Charles Wilson (Florida)
2025 - Present
0
Charles R. Wilson is a federal judge on senior status with the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. He joined the court in 1999 after being nominated by former President Bill Clinton. Prior to his service on the Eleventh Circuit, Wilson was a federal magistrate judge for the Middle District of Florida. He assumed senior status on December 31, 2024.[1][2]
Embry Kidd was nominated by President Joe Biden (D) to replace Wilson on the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit on May 14, 2024.[3]
Early life and education
Born in Pensacola, Florida, Wilson earned his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame in 1976 and his J.D. from Notre Dame Law School in 1979.[1]
Professional career
- 1999 - 2024: Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
- 2024-present: Senior judge
- 1994-1999: United States Attorney, Middle District of Florida
- 1990-1994: Federal magistrate judge, Middle District of Florida
- 1986-1990: Judge, Hillsborough County Court
- 1981-1986: Private practice, Tampa, Fla.
- 1980-1981: Assistant county attorney, Hillsborough County, Fla.
- 1979-1980: Law clerk, Hon. Joseph Hatchett, United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit[1]
Judicial career
11th Circuit Court of Appeals
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| Nominee Information |
| Name: Charles R. Wilson |
| Court: United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 64 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: May 27, 1999
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| ABA Rating: Majority Well Qualified, Minority Qualified
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| Questionnaire: |
| Hearing: July 13, 1999
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| QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: July 22, 1999
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| Confirmed: July 30, 1999
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| Vote: Voice vote
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Wilson was nominated to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit by President Bill Clinton on May 27, 1999, to a seat vacated by Joseph Hatchett. The American Bar Association rated Wilson Majority Well Qualified, Minority Qualified for the nomination.[4] Hearings on Wilson's nomination were held before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary on July 13, 1999, and his nomination was reported by U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) on July 22, 1999. Wilson was confirmed on a voice vote of the U.S. Senate on July 30, 1999, and he received his commission on August 9, 1999.[1][5]
Middle District of Florida
Wilson served as a federal magistrate judge on the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida from 1990 to 1994.[1]
Noteworthy cases
SCOTUS reverses 11th Circuit over independent medical expert (2017)
- See also: Supreme Court of the United States (McWilliams v. Dunn)
- See also: Supreme Court of the United States (McWilliams v. Dunn)
On June 19, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in McWilliams v. Dunn. The case came on appeal from a judgment of a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. The panel issued a divided, 2-1 per curiam opinion, holding that under the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Ake v. Oklahoma, death row inmates were not required to have a medical expert that was independent of the prosecution on appeal. Writing in dissent, Judge Charles Wilson held that the panel incorrectly interpreted Ake. He wrote, "Defendants facing the death penalty—the 'gravest sentence our society may impose'—must have 'a fair opportunity to show that the Constitution prohibits their execution.' ... In Ake, the Supreme Court held that this guarantee requires states to provide defendants meaningful 'access to a psychiatrist[]' when their mental health 'is likely to be a significant factor' at trial or sentencing. ... James Edmund McWilliams, Jr. was denied this basic right."
