United States District Court for the District of Alaska

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Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. federal court

The United States District Court for the District of Alaska (in case citations, D. Alaska) is a federal court that appeals to the Ninth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).

The District was established on July 7, 1958, pending Alaska statehood on January 3, 1959.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Alaska represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. Template:As of the United States attorney is Michael J. Heyman.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Organization of the court

The United States District Court for the District of Alaska is the sole federal judicial district in Alaska.<ref>Template:USCode</ref> Court for the district is held at Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau. In 2021, the court discontinued the use of courthouses in Ketchikan and Nome.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Current judges

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Vacancies and pending nominations

Seat Prior judge's duty station Seat last held by Vacancy reason Date of vacancy Nominee Date of nomination
2 Anchorage Timothy M. Burgess Senior status December 31, 2021 Aaron C. Peterson November 18, 2025
1 Joshua Kindred Resignation July 8, 2024 Template:Sort Template:Sort

Former judges

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Chief judges

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Succession of seats

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Territorial District Court

From 1884 through 1959, the highest court in Alaska was a United States territorial court. In 1900, the court was enlarged from one to three judges, with each judge having a district. From 1900 till 1909, the districts were Juneau (First), Nome (Second), and Fairbanks (Third). In 1909, a fourth district and judge was added. From 1909 till 1959, the districts were Juneau (First), Nome (Second), Valdez and Anchorage (Third), and Fairbanks (Fourth).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

# District Seat Judge State Born–died Active service Appointed by Reason for
termination
1 Sitka and Wrangell Ward McAllister Jr. CA 1855–1908 1884–1885 Arthur dismissal
2 Sitka and Wrangell E. J. Dawne OR 1844–? 1885 Cleveland dismissal
3 Sitka and Wrangell Lafayette Dawson MO 1839–1897 1885–1888 Cleveland resignation
4 Sitka and Wrangell John H. Keatley IA 1838–1905 1888–1889 Cleveland resignation
5 Sitka and Wrangell John S. Bugbee 1840–1896 1889–1892 B. Harrison
6 Sitka and Wrangell Warren Truitt 1849–1935 1892–1897 B. Harrison
7 Sitka and Wrangell Arthur Delaney 1841–1905 1895–1897 Cleveland dismissal
8 Sitka and Wrangell Charles S. Johnson 1854–1906 1897–1900 McKinley
9
1
Sitka and Wrangell Melville C. Brown 1838–1928 1900
1900–1904
McKinley
10 2 Nome Arthur H. Noyes 1853–1915 1900–1902 McKinley
11 3 Fairbanks James Wickersham 1857–1939 1900–1907 McKinley
12 2 Nome Alfred S. Moore 1846–1920 1902–1910 T. Roosevelt
13 1 Sitka and Wrangell (to 1906)
Juneau (from 1906)
Royal Arch Gunnison 1873–1918 1904–1909 T. Roosevelt
14 3 Fairbanks Silas H. Reid 1870–1911 1908–1909 T. Roosevelt
15 1 Juneau Thomas R. Lyons 1867–1941 1909–1913 Taft
16 3 Valdez and Anchorage Edward E. Cushman 1865–1944 1909–1912 Taft
17 4
3
Fairbanks
Valdez and Anchorage
Pete Overfield 1874–1959 1909–1912
1912–1913
Taft
18 2 Nome Cornelius D. Murane 1867–1951 1910–1913 Taft
19 4 Fairbanks Frederic E. Fuller 1868–1953 1912–1914 Taft
20 1 Juneau Robert W. Jennings 1864–1937 1913–1921 Wilson
21 3 Valdez and Anchorage Frederick M. Brown 1864–1946 1913–1921 Wilson
22 2 Nome John Randolph Tucker 1854–1926 1913–1917 Wilson
23 4 Fairbanks Charles E. Bunnell 1878–1956 1915–1921 Wilson
24 2 Nome William A. Holzheimer 1870–1948 1917–1921 Wilson
25 3 Valdez and Anchorage Elmer E. Ritchie 1861–1941 1921–1927 Harding
26 2 Nome Gudbrand J. Lomen 1854–1934 1921–1932 Harding
27 1 Juneau Thomas M. Reed Jr. 1857–1928 1921–1928 Harding
28 4
3
Fairbanks
Valdez and Anchorage
Cecil H. Clegg 1873–1956 1921–1932
1932–1934
Harding
29 3
4
Valdez and Anchorage
Fairbanks
E. Coke Hill 1866–1961 1927–1932
1932–1935
Coolidge
30 1 Juneau Justin Woodward Harding 1888–1976 1929–1934 Coolidge
31 2 Nome Lester O. Gore 1890–1965 1932–1934 Hoover
32 1 Juneau George F. Alexander 1882–1948 1933–1947 F. Roosevelt
33 3 Valdez and Anchorage Simon Hellenthal 1877–1955 1935–1945 F. Roosevelt
34 4 Fairbanks Harry Emerson Pratt 1884–1957 1935–1954 F. Roosevelt
35 2 Nome J. H. S. Morison 1864–1952 1935–1944 F. Roosevelt
36 2 Nome Joseph W. Kehoe 1890–1959 1944–1951 F. Roosevelt
37 3 Valdez and Anchorage Anthony Dimond 1881–1953 1945–1953 F. Roosevelt
38 1 Juneau George W. Folta 1893–1955 1947–1955 Truman death
39 2 Nome J. Earl Cooper 1907–1964 1952–1953 Truman
40 3 Valdez and Anchorage J. L. McCarrey Jr. 1906–1992 1953–1959 Eisenhower court dissolution
41 2 Nome Walter Hartman Hodge 1896–1975 1954–1959 Eisenhower court dissolution
42 4 Fairbanks Vernon D. Forbes 1905–1990 1954–1959 Eisenhower court dissolution
43 1 Juneau Raymond J. Kelly 1894–1979 1955–1959 Eisenhower court dissolution

