United States District Court for the District of Alaska

The United States District Court for the District of Alaska (in case citations, D. Alaska) is a federal court in the Ninth 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 District of Alaska
(D. Alaska)
LocationAnchorage
More locations
Appeals toNinth Circuit
EstablishedJanuary 3, 1959
Judges3
Chief JudgeTimothy Mark Burgess
Officers of the court
U.S. AttorneyBryan Schroder
U.S. MarshalRobert Heun
www.akd.uscourts.gov

The District was established on July 7, 1958, pending Alaska statehood on January 3, 1959.[1]

The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Alaska represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. The current United States Attorney is Bryan Schroder since March 11, 2017.

Organization of the court

The United States District Court for the District of Alaska is the sole federal judicial district in Alaska.[2] Court for the District is held at Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Nome.

Anchorage Division comprises the following borough/census areas: Aleutians East, Aleutians West, Anchorage, Bethel, Bristol Bay, Dillingham, Kenai Peninsula, Kodiak Island, Lake and Peninsula, Matanuska-Susitna, and Valdez-Cordova.

Fairbanks Division comprises the following borough/census areas: Denali, Fairbanks North Star, North Slope, Southeast Fairbanks, and Yukon-Koyukuk.

Juneau Division comprises the following borough/census areas: Haines, Hoonah-Angoon, Juneau, Petersburg, Sitka, Skagway, and Yakutat.

Ketchikan Division comprises the following borough/census areas: Ketchikan Gateway, Prince of Wales, and Wrangell.

Nome Division comprises the following borough/census areas: Nome, Northwest Arctic, and Kusilvak.

Current judges

As of February 18, 2020:

# Title Judge Duty station Born Term of service Appointed by
Active Chief Senior
10 Chief Judge Timothy Mark Burgess Anchorage 1956 2006–present 2015–present — G.W. Bush
11 District Judge Sharon L. Gleason Anchorage 1957 2012–present — — Obama
12 District Judge Joshua M. Kindred Anchorage 1977 2020–present — — Trump
5 Senior Judge H. Russel Holland Anchorage 1936 1984–2001 1989–1995 2001–present Reagan
7 Senior Judge James Keith Singleton Jr. Anchorage 1939 1990–2005 1995–2002 2005–present G.H.W. Bush
8 Senior Judge John W. Sedwick Anchorage 1946 1992–2011 2002–2009 2011–present G.H.W. Bush
9 Senior Judge Ralph R. Beistline Anchorage 1948 2002–2015 2009–2015 2015–present G.W. Bush

Former judges
# Judge State Born–died Active service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed by Reason for
termination
1 Walter Hartman Hodge AK 1896–1975 1960–1966 1961–1966 1966–1975 Eisenhower death
2 Raymond Eugene Plummer AK 1913–1987 1961–1973 1966–1973 1973–1987 Kennedy death
3 James von der Heydt AK 1919–2013 1966–1984 1973–1984 1984–2013 L. Johnson death
4 James Martin Fitzgerald AK 1920–2011 1974–1989 1984–1989 1989–2011 Ford death
6 Andrew Kleinfeld AK 1945–present 1986–1991 — — Reagan elevation to 9th Cir.

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

See also

References
  1. https://www.fjc.gov/history/courts/u.s.-district-court-district-alaska-legislative-history, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center
  2. 28 U.S.C. § 81A
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