John Daniel Tinder (born February 17, 1950) is a retired United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

John Daniel Tinder
Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
In office
February 18, 2015 – October 9, 2015
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
In office
December 21, 2007 – February 18, 2015
Appointed byGeorge W. Bush
Preceded byDaniel Anthony Manion
Succeeded byAmy Coney Barrett
Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
In office
August 10, 1987 – December 21, 2007
Appointed byRonald Reagan
Preceded byJames Ellsworth Noland
Succeeded byWilliam T. Lawrence
United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana
In office
1984–1987
PresidentRonald Reagan
Preceded bySarah Evans Barker
Succeeded byDeborah J. Daniels[1]
Personal details
Born (1950-02-17) February 17, 1950 (age 74)
Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
EducationIndiana University Bloomington (BA, JD)

Background

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Born in Indianapolis, Indiana on February 17, 1950,[2] Tinder attended Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis.[3] He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana University Bloomington in 1972, and a Juris Doctor from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 1975. He is a member of the Indiana University School of Law (Bloomington) Academy of Law Alumni.[4]

While in law school, Tinder worked at the U.S. Attorney's office in Indianapolis during 1974, and served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana from 1974 to 1977. In 1977, Tinder entered private practice in Indianapolis, which he continued in until 1984 when he returned to the United States Attorney Office in Indianapolis, this time as its leader. In addition to his work in the private sector, Tinder served as a public defender from 1977 to 1978 for the Marion County Criminal Court. From 1979-82, Tinder was chief trial deputy for the Marion County Prosecutor's Office. He was the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana from 1984 to 1987, and was also an adjunct professor at the Indiana University School of Law from 1980 to 1988.[5]

Federal judicial service

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Tinder was nominated to a judgeship on the United States District Court by President Ronald Reagan on June 2, 1987, to replace Judge James Noland on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, and the United States Senate confirmed him just two months later on August 7, 1987.[6][7][8] He received his commission on August 10, 1987. His service as a district court judge was terminated on December 21, 2007, when he was elevated to the court of appeals.[9]

After twenty years of service as a trial judge, Tinder was nominated on July 17, 2007, by President George W. Bush to replace Judge Daniel Anthony Manion on the Seventh Circuit bench. Manion had previously indicated he would assume senior status upon confirmation of a successor. Tinder's hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee were uncontroversial, and he was voted out of Committee to the Senate floor in November 2007. He was confirmed on December 18, 2007, by a 93–0 vote, almost five months after he was nominated.[10] He received his commission on December 21, 2007.[5]

Retirement from judicial service

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In March 2014, Tinder announced his retirement plans for February 2015, when he would turn 65 years old.[11] Tinder previewed his post-retirement career plans in an interview with The Indiana Lawyer.[12] He assumed senior status on February 18, 2015, one day after his 65th birthday.[5] He retired from senior service on October 9, 2015.[5] In July 2016, the Indiana Law Review published articles in tribute to Tinder's service by United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit Judge Diane Wood, United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana Judge Richard L. Young, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Chancellor Emeritus Gerald Bepko, and former clerk Daniel Pulliam.[13]

References

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  1. ^ "17 Dec 1987, 36 - The Indianapolis News at Newspapers.com".
  2. ^ Confirmation Hearings on Federal Appointments: Hearings before the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, One Hundredth Congress, First Session, Part 3. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1989. p. 177.
  3. ^ "John Daniel Tinder". Notable Alumni. February 15, 1950. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  4. ^ "Members of the Academy". law.indiana.edu. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d "Tinder, John Daniel". Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved June 26, 2019 – via www.fjc.gov.
  6. ^ A detailed and revealing interview of Judge Tinder can be found on the blog "Underneath Their Robes"
  7. ^ A similar but shorter interview can be found on the Indiana Barrister blog here
  8. ^ A brief video interviews can be found on the Seventh Circuit Bar Association web site here Archived February 9, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ John Daniel Tinder at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  10. ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation John Daniel Tinder, of Indiana, to be U.S. Circuit Judge)". United States Senate.
  11. ^ Cassens Weiss, Debra (March 5, 2014). "Judiciary: Rejection letter reveals 7th Circuit judge's plan to retire". ABA Journal. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
  12. ^ "Judge Tinder’s retirement plans leaked", The Indiana Lawyer, March 12, 2014
  13. ^ Indiana Law Review Tributes to Judge Tinder
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Legal offices
Preceded by United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana
1984–1987
Succeeded by
Deborah J. Daniels
Preceded by Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
1987–2007
Succeeded by
Preceded by Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
2007–2015
Succeeded by