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.
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 current United States Attorney is Jay Town, who took office in August 2017.
Video United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama
Organization of the court
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama is one of three federal judicial districts in Alabama. 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.
Maps United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama
Current judges
Vacancies and pending nominations
Former judges
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.
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.
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.
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.
Succession of seats
See also
- Courts of Alabama
- List of United States federal courthouses in Alabama
- United States Marshals Service
Notes
External links
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama
- United States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama
Source of article : Wikipedia
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