United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi

United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi
(S.D. Miss.)
LocationJackson
More locations
Appeals toFifth Circuit
EstablishedJune 18, 1838
Judges6
Chief JudgeHalil Suleyman Ozerden
Officers of the court
U.S. AttorneyTodd Gee
U.S. MarshalMark B. Shepherd
www.mssd.uscourts.gov

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi (in case citations, S.D. Miss.) is a federal court in the Fifth Circuit with facilities in Gulfport, Hattiesburg, Natchez, and Jackson.

Appeals from cases brought in the Southern District of Mississippi are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth 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 for the Southern District of Mississippi represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. As of October 4, 2023 the United States attorney is Todd Gee.[1]

Counties under jurisdiction

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Current judges

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As of November 4, 2024:

# Title Judge Duty station Born Term of service Appointed by
Active Chief Senior
19 Chief Judge Halil Suleyman Ozerden Gulfport 1966 2007–present 2024–present — G.W. Bush
12 District Judge Henry Travillion Wingate Jackson 1947 1985–present 2003–2010 — Reagan
18 District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III Jackson 1964 2006–present 2017–2024 — G.W. Bush
20 District Judge Carlton W. Reeves Jackson 1964 2010–present — — Obama
21 District Judge Kristi Haskins Johnson Jackson 1980 2020–present — — Trump
22 District Judge Taylor B. McNeel Gulfport 1983 2020–present — — Trump
11 Senior Judge Tom Stewart Lee Jackson 1941 1984–2006 1996–2003 2006–present Reagan
15 Senior Judge David C. Bramlette Natchez 1939 1991–2006 — 2006–present G.H.W. Bush
16 Senior Judge Louis Guirola Jr. Gulfport 1951 2004–2018 2010–2017 2018–present G.W. Bush
17 Senior Judge Keith Starrett Hattiesburg 1951 2004–2019 — 2019–present G.W. Bush

Former judges

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# Judge State Born–died Active service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed by Reason for
termination
1 George Adams MS 1784–1844 1838[Note 1][Note 2] — — Jackson/Operation of law resignation
2 Samuel J. Gholson MS 1808–1883 1839–1861[Note 2] — — Van Buren resignation
3 Robert Andrews Hill MS 1811–1900 1866–1891[Note 2] — — A. Johnson retirement
4 Henry Clay Niles MS 1850–1918 1891–1918[Note 3][Note 2] — — B. Harrison death
5 Edwin R. Holmes MS 1878–1961 1918–1936[Note 4] — — Wilson elevation to 5th Cir.
6 Sidney Carr Mize MS 1888–1965 1937–1965 1961–1962 — F. Roosevelt death
7 William Harold Cox MS 1901–1988 1961–1982 1962–1971 1982–1988 Kennedy death
8 Dan Monroe Russell Jr. MS 1913–2011 1965–1983 1971–1982 1983–2011 L. Johnson death
9 Walter Nixon MS 1928–present 1968–1989 1982–1989 — L. Johnson impeachment and conviction
10 William H. Barbour Jr. MS 1941–2021 1983–2006 1989–1996 2006–2021 Reagan death
13 Walter J. Gex III MS 1939–2020 1986–2004 — 2004–2020 Reagan death
14 Charles W. Pickering MS 1937–present 1990–2004 — — G.H.W. Bush elevation to 5th Cir.
  1. ^ Reassigned from the District of Mississippi.
  2. ^ a b c d Jointly appointed to the Northern and the Southern Districts of Mississippi.
  3. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 10, 1891, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 11, 1892, and received commission the same day.
  4. ^ From 1918 to 1929, Judge Holmes was jointly appointed to the Northern and the Southern Districts of Mississippi.

Chief judges

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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

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See also

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ "Todd Gee sworn in as U.S. Attorney for Southern District of Mississippi". Vicksburg News. October 4, 2023. Retrieved October 5, 2023.

Further reading

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  • David M. Hargrove, Mississippi's Federal Courts: A History. Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi, 2019.
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32°17′41″N 90°11′02″W / 32.294765°N 90.183771°W / 32.294765; -90.183771

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