Jon Levy
2024 - Present
1
Jon D. Levy is a federal judge on senior status with the United States District Court for the District of Maine. He was nominated to the court by President Barack Obama on September 19, 2013, and confirmed by the United States Senate on April 30, 2014, by a vote of 75-20.[1][2] Levy received commission on May 2, 2014.[3] To see a full list of judges appointed by Obama, click here.
Levy assumed senior status on May 6, 2024.[4]
The United States District Court for the District of Maine is one of 94 U.S. district courts. They are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. To learn more about the court, click here.
Prior to joining the court, he served as an associate justice on the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. He was appointed to the state's highest court in March 7, 2002, by then-governor Angus King, an independent. He was re-appointed by Governor John Baldacci on February 4, 2009. His seven-year term would have ended in 2016.[5][6][7][8]
Judicial nominations and appointments
United States District Court for the District of Maine (2014-present)
Levy was nominated to this position by Barack Obama (D) on September 13, 2013. He was confirmed by a 75-20 vote of the U.S. Senate on April 30, 2014. To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Jon Levy |
| Court: District of Maine |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 223 days after nomination. |
 Nominated: September 19, 2013
|
| ABA Rating: Substantial Majority Well Qualified, Minority Qualified
|
| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| Hearing: December 19, 2013
|
| QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
| Reported: January 16, 2014
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| Confirmed: April 30, 2014
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| Vote: 75-20
|
Confirmation vote
The U.S. Senate confirmed Levy on April 30, 2014. All of the 52 Democrats in the chamber, along with 21 Republicans and two Independents voted in favor of confirmation, while 20 Republicans voted against confirmation. One Democrat and four Republicans did not vote.[2] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.
| Jon Levy confirmation vote (April 30, 2014) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Yea | Nay | No vote | ||||||
 Democratic |
52 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
 Republican |
21 | 20 | 4 | ||||||
 Independent |
2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 75 | 20 | 5 | ||||||
Senate Judiciary Committee hearing
Levy had his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on December 19, 2013. Levy was reported to the full Senate on January 16, 2014, after a 15-2 vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee.[9]
Nomination
Levy was nominated to succeed Judge George Singal, who assumed senior status on July 31, 2013. Levy's name was forwarded by a judicial screening panel and recommended by Senators Susan Collins and Angus King. In a joint statement, Collins and King said:
| “ | During his long and distinguished career as both an attorney and a judge, Jon has had a significant impact on the Maine judicial system by virtue of his intelligence and service to the court. His nomination deserves bipartisan support.[1][10] | ” |
The American Bar Association rated Levy Well Qualified by a substantial majority and Qualified by the minority.[11] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.
Levy's nomination was returned by the Senate on January 3, 2014, and he was renominated on January 6th by President Obama.[12]
Maine Supreme Judicial Court (2002-2014)
Levy was appointed to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court on March 7, 2002, by Gov. Angus King (I). He was reappointed to the position by Gov. John E. Baldacci (D) on February 4, 2009, and served on that court until his appointment to a federal court. Levy was succeeded by Jeffrey Hjelm.
Education
Levy earned his B.S. from Syracuse University in 1976 and his J.D. from the West Virginia University College of Law in 1979.[13]
Professional career
- 2014-2024: Judge, United States District Court for the District of Maine
- 2024-present: Senior judge
- 2019-2024: Chief judge
- 2002-2019: Associate justice, Maine Supreme Judicial Court
- 1995-2002: Maine Judicial Branch
- 2001-2002: Chief judge
- 2000-2001: Deputy chief judge
- 1995-2000: District court judge, Tenth District
- 1994-1995: Attorney, Levy & Bartlett
- 1992-1995: President, Landmark Publishing Company
- 1986-1994: Attorney, Law Offices of Jon D. Levy
- 1986: Lecturer, American Institute for paralegal Studies
- 1983-1986: Attorney, Lowther & Levy, P.A.
- 1981-1982: Special monitor, United States District Court, Southern District of Texas
- 1979-1981: Law clerk, John Copenhaver, Southern District of West Virginia[8][13][14]
Recommendations
United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit
U.S. Reps Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree recommended Levy to President Obama in May of 2011 for a federal judgeship on the United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit.[15] Levy was not officially nominated for the position.
Noteworthy cases
The section below lists noteworthy cases heard by this judge. To suggest cases we should cover here, email us.
Does v. Mills (2021)
Does v. Mills: On October 19, 2021, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer declined to suspend Maine’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers. The plaintiffs argued that the mandate violated their right, under the First Amendment, to the free exercise of religion because it did not provide for a religious exemption. Chief Judge Jon Levy, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, denied the plaintiffs' earlier request for a temporary restraining order and later refused to grant a preliminary injunction against the mandate. Levy, a Barack Obama (D) appointee, concluded that the plaintiffs had not been “prevented from staying true to their professed religious beliefs,” because they were still able to refuse vaccination, albeit at the risk of being terminated from their jobs. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit declined to intervene, prompting the plaintiffs to petition Breyer, the justice assigned to field emergency requests from Maine, to suspend the mandate pending appeal. Later on October 19, the First Circuit affirmed Levy’s decision, finding that "Maine's interest in safeguarding its residents is paramount." The plaintiffs then filed another emergency application with Breyer, seeking an injunction pending a decision by the full Court as to whether to take up the appeal.[16][17][18][19][20]
Ranked-choice voting lawsuit (2018)
- See also: United States District Court for the District of Maine (Maine Republican Party v. Dunlap, 1:18-cv-00179-JDL)
- See also: United States District Court for the District of Maine (Maine Republican Party v. Dunlap, 1:18-cv-00179-JDL)
On May 29, 2018, Levy issued a ruling in Maine Republican Party v. Dunlap, denying Republicans' request for an injunction against the ranked-choice voting law and clearing the way for its implementation in the June 12, 2018, primary election. Levy wrote the following in his ruling: "Because the RCV Act does not regulate who may participate in a primary or intrude on the Maine Republican Party's internal governance or processes, its effect on Maine's primary process does not impose a severe or heavy burden on the Maine Republican Party's associational rights." Joshua Dunlap, an attorney for Maine Republicans, said, "The Maine Republican Party is disappointed in the outcome of its motion for a preliminary injunction. The ruling is contrary to Supreme Court precedent making it clear that the state cannot freely regulate the party's process for selecting its nominees."[21][22] To read more about this opinion and its impact on voting systems in Maine, click here.
