United States District Court for the Central District of California
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The United States District Court for the Central District of California (in case citations, C.D. Cal.; commonly referred to as the CDCA or CACD) is a federal trial court that serves over 19 million people in Southern and Central California, making it the most populous federal judicial district.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The district was created on September 18, 1966. Cases from the Central District are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the United States government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit). Along with the Central District of Illinois, the court is the only district court referred to by the name "Central" – all other courts with similar geographical names instead use the term "Middle".
History
California was admitted to the union on September 9, 1850, and was divided into two federal trial court districts – Northern and Southern – by Act of Congress on September 28, 1850, 9 Stat. 521.<ref name=fjcca>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The boundary was at the 37th parallel.<ref name=calif>Willoughby Rodman, History of the Bench and Bar of Southern California (1909), p. 46.</ref> The two districts were merged as the United States District Court for the District of California on July 27, 1866, by 14 Stat. 300.<ref name=fjcca /><ref name=calif /> On August 5, 1886, Congress re-created the Southern District by 24 Stat. 308,<ref name=calif /> while the northern half was renamed Northern District. The Eastern and Central Districts of California were created on March 18, 1966 from portions of the Northern and Southern Districts by 80 Stat. 75.<ref name=fjcca />
Divisions
The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California is divided into three divisions, with jurisdiction over seven counties: Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.
The Eastern Division covers Riverside and San Bernardino Counties at the Riverside courthouse.
The Southern Division covers Orange County from the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse in Santa Ana.
The Western Division covers Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties. Cases are heard in two courthouses in downtown Los Angeles. All but two district judges are located in the new First Street Courthouse, whereas magistrate judges and two district judges maintain chambers in the Edward R. Roybal Courthouse.
United States attorney for the Central District of California
The United States attorney for the Central District of California represents the United States government in civil and criminal cases before the court. Beginning on April 2, 2025, the interim U.S. Attorney for the district was Bill Essayli. On October 28, 2025, a federal judge ruled that Essayli's authority as an interim appointee had expired as of July 29, 2025. Judge J. Michael Seabright wrote that "Essayli unlawfully assumed the role of Acting United States Attorney for the Central District of California", stating that "He is disqualified from serving in that role".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Current judges
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Former judges
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Chief judges
Succession of seats
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List of U.S. attorneys
- George J. Denis (1888–1889)<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Aurelus H. Hutton (1889–1890)
- Matthew T. Allen (1892–1893)
- George J. Denis (1893–1897)
- Frank P. Flint (1897–1901)
- Louis H. Valentine (1901–1905)
- Oscar Lawler (1905–1909)
- Albert Schoonover (1913–1917)
- J. Robert O’Conner (1917–1921)
- Joseph C. Burke (1921–1925)
- Samuel W. McNabb (1925–1933)
- John Rose Laying (1933)
- Peirson M. Hall (1933–1937)
- Ben Harrison (1937–1940)
- William Fleet Palmer (1940–1942)
- Leo V. Silverstein (1942–1943)
- Charles H. Carr (1943–1946)
- James M. Carter (1946–1949)
- Ernest A. Tolin (1949–1951)
- Walter Binns (1951–1953)
- Laughlin Edward Waters Sr. (1953–1961)
- Francis C. Whelan (1961–1964)
- Thomas R. Sheridan (1962–1964)
- Manuel L. Real (1964–1966)<ref>In 1966, the Central District of California was created from portions of the Southern District of California.</ref>
- John K. Van de Kamp (1966–1967)
- William Matthew Byrne Jr. (1967–1970)
- Robert L. Meyer (1970–1972)
- William D. Keller (1972–1977)
- Robert L. Brosio (1977) (Acting)
- Andrea S. Ordin (1977–1981)
- Alexander H. Williams, III (1981) (Acting)
- Stephen S. Trott (1981–1983)
- Alexander H. Williams, III (1983–1984)
- Robert C. Bonner (1984–1989)
- Gary Allen Feess (1989)
- Robert L. Brosio (1989–1990)
- Lourdes Baird (1990–1992)
- Terree Bowers (1992–1994)
- Nora Margaret Manella (1994–1998)
- Alejandro Mayorkas (1998–2001)
- John S. Gordon (2001–2002)
- Debra Wong Yang (2002–2006)
- George S. Cardona (2006–2007)
- Thomas P. O'Brien (2007–2009)
- George S. Cardona (2009–2010) (Acting)
- André Birotte Jr. (2010–2014)
- Stephanie Yonekura (2014–2015) (Acting)
- Eileen M. Decker (2015–2017)
- Sandra R. Brown (2017–2018) (Acting)
- Nicola T. Hanna (2018–2021)
- Tracy L. Wilkison (2021–2022) (Acting)
- E. Martin Estrada (2022–2025)
- Joseph T. McNally (2025) (Acting)
- Bill Essayli (2025)
See also
- Courts of California
- List of current United States district judges
- List of United States federal courthouses in California
References
External links
- United States District Court, Central District of California
- United States Attorney's Office, Central District of California
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