United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (in case citations, E.D.N.Y.) is the federal district court whose territorial jurisdiction spans five counties in New York State: the four Long Island counties of Nassau, Suffolk, Kings (Brooklyn), and Queens, as well as Richmond (Staten Island), the latter three being among New York City's five boroughs. The court also has concurrent jurisdiction with the Southern District of New York over the waters of New York (Manhattan) and Bronx Counties (including New York Harbor and the East River).[1] Its courthouses are located in Brooklyn and Central Islip.

United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
(E.D.N.Y.)
LocationTheodore Roosevelt Courthouse
More locations
Appeals toSecond Circuit
EstablishedFebruary 25, 1865
Judges15
Chief JudgeMargo Kitsy Brodie
Officers of the court
U.S. AttorneyBreon Peace
U.S. MarshalVincent F. DeMarco
www.nyed.uscourts.gov

Appeals from the Eastern District of New York are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second 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 for the Eastern District of New York represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York since October 2021 is Breon Peace. The U.S. Marshal for the court is Vincent F. DeMarco.

Courthouses edit

 
Theodore Roosevelt United States Courthouse
 
Alfonse M. D'Amato United States Courthouse

The main location is the Theodore Roosevelt United States Courthouse at 225 Cadman Plaza East in the civic center of Brooklyn. The 15-story building was designed by Cesar Pelli. The courthouse was designed in 1995 but did not open until 2006 following redesign requirements in the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing and the September 11 attacks. It replaced the six story Emanuel Celler Federal Building (built in 1962 and located next door and connected via glass atrium). In 2008 it was renamed for Theodore Roosevelt.[2] The building was originally to be renamed in honor of former New York Governor Hugh Carey but politicians backed off because Carey was alive at the time. The associated prison is the Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn.

The Divisional office is in the Alfonse M. D'Amato United States Courthouse in Central Islip, New York. The courthouse designed by Richard Meier opened in 2000 and is the largest building on Long Island.[3] The 12-story building has 870,000 square feet (81,000 m2), 23 courtrooms and 24 judges' chambers.[4] It is the third largest federal courthouse in the United States (after the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse and Thomas F. Eagleton United States Courthouse).

Current judges edit

 
Margo Brodie
 
I. Leo Glasser
 
Kiyo A. Matsumoto

As of January 31, 2024:

# Title Judge Duty station Born Term of service Appointed by
Active Chief Senior
58 Chief Judge Margo Kitsy Brodie Brooklyn 1966 2012–present 2021–present Obama
59 District Judge Pamela K. Chen Brooklyn 1961 2013–present Obama
60 District Judge Joan Azrack Central Islip
Brooklyn
1951 2014–present Obama
61 District Judge Ann Donnelly Brooklyn 1959 2015–present Obama
62 District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall Brooklyn 1970 2015–present Obama
63 District Judge Rachel Kovner Brooklyn 1979 2019–present Trump
64 District Judge Eric R. Komitee Brooklyn 1970 2019–present Trump
65 District Judge Gary R. Brown Central Islip 1963 2019–present Trump
66 District Judge Diane Gujarati Brooklyn 1969 2020–present Trump
67 District Judge Hector Gonzalez Brooklyn 1964 2022–present Biden
68 District Judge Nina Morrison Brooklyn 1970 2022–present Biden
69 District Judge Orelia Merchant Brooklyn 1971 2023–present Biden
70 District Judge Nusrat Jahan Choudhury Central Islip 1976 2023–present Biden
71 District Judge Natasha C. Merle Brooklyn 1983 2023–present Biden
72 District Judge Ramon Reyes Brooklyn 1966 2023–present Biden
32 Senior Judge I. Leo Glasser Brooklyn 1924 1981–1993 1993–present Reagan
35 Senior Judge Edward R. Korman Brooklyn 1942 1985–2007 2000–2007 2007–present Reagan
36 Senior Judge Raymond Dearie Brooklyn 1944 1986–2011 2007–2011 2011–present Reagan
39 Senior Judge Carol Amon Brooklyn 1946 1990–2016 2011–2016 2016–present G.H.W. Bush
41 Senior Judge Denis Reagan Hurley inactive 1937 1991–2004 2004–present G.H.W. Bush
42 Senior Judge Joanna Seybert Central Islip 1946 1993–2014 2014–present Clinton
44 Senior Judge Frederic Block Brooklyn 1934 1994–2005 2005–present Clinton
46 Senior Judge Allyne R. Ross Brooklyn 1946 1994–2011 2011–present Clinton
47 Senior Judge Nina Gershon Brooklyn 1940 1996–2008 2008–present Clinton
48 Senior Judge Nicholas Garaufis Brooklyn 1948 2000–2014 2014–present Clinton
50 Senior Judge Dora Irizarry Brooklyn 1955 2004–2020 2016–2020 2020–present G.W. Bush
53 Senior Judge Eric N. Vitaliano Brooklyn 1948 2006–2017 2017–present G.W. Bush
54 Senior Judge Brian Cogan Brooklyn 1954 2006–2020 2020–present G.W. Bush
56 Senior Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto Brooklyn 1955 2008–2022 2022–present G.W. Bush
57 Senior Judge William F. Kuntz II Brooklyn 1950 2011–2022 2022–present Obama


Vacancies and pending nominations edit

Seat Prior Judge's Duty Station Seat last held by Vacancy reason Date of vacancy Nominee Date of nomination
14 Central Islip
Brooklyn
Joan Azrack Senior status December 19, 2024[5] Sanket J. Bulsara February 8, 2024