Awards and associations
Awards
- 2006: Outstanding Member Award, York County Bar Association
- 2001: Family Law Achievement Award, Maine State Bar Association
- 1979: Order of the Coif, West Virginia University College of Law
- 1979: West Virginia Law School Association Award
- 1979: James F. Brown Constitutional Law Award, West Virginia University College of Law
Associations
- 2005-Present: Director and treasurer, William Vaughan House Condominium Association
- 2002-2005: Gignoux Inn of Court
- 1990-1995: York Hosipital Board of Trustees
- 1994-1995: Vice-chair of the Board
- 1993-1994: Chair of the Finance Committee
- 1990-1994: Maine Businesses for Social Responsibility
- 1988-1994: YORKWISE
- 1988-1990: Pine Tree Legal Assistance Board of Directors[14]
About the court
| District of Maine |
|---|
| First Circuit |
|
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 3 |
| Judges: 3 |
| Vacancies: 0 |
| Judges |
| Chief: Lance Walker |
| Active judges: Active judges: Stacey Neumann, Nancy Torresen, Lance Walker Senior judges: |
The United States District Court for the District of Maine, often referred to as the District of Maine, is one of 94 United States district courts. The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. To read more about district courts, click here.
The court is headquartered in Portland, Maine, and has a second courthouse in Bangor, Maine. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
The District of Maine was one of the original 13 district courts established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, even though Maine was not a separate state from Massachusetts until 1820.
The District of Maine has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
The jurisdiction of the District of Maine consists of all the counties in the state of Maine. The court's headquarters are in Portland, with a courthouse in Bangor.[23]
To read opinions published by this court, click here.
The federal nomination process
Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:
- The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
- The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
- The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
- As part of this process, the committee sends a blue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
- After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
- If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
- If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
- The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
- If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
- If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.
See also
External links
- White House "President Obama Nominates Eight to Serve on the United States District Courts," September 19, 2013
- States of Maine Judicial Branch, "Biographies of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court justices," accessed April 14, 2014
- Kennebec Journal, "Two from Maine recommended for Court of Appeals," May 27, 2011
- Biography from the Federal Judicial Center
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Portland Press Herald, "Obama nominates Maine judge for federal bench," September 19, 2013
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 United States Senate, "On the Nomination (Confirmation Jon David Levy, of Maine, to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Maine)," accessed May 1, 2014
- ↑ Federal Judiciary Center, "Levy, Jon David," accessed May 5, 2014
- ↑ United States Courts, "Future Judicial Vacancies," accessed April 27, 2023
- ↑ Maine Supreme Court, "Justices since 1820," accessed May 4, 2015
- ↑ Maine Supreme Judicial Court
- ↑ Maine, "Gov. Baldacci 2009 Appointments," accessed May 4, 2015
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Maine.gov, "Official biography of Judge Levy," accessed May 4, 2015
- ↑ The Library of Congress, "PN1214-113," accessed April 14, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ ABA, "RATINGS OF ARTICLE III JUDICIAL NOMINEES 113TH CONGRESS," September 25, 2013
- ↑ White House, "Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate," January 7, 2014
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Cleaves Law Library, "Biography of Jon Levy," accessed May 4, 2015
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Senate Judiciary Committee, "Questions for Judicial Nominees," accessed April 14, 2013
- ↑ Daily Journal, "Maine judge, attorney nominated to serve on 1st Circuit Court of Appeals," May 27, 2011
- ↑ United States District Court for the District of Maine, "Does v. Mills: Verified Complaint for Temporary Restraining Order, Preliminary and Permanent Injunctive Relief, Declaratory Relief, and Damages," August 25, 2021
- ↑ United States District Court for the District of Maine, "Does v. Mills: Opinion," August 26, 2021
- ↑ United States District Court for the District of Maine, "Does v. Mills: Order on Plaintiffs' Motion for Preliminary Injunction," October 13, 2021
- ↑ United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, "Does v. Mills: Opinion," October 19, 2021
- ↑ Supreme Court of the United States, "Does v. Mills: Emergency Application for Writ of Injunction Pending Disposition of Petition for Writ of Certiorari," accessed October 28, 2021
- ↑ Bangor Daily News, "Maine GOP must use ranked-choice voting in primary, judge rules," May 29, 2018
- ↑ Portland Press Herald, "Judge denies Republicans’ bid to escape ranked-choice voting in June 12 primaries," May 29, 2018
- ↑ U.S. Marshals Service, "District of Maine Courthouse Locations," accessed October 10, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by George Singal |
United States District Court for the District of Maine 2014-2024 |
Succeeded by Stacey Neumann |
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 • | ||
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominated | |||
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
