United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama

33°30′58.7″N 86°48′40.2″W / 33.516306°N 86.811167°W / 33.516306; -86.811167

United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama
(N.D. Ala.)
Location	Birmingham More locations United States Courthouse (Huntsville) Tuscaloosa Florence Decatur Anniston Gadsden Jasper
Appeals to	Eleventh Circuit
Established	March 10, 1824
Judges	8
Chief Judge	R. David Proctor
Officers of the court
U.S. Attorney	Prim F. Escalona (interim)
U.S. Marshal	Chester Martin Keely
www.alnd.uscourts.gov

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama (in case citations, N.D. Ala.) is a federal court in the Eleventh Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).

The District was established on March 10, 1824, with the division of the state into a Northern and Southern district. The circuit court itself was established on June 22, 1874.^[1]

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Alabama represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. The interim United States attorney is Prim F. Escalona, who was appointed by United States Attorney General William Barr following the resignation of Jay Town on July 15, 2020.^[2]

Organization of the court

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama is one of three federal judicial districts in Alabama.^[3] Court for the District is held at Anniston, Birmingham, Decatur, Florence, Gadsden, Huntsville, and Tuscaloosa.

Eastern Division comprises the following counties: Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, and Talladega.

Jasper Division comprises the following counties: Fayette, Lamar, Marion, Walker, and Winston.

Middle Division comprises the following counties: Cherokee, DeKalb, Etowah, Marshall, and St. Clair.

Northeastern Division comprises the following counties: Cullman, Jackson, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, and Morgan.

Northwestern Division comprises the following counties: Colbert, Franklin, and Lauderdale.

Southern Division comprises the following counties: Blount, Jefferson, and Shelby.

Western Division comprises the following counties: Bibb, Greene, Pickens, Sumter, and Tuscaloosa.

Current judges

As of January 1, 2024^[update]:

#	Title	Judge	Duty station	Born	Term of service			Appointed by
					Active	Chief	Senior
34	Chief Judge	R. David Proctor	Birmingham	1960	2003–present	2024–present	—	G.W. Bush
33	District Judge	L. Scott Coogler	Tuscaloosa	1959	2003–present	2020–2023	—	G.W. Bush
37	District Judge	Madeline Haikala	Birmingham	1964	2013–present	—	—	Obama
38	District Judge	Annemarie Axon	Birmingham	1973	2018–present	—	—	Trump
39	District Judge	Liles C. Burke	Huntsville	1969	2018–present	—	—	Trump
40	District Judge	Corey L. Maze	Anniston	1978	2019–present	—	—	Trump
41	District Judge	Anna M. Manasco	Birmingham	1980	2020–present	—	—	Trump
42	District Judge	vacant	—	—	—	—	—	—
28	Senior Judge	Sharon Lovelace Blackburn	Birmingham	1950	1991–2015	2006–2013	2015–present	G.H.W. Bush
29	Senior Judge	Charles Lynwood Smith Jr.	Huntsville	1943	1995–2013	—	2013–present	Clinton
30	Senior Judge	Inge Prytz Johnson	inactive	1945	1998–2012	—	2012–present	Clinton
32	Senior Judge	Karon O. Bowdre	Birmingham	1955	2001–2020	2013–2019	2020–present	G.W. Bush
35	Senior Judge	Virginia Emerson Hopkins	inactive	1952	2004–2018	—	2018–present	G.W. Bush

Vacancies and pending nominations

Seat	Prior judge's duty station	Seat last held by	Vacancy reason	Date of vacancy	Nominee	Date of nomination
9	Birmingham	Abdul K. Kallon	Resignation	August 31, 2022	–	–

