# United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (in case citations, E.D.N.Y.) is the federal district court whose territorial jurisdiction spans five counties in New York State: the four Long Island counties of Nassau, Suffolk, Kings (Brooklyn), and Queens, as well as Richmond (Staten Island), the latter three being among New York City's five boroughs. The court also has concurrent jurisdiction with the Southern District of New York over the waters of New York (Manhattan) and Bronx Counties (including New York Harbor and the East River). Its courthouses are located in Brooklyn and Central Islip.
Appeals from the Eastern District of New York are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).
The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. The acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York since January 2025 is Carolyn Pokorny. The U.S. Marshal for the court is Vincent F. DeMarco.

## Courthouses

The main location is the Theodore Roosevelt United States Courthouse at 225 Cadman Plaza East in the civic center of Brooklyn. The 15-story building was designed by Cesar Pelli. The courthouse was designed in 1995 but did not open until 2006 following redesign requirements in the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing and the September 11 attacks. It replaced the six story Emanuel Celler Federal Building (built in 1962 and located next door and connected via glass atrium). In 2008 it was renamed for Theodore Roosevelt. The building was originally to be renamed in honor of former New York Governor Hugh Carey but politicians backed off because Carey was alive at the time. The associated prison is the Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn.
The Divisional office is in the Alfonse M. D'Amato United States Courthouse in Central Islip, New York. The courthouse designed by Richard Meier opened in 2000 and is the largest building on Long Island. The 12-story building has 870,000 square feet (81,000 m$^2$), 23 courtrooms and 24 judges' chambers. It is the third largest federal courthouse in the United States (after the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse and Thomas F. Eagleton United States Courthouse).

## Current judges

As of December 20, 2024:
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Term of service | Term of service | Term of service | Appointed by |
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Active | Chief | Senior | Appointed by |
| 58 | Chief Judge | Margo Kitsy Brodie | Brooklyn | 1966 | 2012–present | 2021–present | — | Obama |
| 59 | District Judge | Pamela K. Chen | Brooklyn | 1961 | 2013–present | — | — | Obama |
| 61 | District Judge | Ann Donnelly | Brooklyn | 1959 | 2015–present | — | — | Obama |
| 62 | District Judge | LaShann DeArcy Hall | Brooklyn | 1970 | 2015–present | — | — | Obama |
| 63 | District Judge | Rachel Kovner | Brooklyn | 1979 | 2019–present | — | — | Trump |
| 64 | District Judge | Eric R. Komitee | Brooklyn | 1970 | 2019–present | — | — | Trump |
| 65 | District Judge | Gary R. Brown | Central Islip | 1963 | 2019–present | — | — | Trump |
| 66 | District Judge | Diane Gujarati | Brooklyn | 1969 | 2020–present | — | — | Trump |
| 67 | District Judge | Hector Gonzalez | Brooklyn | 1964 | 2022–present | — | — | Biden |
| 68 | District Judge | Nina Morrison | Brooklyn | 1970 | 2022–present | — | — | Biden |
| 69 | District Judge | Orelia Merchant | Brooklyn | 1971 | 2023–present | — | — | Biden |
| 70 | District Judge | Nusrat Jahan Choudhury | Central Islip | 1976 | 2023–present | — | — | Biden |
| 71 | District Judge | Natasha C. Merle | Brooklyn | 1983 | 2023–present | — | — | Biden |
| 72 | District Judge | Ramon Reyes | Brooklyn | 1966 | 2023–present | — | — | Biden |
| 73 | District Judge | Sanket J. Bulsara | Central Islip Brooklyn | 1976 | 2024–present | — | — | Biden |
| 32 | Senior Judge | I. Leo Glasser | Brooklyn | 1924 | 1981–1993 | — | 1993–present | Reagan |
| 35 | Senior Judge | Edward R. Korman | Brooklyn | 1942 | 1985–2007 | 2000–2007 | 2007–present | Reagan |
| 36 | Senior Judge | Raymond Dearie | Brooklyn | 1944 | 1986–2011 | 2007–2011 | 2011–present | Reagan |
| 39 | Senior Judge | Carol Amon | Brooklyn | 1946 | 1990–2016 | 2011–2016 | 2016–present | G.H.W. Bush |
| 41 | Senior Judge | Denis Reagan Hurley | inactive | 1937 | 1991–2004 | — | 2004–present | G.H.W. Bush |
| 42 | Senior Judge | Joanna Seybert | Central Islip | 1946 | 1993–2014 | — | 2014–present | Clinton |
| 44 | Senior Judge | Frederic Block | Brooklyn | 1934 | 1994–2005 | — | 2005–present | Clinton |
| 46 | Senior Judge | Allyne R. Ross | Brooklyn | 1946 | 1994–2011 | — | 2011–present | Clinton |
| 47 | Senior Judge | Nina Gershon | Brooklyn | 1940 | 1996–2008 | — | 2008–present | Clinton |
| 48 | Senior Judge | Nicholas Garaufis | Brooklyn | 1948 | 2000–2014 | — | 2014–present | Clinton |
| 50 | Senior Judge | Dora Irizarry | Brooklyn | 1955 | 2004–2020 | 2016–2020 | 2020–present | G.W. Bush |
| 53 | Senior Judge | Eric N. Vitaliano | Brooklyn | 1948 | 2006–2017 | — | 2017–present | G.W. Bush |
| 54 | Senior Judge | Brian Cogan | Brooklyn | 1954 | 2006–2020 | — | 2020–present | G.W. Bush |
| 56 | