United States District Court for the Eastern District of California

Eastern District of California
Ninth Circuit
Judgeships
Posts: 6
Judges: 6
Vacancies: 0
Judges
Chief: Troy L. Nunley
Active judges: Daniel Calabretta, Dena Coggins, Dale A. Drozd, Troy L. Nunley, Kirk Sherriff, Jennifer L. Thurston Senior judges: Garland Burrell, Morrison England, Anthony Ishii, John Mendez, Kimberly Mueller, Lawrence O'Neill, William Shubb

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of California is one of 94 United States district courts. The district operates at courthouses in Sacramento, Fresno, Redding, Bakersfield, and Yosemite When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, based in downtown San Francisco, California, at the James R. Browning Federal Courthouse.

Vacancies

See also: Current federal judicial vacancies

There are no current vacancies on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, out of the court's six judicial positions.

Pending nominations

There are no pending nominees for this court.

Active judges

Article III judges

Judge	Appointed By	Assumed Office	Bachelors	Law
Troy L. Nunley	Barack Obama (D)	March 26, 2013 -	St. Mary's College of California, 1986	University of California, 1990
Dale A. Drozd	Barack Obama (D)	November 2, 2015 -	California State University, San Diego, 1977	University of California, Los Angeles, 1980
Jennifer L. Thurston	Joe Biden (D)	December 27, 2021 -	California State University, 1989	California Pacific Law, 1997
Daniel Calabretta	Joe Biden (D)	February 21, 2023 -	Princeton University	University of Chicago Law School
Kirk Sherriff	Joe Biden (D)	February 7, 2024 -	Columbia University, 1990	Harvard Law School, 1995
Dena Coggins	Joe Biden (D)	September 18, 2024 -	California State University, Sacramento, 2003	University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, 2006

Active Article III judges by appointing political party

The list below displays the number of active judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.

• Democratic appointed: 6
• Republican appointed: 0

Senior judges

Judge	Appointed By	Assumed Office	Bachelors	Law
William Shubb	George H.W. Bush (R)	November 1, 2004 -	University of California, Berkeley, 1960	University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, 1963
Garland Burrell	George H.W. Bush (R)	July 4, 2012 -	California State University, Los Angeles, 1972	California Western School of Law, San Diego, 1976
Anthony Ishii	Bill Clinton (D)	October 31, 2012 -	Reedley Junior College, 1966	University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, 1973
Morrison England	George W. Bush (R)	December 17, 2019 -	University of the Pacific, 1977	University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, 1983
Lawrence O'Neill	George W. Bush (R)	February 2, 2020 -	University of California, Berkeley, 1973	University of California, Hastings College of the Law, 1979
John Mendez	George W. Bush (R)	April 17, 2022 -	Stanford University, 1977	Harvard Law School, 1980
Kimberly Mueller	Barack Obama (D)	September 17, 2024 -	Pomona College, 1981	Stanford Law School, 1995

Senior judges by appointing political party

The list below displays the number of senior judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.

• Democratic appointed: 2
• Republican appointed: 5

Magistrate judges

Federal magistrate judges are federal judges who serve in United States district courts, but they are not appointed by the president and they do not serve life terms. Magistrate judges are assigned duties by the district judges in the district in which they serve. They may preside over most phases of federal proceedings, except for criminal felony trials. The specific duties of a magistrate judge vary from district to district, but the responsibilities always include handling matters that would otherwise be on the dockets of the district judges. Full-time magistrate judges serve for renewable terms of eight years. Some federal district courts have part-time magistrate judges, who serve for renewable terms of four years.