Former judges

#	Judge	State	Born–died	Active service	Chief Judge	Senior status	Appointed by	Reason for termination
1	Charles Tait	AL	1768–1835	1824–1826^[Note 1]^[Note 2]	—	—	Monroe/Operation of law	resignation
2	William Crawford	AL	1784–1849	1826–1849^[Note 2]^[Note 3]	—	—	J.Q. Adams	death
3	John Gayle	AL	1792–1859	1849–1859^[Note 4]	—	—	Taylor	death
4	William Giles Jones	AL	1808–1883	1859–1861^[Note 5]^[Note 4]	—	—	Buchanan	resignation
5	George Washington Lane	AL	1806–1863	1861–1863^[Note 4]	—	—	Lincoln	death
6	Richard Busteed	AL	1822–1898	1863–1874^[Note 6]^[Note 4]	—	—	Lincoln	resignation
7	John Bruce	AL	1832–1901	1875–1901^[Note 7]^[Note 8]	—	—	Grant	death
8	Thomas G. Jones	AL	1844–1914	1901–1914^[Note 9]^[Note 7]	—	—	T. Roosevelt	death
9	Oscar Richard Hundley	AL	1855–1921	1907–1908^[Note 10] 1908–1909^[Note 11] 1909^[Note 12]	—	—	T. Roosevelt T. Roosevelt Taft	not confirmed not confirmed resignation
10	William Irwin Grubb	AL	1862–1935	1909–1935	—	—	Taft	death
11	Henry De Lamar Clayton Jr.	AL	1857–1929	1914–1929^[Note 7]	—	—	Wilson	death
12	Charles Brents Kennamer	AL	1874–1955	1931–1936^[Note 7]	—	—	Hoover	reassignment to M.D. Ala.
13	David Jackson Davis	AL	1878–1938	1935–1938^[Note 13]	—	—	F. Roosevelt	death
14	Thomas Alexander Murphree	AL	1883–1945	1938–1945	—	—	F. Roosevelt	death
15	Clarence H. Mullins	AL	1895–1957	1943–1953	1948–1953	1953–1957	F. Roosevelt	death
16	Seybourn Harris Lynne	AL	1907–2000	1946–1973	1953–1973	1973–2000	Truman	death
17	Harlan Hobart Grooms	AL	1900–1991	1953–1969	—	1969–1991	Eisenhower	death
18	Clarence W. Allgood	AL	1902–1991	1961–1973^[Note 14]	—	1973–1991	Kennedy	death
19	Frank Hampton McFadden	AL	1925–2020	1969–1982	1973–1982	—	Nixon	resignation
20	Sam C. Pointer Jr.	AL	1934–2008	1970–1999	1982–1999	1999–2000	Nixon	retirement
21	James Hughes Hancock	AL	1931–2020	1973–1996	—	1996–2020	Nixon	death
22	Junius Foy Guin Jr.	AL	1924–2016	1973–1989	—	1989–2016	Nixon	death
23	Elbert Bertram Haltom Jr.	AL	1922–2003	1980–1991	—	1991–2003	Carter	death
24	Robert Bruce Propst	AL	1931–2019	1980–1996	—	1996–2019	Carter	death
25	U. W. Clemon	AL	1943–present	1980–2009	1999–2006	—	Carter	retirement
26	William Acker	AL	1927–2018	1982–1996	—	1996–2018	Reagan	death
27	Edwin L. Nelson	AL	1940–2003	1990–2003	—	—	G.H.W. Bush	death
31	H. Dean Buttram Jr.	AL	1950–present	1998–2002	—	—	Clinton	resignation
36	Abdul K. Kallon	AL	1969–present	2010–2022	—	—	Obama	resignation

1. Reassigned from the District of Alabama.
2. Jointly appointed to the Northern and the Southern Districts of Alabama.
3. From 1839 to 1849, Judge Crawford was jointly appointed to the Middle District of Alabama.
4. Jointly appointed to the Middle, Northern, and Southern Districts of Alabama.
5. Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 23, 1860, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 30, 1860, and received commission the same day.
6. Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 5, 1864, confirmed by the Senate on January 20, 1864, and received commission the same day.
7. Jointly appointed to the Middle and Northern Districts of Alabama.
8. From 1875 to 1886, Judge Bruce was jointly appointed to the Southern District of Alabama.
9. Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 5, 1901, confirmed by the Senate on December 17, 1901, and received commission the same day.
10. Recess appointment; the Senate later rejected the appointment.
11. Received a second recess appointment and was again rejected by the Senate.
12. Received a third recess appointment but resigned prior to consideration.
13. Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 6, 1936, confirmed by the Senate on January 22, 1936, and received commission on January 28, 1936.
14. Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 15, 1962, confirmed by the Senate on February 5, 1962, and received commission on February 9, 1962.