In an opinion by Justice Stephen Breyer, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the circuit panel, siding with Judge Wilson in this case. Justice Breyer, writing for a five-justice majority, stated, "Ake clearly established that a defendant must receive the assistance of a mental health expert who is sufficiently available to the defense and independent from the prosecution to effectively 'assist in evaluation, preparation, and presentation of the defense.' ... As a practical matter, the simplest way for a State to meet this standard may be to provide a qualified expert retained specifically for the defense team. This appears to be the approach that the overwhelming majority of jurisdictions have adopted. ... It is not necessary, however, for us to decide whether the Constitution requires States to satisfy Ake’s demands in this way. That is because Alabama here did not meet even Ake’s most basic requirements."[6]
See also
- United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
- United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
External links
- Judge Wilson's biography from the Federal Judicial Center
- Judge Wilson's biography from the Eleventh Circuit website
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Federal Judicial Center, "Biographical directory of federal judges," accessed December 31, 2024
- ↑ United States Courts, "Future Judicial Vacancies," accessed January 19, 2024
- ↑ The Federal Judicial Center, "Kidd, Embry Jerode," accessed November 18, 2024
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III judicial nominees, 106th Congress," accessed August 17, 2016
- ↑ United States Congress, "PN 322 - Charles R. Wilson - The Judiciary," accessed August 17, 2016
- ↑ Supreme Court of the United States, James E. McWilliams v. Jefferson S. Dunn, Commissioner, Alabama Department of Corrections et al., June 19, 2017
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit 1999-2025 |
Succeeded by Embry Kidd |
| Preceded by - |
Democratic Party of Washington, D.C. Chair -Present |
Succeeded by - |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Active judges |
Chief Judge: William Pryor • Adalberto Jordan • Barbara Lagoa • Robin Rosenbaum • Jill Pryor • Elizabeth Branch • Robert J. Luck • Britt Grant • Kevin Newsom • Andrew Brasher • Embry Kidd • Nancy Gbana Abudu | ||
| Senior judges |
Stanley Marcus • Julie Carnes • Robert Lanier Anderson • Gerald Tjoflat • James Edmondson (Federal judge) • Joel Dubina • Susan Black (Eleventh Circuit) • Frank Hull • Charles Wilson (Florida) • Edward Carnes • | ||
| Former judges | Beverly Martin • Peter Fay • John Godbold • Phyllis Kravitch • Joseph Hatchett • Albert Henderson • Paul Roney • David Dyer • Elbert Tuttle • Thomas Clark (Eleventh Circuit) • Richard Rives • Robert Vance • Lewis Morgan • Emmett Cox • Stanley Birch • Rosemary Barkett • James Hill (Federal judge) • Warren Leroy Jones • John Bryan Simpson • Frank M. Johnson, Jr. • | ||
| Former Chief judges |
John Godbold • Robert Lanier Anderson • Gerald Tjoflat • Joseph Hatchett • James Edmondson (Federal judge) • Paul Roney • Joel Dubina • Edward Carnes • | ||
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 |
Barksdale • Bonner • Buckwalter • Cyr • Fernandez • Garbis • Harmon • Lee • Lindberg • Lodge • Nelson • Nottingham • Plager • Rosen • Rymer • Smith • Spatt • Thomas • VanBebber • J. Walker • V. Walker • Wiener • Wright | ||
| 1990 |
Alito • Amon • Birch • Boudin • Cleland • Clevenger • Dubina • Hamilton • Henderson • Hood • Hornby • Jones • Kent • Levi • Loken • Lourie • Martin • McBryde • McClure • McKenna • McLaughlin • McNamee • Moreno • Mullen • Nelson • Nickerson • Niemeyer • Norton • Parker • Pickering • Rader • Rainey • Randolph • Shanstrom • Shedd • Shubb • Singleton • Skretny • Souter • Sparr • Stahl • Stamp • Suhrheinrich • Taylor • Vollmer • Ware • Wilson | ||
| 1991 |
Albritton • Andersen • Armstrong • Arnold • Bartle • Bassler • Batchelder • Beckwith • Belot • Benson • Blackburn • Bramlette • Brody • Brody • Burrell • Carnes • Caulfield • Cauthron • Clement • Collier • Conway • Cooper • Dalzell • DeMent • DeMoss • Doherty • Echols • Edmunds • Faber • Freeh • Gaitan • Garza • Graham • Haik • Hamilton • Hansen • Hendren • Herlong • Highsmith • Hogan • Huff • Hurley • Irenas • Johnson • Joyner • Kelly • Kleinfeld • Legg • Leonard • Lewis • Longstaff • Lungstrum • Luttig • Matia • McCalla • McDade • McKeague • McKelvie • Means • Merryday • Moore • Morgan • Nielsen • Nimmons • Osteen Sr. • Padova • Payne • Reinhard • Robinson • Robreno • Roll • Roth • Schlesinger • Scullin • Siler • Solis • Sotomayor • Sparks • Stohr • Thomas • Traxler • Trimble • Ungaro • Van Sickle • Wanger • Werlein • Whyte • Yohn | ||