Judge	Appointed By	Assumed Office	Bachelors	Law
Sheila K. Oberto	United States District Court for the Eastern District of California	April 12, 2010 -	University of Southern California, 1977	University of Southern California, Gould School of Law, 1985
Carolyn K. Delaney	United States District Court for the Eastern District of California	August 1, 2011 -	Wesleyan University, 1984	Stanford University Law, 1988
Barbara A. McAuliffe	United States District Court for the Eastern District of California	October 14, 2011 -	Louisiana State University, 1980	University of Stan Diego Law, 1989
Allison Claire	United States District Court for the Eastern District of California	November 1, 2012 -	University of California, Santa Cruz, 1990	University of California, Berkeley, 1993
Stanley A. Boone	United States District Court for the Eastern District of California	December 31, 2012 -	University of California, Berkeley, 1988	University of the Pacific, 1995
Erica P. Grosjean	United States District Court for the Eastern District of California	October 12, 2015 -	University of California, Berkeley, 1997	Harvard Law School, 2000
Jeremy Peterson	United States District Court for the Eastern District of California	April 27, 2018 -	Swarthmore College, 1999	Harvard Law School, 2006
Dennis Cota	United States District Court for the Eastern District of California	September 3, 2018 -	University of California, Los Angeles, 1983	University of California, Davis, 1986
Helena Barch-Kuchta	United States District Court for the Eastern District of California	November 1, 2020 -	Pennsylvania State University, 1983	Duquesne University School of Law, 1990
Christopher Baker	United States District Court for the Eastern District of California	October 3, 2022 -	U.S. Naval Academy, 1994	University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, 2004
Chi Soo Kim	United States District Court for the Eastern District of California	March 29, 2024 -	Princeton University, 1999	Georgetown University, 2004
Sean Riordan	United States District Court for the Eastern District of California	August 1, 2024 -	Whittier College	University of California, Los Angeles School of Law

Former chief judges

In order to qualify for the office of chief judge in an Article III circuit or district court, or on the United States Court of International Trade, a judge must be in active service and hold seniority over the court's commissioned judges who are 64 years of age or under, have served one year or more, and have not previously served as chief judge.

In the event that no judge on the court meets those qualifications, the youngest judge in regular active service aged 65 years or more and who has served as a judge for one year or more shall become chief judge. If no judge meets those qualifications, the judge holding seniority in active service who has not served as chief before shall become the chief judge.

The chief judge serves for a term of seven years until another judge becomes eligible to serve in the position. No judge is permitted to serve as chief judge after reaching the age of 70 years unless no other judge is qualified to serve.

Unlike the chief justice of the United States, a chief judge returns to active service after the expiration of their term and does not create a vacancy on the court by the fact of their promotion.

On the United States Court of Federal Claims, the chief judge is selected by the president of the United States. The judge must be less than 70 years of age. A chief may serve until they reach age 70 or until another judge is designated by the president as the new chief judge. If the president selects a new chief judge, the former chief judge may continue active service on the court for the remainder of their appointed term.

Kimberly Mueller - (2020-2024) Lawrence O'Neill - (2016-2019) Morrison England - (2012-2016) Anthony Ishii - (2008 - 2012) Garland Burrell - (2007 - 2008) David Levi - (2003 - 2007) William Shubb - (1996 - 2003) Robert Coyle - (1990 - 1996)

Lawrence Karlton - (1983 - 1990) Philip Wilkins - (1979 - 1983) Thomas MacBride - (1967 - 1979) Myron Crocker - (1966 - 1967)

Robert T. Matsui United States Federal Courthouse, Sacramento, CA

Former judges

For more information about the judges of the Eastern District of California, see former federal judges of the Eastern District of California.

Robert E. Coyle United States Federal Courthouse, Fresno, CA

Jurisdiction

The Counties of the Eastern District of California (click for larger map)

The Eastern District of California has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.

The geographic jurisdiction of the Eastern District of California consists of all the following counties in the eastern part of the state of California.

There are five court divisions, with the two main court divisions covering the following counties:

The Fresno Division, covering Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Stanislaus, Tulare and Tuolumne counties

The Sacramento Division, covering Alpine, Amador, Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo and Yuba counties

The Eastern Division hears cases from Riverside and San Bernardino counties at its Riverside courthouse.