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 reassigned from the District of Alabama on March 10, 1824 by 4 Stat. 9 (concurrent with Southern District) Tait 1824–1826 Seat made concurrent with Middle District on February 6, 1839 by 5 Stat. 315 Crawford 1826–1849 Gayle 1849–1859 W. Jones 1859–1861 Lane 1861–1863 Busteed 1863–1874 Seat reassigned solely to Northern and Middle Districts on August 2, 1886 by 24 Stat. 213 Bruce 1875–1901 T. Jones 1901–1914 Clayton, Jr. 1914–1929 Kennamer 1931–1936 Seat reassigned solely to Middle District on June 5, 1936 by 49 Stat. 1476

Seat 2 Seat established on February 25, 1907 by 34 Stat. 931 Hundley 1907–1908 Hundley 1908–1909 Hundley 1909 Grubb 1909–1935 Davis 1936–1938 Seat abolished on December 7, 1938 (Temporary judgeship expired)

Seat 3 Seat established on March 26, 1938 by 52 Stat. 120 (temporary) Seat became permanent upon the abolition of Seat 2 on December 7, 1938 Murphree 1938–1945 Lynne 1946–1973 Hancock 1973–1996 Johnson 1998–2012 Haikala 2013–present

Seat 4 Seat established on December 24, 1942 by 56 Stat. 1092 Mullins 1943–1953 Grooms 1953–1969 McFadden 1969–1982 Acker, Jr. 1982–1996 Seat abolished on May 31, 1996 (Temporary judgeship expired)

Seat 5 Seat established on May 19, 1961 by 75 Stat. 80 Allgood 1962–1973 Guin, Jr. 1973–1989 Nelson 1990–2003 Hopkins 2004–2018 Maze 2019–present

Seat 6 Seat established on June 2, 1970 by 84 Stat. 294 Pointer, Jr. 1970–1999 Bowdre 2001–2020 Manasco 2020–present

Seat 7 Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 Haltom, Jr. 1980–1991 Smith, Jr. 1995–2013 Burke 2018–present

Seat 8 Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 Propst 1980–1996 Buttram, Jr. 1998–2002 Coogler 2003–present

Seat 9 Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 Clemon 1980–2009 Kallon 2010–2022 vacant 2022–present

Seat 10 Seat established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 (temporary) Seat became permanent upon the abolition of Seat 4 on May 31, 1996 Blackburn 1991–2015 Axon 2018–present

Seat 11 Seat established on November 2, 2002 by 116 Stat. 1758 (temporary) Proctor 2003–present

Court decisions

Lucy v. Adams (1955) – A court ruling which affirmed the right of all citizens to be accepted at the University of Alabama. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the ruling.

Armstrong v. Birmingham Board of Education (1963) – The court dismissed the plaintiff's complaint. On appeal, the Fifth Circuit reversed and ordered the desegregation of Birmingham public schools.^[4]

United States v. Wallace (1963) – The court exercised its ruling in Lucy v. Adams and ordered that colored students be permitted to enroll at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The court order led to the infamous Stand in the Schoolhouse Door incident with Governor George C. Wallace.^[5]

Jackson v. Birmingham Board of Education (2002) – A reversal of the decision rendered by the district and Eleventh Circuit. The U.S. Supreme Court held that retaliation against a person on the basis of a sexual complaint is a form of sexual discrimination under Title IX.

Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (2003) – The U.S. Supreme Court reversed the decision of the district court, stating that employers cannot be sued under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act over race or gender discrimination if the claims are based on decisions over 180 days. The decision of the court led Congress to pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009.

United States v. Alabama (2011) – The court upheld most parts of Alabama HB 56, an anti-illegal immigration bill signed by Governor Robert J. Bentley. The Eleventh Circuit reversed, invalidating much of Alabama HB 56.^[6]

