John Godbold
John Cooper Godbold (1920-2009) is a former Federal Appeals judge with the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. Godbold was serving on senior status when he died on December 22, 2009.[1]
Early life and education
A native of Alabama, Godbold graduated from Auburn University with his bachelor's degree in 1940 before graduating from Harvard Law School with his juris doctorate degree in 1948. Godbold was also a U.S. Army Major as a Division Artillery Headquarters Specialist from 1941 to 1946.[2]
Professional career
Godbold served as a private practice attorney licensed in the State of Alabama from 1948 to 1966. Godbold also served as Director of the Federal Judicial Center from 1987 to 1990 before becoming a professor of law for Cumberland School of Law at Samford University since 1990.[2]
Awards and associations
- 1995: Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award, American Judicature Society[3]
Federal judicial career
Fifth Circuit
Godbold was nominated to the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit by President Lyndon Johnson on June 28, 1966 to a seat vacated by Richard Rives. Godbold was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on July 22, 1966, on a senate vote and received commission on July 22, 1966. Godbold served as the Chief Judge of the court briefly in 1981 before being transferred to the then-newly created United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.[2]
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals
As part of legislation signed by President Ronald Reagan to create a new United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, Godbold was reassigned on October 1, 1981. Godbold served as the Chief Judge of the court from 1981 to 1986 before assuming senior status on October 23, 1987. He continued to serve the court until his death on December 22, 2009.[2]
Footnotes
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Richard Rives |
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals 1966–1981 |
Succeeded by: NA |
| Preceded by: NA - reassigned |
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals 1981–2009 |
Succeeded by: Emmett Cox
|
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 • | ||
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 |
Anderson • Bratton • Christie • Collins • Cowen • Davis • Ely • Freedman • Gordon • Higginbotham • McNichols • Muecke • Nichols • Port • Rabinovitz • Robinson • Simons • Suttle • Weber • Whelan • Zampano | ||
| 1965 |
Bryant • Celebrezze • Coffin • Coleman • Collinson • Corcoran • Doyle • Eubanks • Fortas • Frankel • Gasch • Gibson • Gordon • Harris • Hemphill • Hill • Hunter • Landis • Langley • Leventhal • Maxwell • McEntee • Mehrtens • Nichol • Reynolds • Russell • Smith • Tamm • Thornberry • Young | ||
| 1966 |
Ainsworth • Atkins • Boyle • Cabot • Cassibry • Copple • Craven • Cummings • Dyer • Fairchild • Feinberg • Ferguson • Fullam • Garrity • Godbold • Goldberg • Goodwin • Gray • Guinn • Harvey • Hauk • Heaney • Heebe • Hickey • Hogan • Kaufman • Kinneary • Krentzman • Lay • Leddy • Lord • Lynch • MacKenzie • Mansfield • McCree • McRae • Mitchell • Motley • Napoli • Nichols • Noland • Peck II • Peckham • Pettine • Pittman • Porter • Real • Roberts • Robinson • Robinson • Rubin • Russell • Scott • Seals • Seitz • Simpson • Singleton • Skelton • Smith • Smith • Taylor • Thomas • von der Heydt • Watson • Winter • Wise | ||
| 1967 |
Arnow • Beckworth • Belloni • Butzner • Cancio • Carter • Clayton • Combs • Comiskey • Curtin • Eaton • Edenfield • Fernandez-Badillo • Gesell • Gordon • Jones • Keith • Kellam • Lambros • Maletz • Marshall • Masterson • Merhige • Morgan • Murray • Neville • Pollack • Pregerson • Theis • Troutman • Van Dusen • Waddy • Weiner • Weinstein • Whipple • Williams | ||
| 1968 |
Aldisert • Baldwin • Bownes • Bright • Green • Gubow • Henderson • Holloway • Hufstedler • Judd • Justice • Keady • Kerner, Jr. • Lasker • Latchum • Lawrence • McMillan • Morgan • Newman • Nixon • Pratt • Re • Rosenstein • Schwartz • Smith • Stahl • Travia • Woodward | ||