The Bakersfield office has jurisdiction over certain cases in Inyo and Kern counties and on federal lands and National Parks. These cases are heard in courthouses in Bakersfield, at Edwards Air Force Base, and in Independence, California.

The Redding/Susanville office hears misdemeanors and petty crimes for federal lands and National Parks in four locations: Alturas, Chester, Herlong and Redding.

The South Lake Tahoe office hears misdemeanors and petty crimes for federal lands and National Parks.

The Yosemite office hears misdemeanors and petty crimes for Yosemite National Park.

Caseloads

This section contains court management statistics dating back to 2010. It was last updated in September 2023.

Click [show] below for more information on caseload terms and definitions.

Caseload statistics explanation
Term	Explanation
Cases filed and terminated	The number of civil and criminal lawsuits formally initiated or decided by the court in a calendar year. The chart below reflects the table columns Cases filed and Cases terminated.
Average time from filing to disposition	The average amount of time, in months, from a case's date of filing to date of disposition (acquittal, sentencing, dismissal, etc.). The chart below reflects the table columns Median time (Criminal) and Median time (Civil).
Starting case load	The number of cases pending from the previous calendar year.
Cases filed	The number of civil and criminal lawsuits formally initiated in a calendar year.
Cases terminated	The total number of civil and criminal lawsuits decided by the court in a calendar year.
Remaining cases	The number of civil and criminal cases pending at the end of a given year.
Median time (Criminal)	The average amount of time, in months, from a case's date of filing to the date of disposition. In criminal cases, the date of disposition occurs on the day of sentencing or acquittal/dismissal.
Median time (Civil)	The average amount of time, in months, from a case's date of filing to the date of disposition.
Three-year civil cases	The number and percent of civil cases that were filed more than three years before the end of the given calendar year.
Vacant posts	The number of months during the year an authorized judgeship was vacant.
Trial/Post	The number of trials completed divided by the number of authorized judgeships on the court. Trials include evidentiary trials, hearings on temporary restraining orders, and preliminary injunctions.
Source: United States Courts, "Explanation of the Judicial Caseload Profiles for United States District Courts," accessed September 25, 2018

United States District Court for the Eastern District of California caseload stats, 2010-2022
Year	Cases Filed	Cases Terminated	Cases Pending	Number of Judgeships	Vacant Judgeship Months	Average Total Filings per Judgeship	Trials Completed per Judgeship	Median time from filing to disposition, criminal	Median time from filing to disposition, civil	Three-year civil cases (#)	Three-year civil cases (%)
2010	7,388	6,889	9,557	6	11	1,231	17	12	8	733	10
2011	6,722	7,314	7,986	6	0	1,121	16	13	8	739	11
2012	6,580	7,257	8,347	6	8	1,097	14	14	8	766	13
2013	5,971	6,186	8,136	6	15	995	16	15	9	775	14
2014	6,057	6,213	7,952	6	9	1,010	14	17	8	841	14
2015	5,495	5,775	7,630	6	12	916	16	20	9	785	14
2016	5,614	5,524	7,713	6	0	936	15	23	9	807	13
2017	5,281	5,536	7,477	6	0	880	19	23	10	744	13
2018	5,861	5,768	7,448	6	0	977	15	19	8	738	13
2019	5,128	5,195	7,403	6	0	855	13	19	10	741	13
2020	10,313	9,238	13,036	14	0	737	5	13	11	1,039	9
2021	10,990	10,987	13,012	14	34	785	8	16	9	1,050	9
2022	10,090	8,936	14,246	14	56	721	9	19	8	1,445	11
Average	7,038	6,986	9,226	8	11	943	14	17	9	862	12

History

The Eastern District of California was established by Congress on March 18, 1966, with one judicial post being transferred from the Southern District and two from the Northern District. Over time, three additional judicial posts were added for a total of six current posts.

