United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:

The court is based at the Lewis F. Powell, Jr. U.S. Courthouse in Richmond, Virginia. With fifteen active and three senior judges, it is midsized among the thirteen United States courts of appeals.

Current composition of the court

As of J. Michael Luttig's resignation on May 10, 2006, the judges on the court are:

^(a) Recess appointment by Bill Clinton, re-appointed by George W. Bush and confirmed by the Senate at a later date.

Pending nominations

On January 7, 2003, President George W. Bush nominated Terrence W. Boyle to fill Seat 7 vacated by J. Dickson Phillips. This nomination expired with the congressional term on January 3, 2005 and was renewed on February 14, 2005.
On September 29, 2003, President George W. Bush nominated William Haynes This nomination expired with the congressional term on January 3, 2005 and was renewed on February 14, 2005.

List of former judges

^(a) Bond was appointed as a circuit judge for the Fourth Circuit in 1870 by Ulysses S. Grant. The Judiciary Act of 1891 reassigned his seat to what is now the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

^(b) Knapp did not have a permanent seat on this court. Instead, he was appointed to the ill-fated United States Commerce Court in 1910 by William Howard Taft. Aside from their duties on the Commerce Court, the judges of the Commerce Court also acted as at-large appellate judges, able to be assigned by the Chief Justice of the United States to whichever circuit most needed help. Knapp was assigned to the Second Circuit immediately prior to his assignment to the Fourth Circuit.

^(c) Recess appointment, confirmed by the Senate at a later date.

Chief judges

Succession of seats

Trivia

The Fourth Circuit has never seen one of its judges promoted to the Supreme Court of the United States. Judges Wilkinson and Luttig were long considered to be front-runners for a justiceship if a vacancy arose during the George W. Bush presidential administration; however, with Bush's appointments of John Roberts and Samuel Alito, it will be very unlikely that President Bush would nominate either of these judges because he has already nominated two white males to the court.
Since the days of John Marshall, the Chief Justice of the United States has been the Circuit Justice for the Fourth Circuit.
The Fouth Circuit's Courthouse in Richmond, Virginia housed the treasury of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, and Jefferson Davis's office was located in the building. After the war, Davis was arraigned in the building, although he was never tried.
The Fourth is widely regarded as the most ideologically conservative court in the federal appellate system. It is also the most efficient circuit, taking an average of just over seven months to resolve each appeal.
Despite its perceived ideological bent, the Fourth Circuit is considered an extremely collegial court. By tradition, the Judges of the Fourth Circuit come down from the bench following each oral argument to greet the lawyers.

Notes

References

- source for the phone numbers for the duty stations
- indicates which senior judges are inactive
- ties duty station phone numbers to duty stations (incomplete coverage)
- source for Butzner's death
- source for the duty stations (incomplete coverage)
- source for the state, lifetime, term of active judgeship, term of chief judgeship, term of senior judgeship, appointer, termination reason, and seat information

External links

United States Courts of Appeals

Hof van Beroep voor het 4e circuit

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