== U.S. Attorney<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> == DISTRICT OF ALASKA, SITKA (1884–1898) E. W. Haskett (1884–1885) Mottrone D. Ball (1885–1887) Whitaker M. Grant (1887–1889) John C. Watson (1889) Charles S. Johnson (1889–1894) Lytton Taylor (1894–1895) Burton E. Bennett (1895–1898)

Three Judicial Districts Created: June 6, 1900 First District Juneau Robert A. Frederick (1898–1902) Thomas R. Lyons (1902–1903) John J. Boyce (1903–1910) John Rustgard (1910–1914 John J. Reagan (1914–1915) James A. Smiser (1915–1921) Arthur G. Shoup (1921–1927) Justin W. Harding (1927–1929) Howard D. Stabler (1929–1933) William A. Holzheimer (1933–1944) Lynn J. Gemmill (1944) Robert L. Jernberg (1944–1945) Robert L. Tollefson (1945–1946) Patrick J. Gilmore, Jr (1946–1954) Theodore E. Munson (1954–1956) Roger G. Connor (1956) C. Donald O’Connor (1956)

Second District Nome Joseph K. Wood (1900–1901) John L. McGinn (1901–1902) Melvin Grigsby (1902–1903) John L. McGinn (1903–1904) Henry M. Hoyt (1904–1908) George B. Grigsby (1908–1910) Bernard S. Rodey (1910–1913) F. M. Saxton (1913–1917) G. B. Mundy (1917–1918) Gudbrand J. Lomen (1918–1919) J. M. Clements (1919–1921) Wm. Frederick Harrison (1921–1929) Julius H. Hart (1929–1931) Leroy M. Sullivan (1931–1933) Hugh O’Neill (1933–1939) Charles J. Clasky (1939–1944) Frank C. Bingham (1944–1951) James A. von der Heydt (1951–1953) Russell B. Hermann (1953)

THIRD DISTRICT Eagle, Fairbanks, Valdez, Anchorage Alfred M. Post (1900–1901) Nathan V. Harlan (1901–1908) James J. Crossley (1908–1909) Corneilus D. Murane (1909–1910) George R. Walker (1910–1914) William N. Spence (1914–1917) William A. Munly (1917–1921) Sherman Duggan (1921–1925) Frank H. Foster (1925–1926) William D. Coppernoll (1926–1928) Warren N. Cuddy<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> (1928–1933) Joseph W. Kehoe (1933–1942) Noel K. Wennblom (1942–1946) Raymond E. Plummer .... 1946–1949 Joseph E. Cooper (1949–1952) Seaborn J. Buckalew, Jr. (1952–1953) William J. Plummer (1953–1960)

Fourth District, Fairbanks James J. Crossley (1909–1914) Rhinehart F. Roth (1914–1921) Guy B. Erwin (1921–1924) Julien A. Hurley (1924–1933) Ralph J. Rivers (1933–1944) Harry O. Arend (1944–1949) Everett W. Hepp (1950–1952) Robert J. McNealy (1952–1953) Theodore F. Stevens (1954–1956) George M. Yeager (1956–1960)

ALASKA ADMITTED TO STATEHOOD JANUARY 2, 1959

  • William T. Plummer (1960)
  • George M. Yeager (1960–1961)
  • Warren C. Colver (1961–1964)
  • Joseph J. Cella, Jr (1964)
  • Richard L. McVeigh (1964–1968)
  • Marvin S. Frankel (1968–1969)
  • A. Lee Preston (1969)
  • Douglas B. Bailey 1969–1971
  • G. Kent Edwards (1971–1977)
  • James L. Swartz (1977)
  • Alexander O. Bryner (1977–1980)
  • Rene J. Gonzalez (1980–1981)
  • Michael R. Spaan (1981–1989)
  • Mark R. Davis (1989–1990)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • Wesley William Shea (1990–1993)
  • Joseph W. Bottini (1993)
  • Robert Charles Bundy (1994–?)
  • Timothy Mark Burgess (2001–2005)
  • Nelson P Cohen (2006–2009)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

See also

References

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Template:United States 9th Circuit district judges Template:USDistCourts Template:AKDistrictChiefJudges Template:Authority control