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John Woodcock
2017 - Present
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John A. Woodcock Jr. is a federal judge on senior status with the United States District Court for the District of Maine. He joined the court in 2003 after being nominated by President George W. Bush. From 2009 to 2015, Woodcock served as chief judge of the district court.[1]
Early life and education
Born in Bangor, Maine, Woodcock received his bachelor's degree in 1972 from Bowdoin College, his master's degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1973, and his J.D. from the University of Maine School of Law in 1976.[1]
Professional career
- 2003 - Present: United States District Court for the District of Maine
- 2017 - Present: Senior judge
- 2009-2015: Chief judge
- 2003-2017: Judge
Judicial career
District of Maine
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: John A. Woodcock Jr. |
| Court: United States District Court for the District of Maine |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 77 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: March 27, 2003
|
| ABA Rating: Unanimously Well Qualified
|
| Questionnaire: |
| Hearing: May 22, 2003
|
| Hearing Transcript: Hearing Transcript |
| QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: June 5, 2003
|
| Confirmed: June 12, 2003
|
| Vote: Voice vote
|
Woodcock was nominated to the United States District Court for the District of Maine by President George W. Bush on March 27, 2003, to a seat vacated by Gene Carter. The American Bar Association rated Woodcock Unanimously Well Qualified for the nomination. Hearings on Woodcock's nomination were held before the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 22, 2003, and his nomination was reported by U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) on June 5, 2003. Woodcock was confirmed on a voice vote of the U.S. Senate on June 12, 2003, and he received his commission on June 16, 2003. From 2009 to 2015, Woodcock served as the chief judge of the district court. He elected to take senior status beginning on June 27, 2017.[1][2][3]
Noteworthy cases
Environmental cleanup case over Penobscot River mercury pollution (2014)
- See also: United States District Court for the District of Maine (Maine People's Alliance, et al v. Holtrachem Manufacturing Company, et al, 1:00-cv-00069-JAW)
- See also: United States District Court for the District of Maine (Maine People's Alliance, et al v. Holtrachem Manufacturing Company, et al, 1:00-cv-00069-JAW)
Judge Woodcock presided over a trial related to the cleanup of mercury deposits in the Penobscot River caused by the now defunct HoltraChem power plant. The company produced approximately 23,000 pounds of toxic mercury waste as a byproduct each year between 1967 and 1982.[4]
After losing a lawsuit in 2002, Mallinckrodt U.S. LLC took responsibility for the pollution caused by the plant, as well as the cleanup of a small part of the Penobscot. The Maine People’s Alliance and the Natural Resources Defense Council alleged that, since that time, Mallinckrodt has delayed the cleanup process. Since the initial ruling, the Department of Marine Resources decided to indefinitely close a seven-mile stretch of the river to lobster and crab fishermen due to elevated mercury levels found in aquatic life.[4]
In 2003, Judge Gene Carter ordered that a scientific study be conducted to determine the extent of mercury pollution present in the Penobscot. The study concluded in 2013. Mallinckrodt disagreed with the study's findings, arguing that they didn't demonstrate a need for remediation. The plaintiffs, on the other hand, argued that the mercury contamination posed a danger to wildlife and human health. Judge Woodcock will issue a ruling in the summer of 2014.[4]
On September 2, 2015, Judge Woodcock issued his order on a remediation plan. In the plan, Judge Woodcock said,[5]
| “ |
Having reviewed evidence and evaluated the arguments, the Court orders the appointment of an engineering firm, knowledgeable in mercury cleanup, to be recommended by the parties and selected by the Court to develop cost-effective and effective remedies to clean up the remaining mercury in the Penobscot River. Once the engineering firm completes its report, the Court will evaluate its contents, allow the parties to object to its recommendations, and resolve any disputes about the proposal and its implementation. The Court orders that Mallinckrodt fund the project to achieve these ends.[6] |
” |
See also
- United States District Court for the District of Maine
- United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Federal Judicial Center, "Biography of Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr.," accessed June 27, 2017
- ↑ United States Congress, "PN 469 — John A. Woodcock Jr. — The Judiciary," accessed June 27, 2017
- ↑ American Bar Association, "Ratings of Article III judicial nominees, 108th Congress," accessed June 27, 2017
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Bangor Daily News, "Prolonged legal battle over Penobscot River mercury cleanup headed to federal court," May 30, 2014
- ↑ U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, Maine People's Alliance et al. v. HoltraCHEM Manufacturing Company, LLC, et al., September 2, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Gene Carter |
District of Maine 2003–2017 Seat #1 |
Succeeded by: Lance Walker
|
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Active judges | |||
| Senior judges |
Jon Levy • George Singal • D. Brock Hornby • John Woodcock • | ||
| Magistrate judges | John Nivison • | ||
| Former Article III judges |
Gene Carter • David Sewall • Albion Keith Parris • Ashur Ware • Edward Fox • Nathan Webb • Clarence Hale • John Andrew Peters (Maine) • John Clifford (Maine) • Edward Gignoux • George Mitchell (Maine) • Conrad Cyr • Morton Brody • | ||
| Former Chief judges |
Jon Levy • George Singal • D. Brock Hornby • John Woodcock • Gene Carter • Edward Gignoux • | ||
Federal courts:
First Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Maine • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Maine
State courts:
Maine Supreme Judicial Court • Maine Superior Court • Maine Business and Consumer Court • Maine District Courts • Maine Family Division • Maine Juvenile Court • Maine Probate Courts • Maine Small Claims Court • Maine Treatment Court
State resources:
Courts in Maine • Maine judicial elections • Judicial selection in Maine
