2001–2008 | 2015–present | G.H.W. Bush |
| 18 | Senior Judge | Timothy D. Leonard | inactive | 1940 | 1992–2006 | — | 2006–present | G.H.W. Bush |
| 20 | Senior Judge | Vicki Miles-LaGrange | inactive | 1953 | 1994–2018 | 2008–2015 | 2018–present | Clinton |
| 21 | Senior Judge | James H. Payne[Note 1] | none[Note 4] | 1941 | 2001–2017 | — | 2017–present | G.W. Bush |
| 22 | Senior Judge | Stephen P. Friot | Oklahoma City | 1947 | 2001–2014 | — | 2014–present | G.W. Bush |
| 23 | Senior Judge | Joe L. Heaton | Oklahoma City | 1951 | 2001–2019 | 2015–2019 | 2019–present | G.W. Bush |
- Jointly appointed to the Eastern, Northern, and Western Districts of Oklahoma.
- Judge Heil maintains chambers only in the Eastern and Northern Districts.
- From 1981 to 1990, Judge Russell was jointly appointed to the Eastern, Northern, and Western Districts of Oklahoma.
- Judge Payne maintains chambers only in the Eastern and Northern Districts.
| # | Judge | State | Born–died | Active service | Chief Judge | Senior status | Appointed by | Reason for termination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Hazelton Cotteral | OK | 1864–1933 | 1907–1928[Note 1] | — | — | T. Roosevelt | elevation to 8th Cir. |
| 2 | Edgar Sullins Vaught | OK | 1873–1959 | 1928–1956[Note 2] | 1949–1956 | 1956–1959 | Coolidge | death |
| 3 | Alfred P. Murrah | OK | 1904–1975 | 1937–1940[Note 3] | — | — | F. Roosevelt | elevation to 10th Cir. |
| 4 | Bower Slack Broaddus | OK | 1888–1949 | 1940–1949[Note 3] | — | — | F. Roosevelt | death |
| 5 | Stephen Sanders Chandler Jr. | OK | 1899–1989 | 1943–1975 | 1956–1969 | 1975–1989 | F. Roosevelt | death |
| 6 | William Robert Wallace | OK | 1886–1960 | 1950–1960[Note 3] | — | — | Truman | death |
| 7 | Ross Rizley | OK | 1892–1969 | 1956–1969 | — | — | Eisenhower | death |
| 8 | Luther L. Bohanon | OK | 1902–2003 | 1961–1974[Note 3] | 1969–1972 | 1974–2003 | Kennedy | death |
| 9 | Frederick Alvin Daugherty | OK | 1914–2006 | 1961–1982[Note 4][Note 3] | 1972–1982 | 1982–2006 | Kennedy | death |
| 10 | Luther Boyd Eubanks | OK | 1917–1996 | 1965–1986 | 1982–1986 | 1986–1987 | L. Johnson | retirement |
| 11 | H. Dale Cook | OK | 1924–2008 | 1974–1992[Note 3] | — | 1992–2008 | Ford | death |
| 12 | Ralph Gordon Thompson | OK | 1934–present | 1975–1999 | 1986–1993 | 1999–2007 | Ford | retirement |
| 13 | Lee Roy West | OK | 1929–2020 | 1979–1994 | 1993–1994 | 1994–2020 | Carter | death |
| 16 | Layn R. Phillips | OK | 1952–present | 1987–1991 | — | — | Reagan | resignation |
| 19 | Michael Burrage | OK | 1950–present | 1994–2001[Note 3] | — | — | Clinton | resignation |
- Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 3, 1907, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 13, 1908, and received commission the same day.
- Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 6, 1928, confirmed by the Senate on January 8, 1929, and received commission the same day.
- Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 15, 1962, confirmed by the Senate on February 7, 1962, and received commission on February 17, 1962.
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.
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- U.S. District Courts of Oklahoma, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center
- "Robert J. Troester Appointed United States Attorney for The Western District of Oklahoma" (Press release). Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma. December 28, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.