Judicial posts

The following table highlights the development of judicial posts for the Eastern District of California:

Year	Statute	Total Seats
March 18, 1966	80 Stat. 75	3
October 20, 1978	92 Stat. 1629	6

Noteworthy events

Federal Judicial Conference recommendation (2019)

In March 2019, the Federal Judicial Conference (FJC) recommended that five judgeships be added to the district. Based on FJC data, the district handled 855 weighted filings per judgeship from September 2017 to September 2018. Weighted filings are a specific metric used by the federal judiciary that accounts for the different amounts of time judges require to resolve types of civil and criminal cases. The national average in that period for weighted filings per judgeship was 513.

The FJC is the policy-making body for the United States federal courts system. It was first organized as the Conference of Senior Circuit Judges in 1922. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States serves as chair of the conference. The members of the conference are the chief judge of each judicial circuit, the Chief Judge of the Court of International Trade, and a district judge from each regional judicial circuit.

Federal courthouse

Two separate courthouses serve the Eastern District of California.

About United States District Courts

The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. There are 94 such courts. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of both law and equity.

There is a United States bankruptcy court and a number of bankruptcy judges associated with each United States district court. Each federal judicial district has at least one courthouse, and most districts have more than one.

There is at least one judicial district for each state, and one each for Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. District courts in three insular areas—the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands—exercise the same jurisdiction as U.S. district courts. Despite their name, these courts are technically not District Courts of the United States. Judges on these territorial courts do not enjoy the protections of Article III of the Constitution, and serve terms of 10 years rather than for life.

There are 677 U.S. District Court judgeships.

The number of federal district judge positions is set by the U.S. Congress in Title 28 of the U.S. Code, Section 133, which authorizes a set number of judge positions, or judgeships, making changes and adjustments in these numbers from time to time.

In order to relieve the pressure of trying the hundreds of thousands of cases brought before the federal district courts each year, many trials are tried by juries, along with a presiding judge.

Appointments by president

The chart below shows the number of district court judges confirmed by the U.S. Senate through September 1 of the first year of presidents' second term in office. At this point in the term, President Obama had the most district court appointments with 19.

Judges by district

See also: Judicial vacancies in federal courts

The table below displays the number of judges in each district and indicates how many were appointed by presidents from each major political party. It also includes the number of vacancies in a district and how many pending nominations for that district are before the United States Senate. The table can be sorted by clicking the column headers above the line, and you can navigate through the pages by clicking the arrows at the top of the table. It is updated every Monday.

Judicial selection

The district courts are served by Article III federal judges who are appointed for life during "good behavior." They are usually first recommended by senators (or members of the House, occasionally). The President of the United States makes the appointments, which must then be confirmed by the U.S. Senate in accordance with Article III of the United States Constitution.

Step	A Candidacy Proceeds	A Candidacy Halts
1. Recommendation made by Congress Member to the President	President Nominates to Senate Judiciary Committee	President Declines Nomination
2. Senate Judiciary Committee interviews Candidate	Sends candidate to Senate for confirmation	Returns candidate to President, who may re-nominate to Committee
3. Senate votes on candidate confirmation	Candidate becomes federal judge	Candidate does not receive judgeship

Magistrate judges

The district courts are also served by magistrate judges. Congress created the judicial office of federal magistrate in 1968. In 1990, the position title was changed to magistrate judge. The chief judge of each district appoints one or more magistrate judges, who discharge many of the ancillary duties of district judges so judges can handle more trials. There are both full-time and part-time magistrate judge positions, and these positions are assigned to the district courts according to caseload criteria (subject to funding by Congress). A full-time magistrate judge serves a term of eight years; a part-time magistrate judge's term of office is four years.

See also

• United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• District of Alaska
• District of Arizona
• Central District of California
• Northern District of California
• Southern District of California
• District of Hawaii
• District of Idaho
• District of Montana
• District of Nevada
• District of Oregon
• Eastern District of Washington
• Western District of Washington
• United States District Court for the District of Guam
• United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands

External links

• United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, "Official Website"
• Federal Judicial Center, "Judges of the Eastern District of California"
• Eastern District of California, "Local Rules"
• Eastern District of California, "Opinions"