| 1992 |
Baird • Barbadoro • Black • Boudin • Carnes • Covello • DiClerico • Gilbert • Gonzalez • Gorton • Hansen • Heyburn • Jackson • Jacobs • Keeley • Kendall • Kopf • Kyle • Lewis • McAuliffe • McLaughlin • Melloy • Preska • Quist • Randa • Rosenthal • Rovner • Schall • Sedwick • Simandle • Stahl • Vratil • Williams | ||
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 |
Adams • Ambrose • Barnes • Brinkema • Bucklew • Chasanow • Coffman • Daughtrey • Ferguson • Ginsburg • Hagen • Jackson • Lancaster • Leval • Lindsay • Messitte • Michael • Piersol • Saris • Schwartz • Seybert • Shanahan • Shaw • Stearns • Trager • Vazquez • Wilken • Wilson | ||
| 1994 |
Baer • Barkett • Batts • Beaty • Benavides • Bennett • Berrigan • Biery • Block • Borman • Breyer • Briones • Bryson • Bucklo • Burgess • Burrage • Cabranes • Calabresi • Carr • Casellas • Castillo • Chatigny • Chin • Cindrich • Coar • Collins • Cooper • Cote • Currie • Davis • Dominguez • Downes • Duval • Friedman • Furgeson • Garcia • Gertner • Gettleman • Gillmor • Gilmore • Gleeson • Haggerty • Hamilton • Hannah • Hawkins • Henry • Holmes • Hood • Hull • Hurley • Jack • Jones • Jones • Kaplan • Katz • Kern • Kessler • Koeltl • Lisi • Manning • McKee • McLaughlin • Melancon • Miles-LaGrange • Moore • Motz • Murphy • O'Malley • O'Meara • Oliver • Paez • B. Parker • F. Parker • R. Parker • Perry • Ponsor • Pooler • Porteous • Rendell • Riley • Robertson • Rogers • Ross • Russell • Sands • Sarokin • Scheindlin • Silver • Squatrito • Stewart • Sullivan • Tatel • Thompson • Timlin • Urbina • Vanaskie • Vance • Walls • Wells • Williams | ||
| 1995 |
Arterton • Atlas • Black • Blake • Briscoe • Tena Campbell • Todd Campbell • Chesney • Cole • Collier • Daniel • Davis • Dennis • Dlott • Donald • Duffy • Economus • Evans • Fallon • Folsom • Gaughan • Goodwin • Heartfield • Hunt • Illston • Jones • King • Kornmann • Lawson • Lenard • Lucero • Lynch • McKinley • Moody • Moore • Moskowitz • Murphy • Murtha • Nugent • O'Toole • Orlofsky • Pogue • Sessions • C. Smith • O. Smith • Stein • Thornburg • Tunheim • Wallach • Wardlaw • Webber • Whaley • Winmill • Wood | ||
| 1996 |
Broadwater • Clevert • Fenner • Gershon • Gottschall • Greenaway • Hinkle • Jones • Kahn • Laughrey • Lemmon • Marten • Miller • Molloy • Montgomery • Pregerson • Rakoff • Sargus • Tashima • Thomas • Zapata | ||
| 1997 |
Adelman • Bataillon • Breyer • Caputo • Casey • Chambers • Clay • Damrell • Droney • Friedman • Gajarsa • Garland • Gilman • Gold • Gwin • Hall • Hayden • Hull • Ishii • Jenkins • Kauffman • Kennedy • Kimball • Kollar-Kotelly • Lazzara • Marbley • Marcus • Middlebrooks • Miller • Moon • Pratt • Rendell • Sippel • Siragusa • Snyder • Thrash | ||
| 1998 |
Aiken • Barbier • Barzilay • Berman • Buttram • Carter • Collins • Dawson • Dimitrouleas • Fletcher • Fogel • Frank • Graber • Hellerstein • Herndon • James • Johnson • Kane • Kelly • G. King • R. King • Lasnik • Lee • Lemelle • Lindsay • Lipez • Manella • Matz • McCuskey • McKeown • McMahon • Mickle • Mollway • Mordue • Moreno • Morrow • Munley • Murphy • Pallmeyer • Pauley • Polster • Pooler • Rawlinson • Ridgway • R. Roberts • V. Roberts • Sack • Scott • Seitz • Seymour • Shea • Silverman • Sleet • Sotomayor • Steeh • Story • Straub • Tagle • Tarnow • Trauger • Traxler • Tyson • Wardlaw • Whelan • Young | ||
| 1999 |
Alsup • Barry • Brown • Buchwald • Cooper • Eaton • Ellison • Feess • Fisher • Gould • Guzman • Haynes • Hibbler • Hochberg • Hurd • Huvelle • Jordan • Katzmann • Kennelly • Linn • Lorenz • Lynn • Marrero • Murguia • Pannell • Pechman • Pepper • Phillips • Schreier • Stewart • Underhill • Ward • Williams • Wilson | ||
| 2000 |
Ambro • Antoon • Battani • Berzon • Bolton • Brady • Bye • Cavanaugh • Daniels • Darrah • Dawson • Dyk • Fuentes • Garaufis • Garcia-Gregory • Hamilton • Huck • Hunt • Lawson • Lefkow • Lynch • Martin • McLaughlin • Moody • Murguia • Paez • Pisano • Presnell • Rawlinson • Reagan • Schiller • Singal • Steele • Surrick • Swain • Tallman • Teilborg • Tucker • Whittemore | ||