U.S. attorneys

Name	Term Started	Term Ended	Presidents served under
William Crawford	1820	1820	James Monroe
Frank Jones	1824	1826	James Monroe John Q. Adams
Harry J. Thornton	1826	1829	John Q. Adams Andrew Jackson
Joseph Scott	1829	1830	Andrew Jackson
Byrd Brandon	1830	1836	Andrew Jackson
John D. Phelan	1836	1836	Andrew Jackson
Edwin R. Wallace	1836	1839	Andrew Jackson Martin Van Buren
Jermiah Clemens	1839	1840	Martin Van Buren
Joseph A. S. Acklin	1840	1850	Martin Van Buren William H. Harrison John Tyler James K. Polk Zachary Taylor Millard Fillmore
Jefferson F. Jackson	1850	1853	Millard Fillmore Franklin Pierce
George S. Walden	1853	1859	Franklin Pierce James Buchanan
M. J. Turnley	1859	1860	James Buchanan
Charles E. Mayer	1876	1880	Ulysses S. Grant Rutherford B. Hayes
William H. Smith^[7]	1880	1885	Rutherford B. Hayes James A. Garfield Chester A. Arthur Grover Cleveland
George H. Craig	1885	1885	Grover Cleveland
William H. Denson	1885	1889	Grover Cleveland Benjamin Harrison
Lewis E. Parsons Jr.	1889	1893	Benjamin Harrison Grover Cleveland
Emmet O'Neal	1893	1897	Grover Cleveland William McKinley
William Vaughn	1897	1902	William McKinley Theodore Roosevelt
Thomas R. Roulhac	1902	1907	Theodore Roosevelt
Oliver D. Street	1907	1913	Theodore Roosevelt William H. Taft Woodrow Wilson
Robert N. Bell	1913	1919	Woodrow Wilson
Erle Pettris or Pettus	1919	1922	Woodrow Wilson Warren G. Harding
Charles B. Kennamer	1922	1931	Warren G. Harding Calvin Coolidge Herbert Hoover
Jim C. Smith	1931	1931	Herbert Hoover
John B. Isabell	1931	1933	Herbert Hoover Franklin D. Roosevelt
Jim C. Smith	1933	1946	Franklin D. Roosevelt Harry S. Truman
John D. Hill	1946	1953	Harry S. Truman Dwight D. Eisenhower
Frank Minis Johnson	1953	1955	Dwight D. Eisenhower
Atley A. Kitchings Jr.	1955	1956	Dwight D. Eisenhower
William L. Longshore^[8]	1956	1961	Dwight D. Eisenhower John F. Kennedy
Macon L. Weaver	1961	1969	John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson Richard Nixon
Wayman G. Sherrer	1969	1977	Richard Nixon Gerald Ford Jimmy Carter
Jesse R. Brooks	1977	1981	Jimmy Carter Ronald Reagan
Frank W. Donaldson	1981	1992	Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush
Jack W. Selden	1992	1993	George H. W. Bush Bill Clinton
Claude Harris Jr.	1993	1994	Bill Clinton
Walter Braswell	1994	1995	Bill Clinton
Caryl P. Privett	1995	1997^[9]	Bill Clinton
Gordon D. Jones^[10]	1997^[10]	2001^[10]	Bill Clinton
Alice H. Martin^[11]	2001^[12]^[failed verification]	2009^[12]	George W. Bush Barack Obama
Joyce Vance^[13]	2009^[14]	2017^[14]	Barack Obama
Robert O. Posey^[15]	2017^[15]	2017^[15]	Donald Trump
John E. Town^[16]^[17]	2017^[16]	2020^[18]	Donald Trump
Prim F. Escalona^[2]	2020^[2]	Present	Donald Trump Joe Biden

See also

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

Notes

1. U.S. District Courts of Alabama, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center
2. Barr, William P. (July 16, 2020). "Attorney General William P. Barr Announces the Appointment of Prim F. Escalona as Interim U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama" (Press release). Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
3. 28 U.S.C. § 81
4. "ARMSTRONG v. BOARD OF EDU | 220 F.Supp. 217 (1963) | supp2171398 | Leagle.com". Leagle.
5. "Q48498 - Q48509". digital.archives.alabama.gov.
6. "United States v. Alabama" (PDF).
7. "The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Smith, U to Z". politicalgraveyard.com. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
8. Official Register of the United States (1958)
9. Bold Lions Survival Sense Hardcover – March 21, 2018
10. "Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress - Retro Member details". bioguideretro.congress.gov.
11. Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Resource Directory (digitized 2013)
12. "LinkedIn Profile".
13. "'Well-nigh unshakable' Joyce White Vance '82 is one of Obama's first U.S. attorneys". December 23, 2009.
14. "LinkedIn Profile". (registration required)
15. "U.S. Attorney Jay Town Names Robert Posey to Management Position". www.justice.gov. October 4, 2017.
16. "Jay E. Town Sworn in as U.S. Attorney for Northern District of Alabama". www.justice.gov. August 11, 2017.
17. "Mr. John Edward Town Profile | Huntsville, AL Lawyer | Martindale.com". www.martindale.com.
18. Burkhalter, Eddie (July 10, 2020). "U.S. Attorney Jay Town announces resignation". Alabama Political Reporter. Retrieved July 21, 2020.

External links

• United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama
• United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama
• Restoring checks and balances in the confirmation process of United States attorneys: hearing before the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, One Hundred Tenth Congress, first session, on H.R. 580, March 6, 2007 (includes list of past U.S. attorneys up to about 1996)   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.