Former judges edit

# Judge State Born–died Active service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed by Reason for
termination
1 Charles L. Benedict NY 1824–1901 1865–1897 Lincoln retirement
2 Asa Wentworth Tenney NY 1833–1897 1897 McKinley death
3 Edward B. Thomas NY 1848–1929 1898–1906 McKinley resignation
4 Thomas Chatfield NY 1871–1922 1907–1922 T. Roosevelt death
5 Van Vechten Veeder NY 1867–1942 1911–1917 Taft resignation
6 Edwin Louis Garvin NY 1877–1960 1918–1925 Wilson resignation
7 Marcus Beach Campbell NY 1866–1944 1923–1944 Harding death
8 Robert Alexander Inch NY 1873–1961 1923–1958[Note 1] 1948–1958 1958–1961 Harding[Note 2] death
9 Grover M. Moscowitz NY 1886–1947 1925–1947 Coolidge death
10 Clarence G. Galston NY 1876–1964 1929–1957 1957–1964 Hoover death
11 Mortimer W. Byers NY 1877–1962 1929–1960 1958–1959 1960–1962 Hoover death
12 Matthew T. Abruzzo NY 1889–1971 1936–1966 1966–1971 F. Roosevelt death
13 Harold Maurice Kennedy NY 1895–1971 1944–1952 F. Roosevelt resignation
14 Leo F. Rayfiel NY 1888–1978 1947–1966 1966–1978 Truman death
15 Walter Bruchhausen NY 1892–1976 1953–1967 1959–1962 1967–1976 Eisenhower death
16 Joseph Carmine Zavatt NY 1900–1985 1957–1970 1962–1969 1970–1985 Eisenhower death
17 John Ries Bartels NY 1897–1997 1959–1973 1973–1997 Eisenhower death
18 Jacob Mishler NY 1911–2004 1960–1980 1969–1980 1980–2004 Eisenhower death
19 John Francis Dooling Jr. NY 1908–1981 1961–1976 1976–1981 Kennedy death
20 George Rosling NY 1900–1973 1961–1973[Note 3] Kennedy death
21 Jack B. Weinstein NY 1921–2021 1967–1993 1980–1988 1993–2021 L. Johnson death
22 Orrin Grimmell Judd NY 1906–1976 1968–1976 L. Johnson death
23 Anthony J. Travia NY 1911–1993 1968–1974 L. Johnson resignation
24 Mark Americus Costantino NY 1920–1990 1971–1987 1987–1990 Nixon death
25 Edward Raymond Neaher NY 1912–1994 1971–1982 1982–1994 Nixon death
26 Thomas Collier Platt Jr. NY 1925–2017 1974–2001 1988–1995 2001–2017 Nixon death
27 Henry Bramwell NY 1919–2010 1974–1987 1987–2010 Ford death
28 George C. Pratt NY 1928–present 1976–1982 Ford elevation to 2d Cir.
29 Charles Proctor Sifton NY 1935–2009 1977–2000 1995–2000 2000–2009 Carter death
30 Eugene Nickerson NY 1918–2002 1977–1994 1994–2002 Carter death
31 Joseph M. McLaughlin NY 1933–2013 1981–1990 Reagan elevation to 2d Cir.
33 Frank Altimari NY 1928–1998 1982–1985 Reagan elevation to 2d Cir.
34 Leonard D. Wexler NY 1924–2018 1983–1994 1994–2018 Reagan death
37 Reena Raggi NY 1951–present 1987–2002 Reagan elevation to 2d Cir.
38 Arthur Spatt NY 1925–2020 1989–2004 2004–2020 G.H.W. Bush death
40 Sterling Johnson Jr. NY 1934–2022 1991–2003 2003–2022 G.H.W. Bush death
43 David G. Trager NY 1937–2011 1993–2006 2006–2011 Clinton death
45 John Gleeson NY 1953–present 1994–2016 Clinton resignation
49 Sandra J. Feuerstein NY 1946–2021 2003–2015 2015–2021 G.W. Bush death[6]
51 Sandra L. Townes NY 1944–2018 2004–2015 2015–2018 G.W. Bush death
52 Joseph F. Bianco NY 1966–present 2006–2019 G.W. Bush elevation to 2d Cir.
55 Roslynn R. Mauskopf NY 1957–present 2007–2024 2020–2021 G.W. Bush retirement
  1. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 15, 1923, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 8, 1924, and received commission the same day.
  2. ^ Initially appointed via recess appointment by Harding; formally nominated by and received commission from Coolidge.
  3. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 15, 1962, confirmed by the Senate on March 16, 1962, and received commission on March 17, 1962.

Chief judges edit

Chief Judge
Inch 1948–1958
Byers 1958–1959
Bruchhausen 1959–1962
Zavatt 1962–1969
Mishler 1969–1980
Weinstein 1980–1988
Platt 1988–1995
Sifton 1995–2000
Korman 2000–2007
Dearie 2007–2011
Amon 2011–2016
Irizarry 2016–2020
Mauskopf 2020–2021
Brodie 2021–present

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 edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ 28 U.S.C. § 112(c).
  2. ^ Grant, Jason (December 30, 2008). "U.S. Courthouse Is Named for Theodore Roosevelt". The New York Times.
  3. ^ "Eastern District of New York - United States District Court". www.nyed.uscourts.gov.
  4. ^ GmbH, Emporis. "Long Island Federal Courthouse, Central Islip - 134995 - EMPORIS". www.emporis.com.[dead link]
  5. ^ "Future Judicial Vacancies | United States Courts". www.uscourts.gov. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  6. ^ "NY Federal Judge Sandra Feuerstein Killed In Fla. Accident - Law360". www.law360.com. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  7. ^ "Trump declares himself the 'chief law-enforcement officer of the United States' and admits he makes Attorney General Barr's job harder". Business Insider.

External links edit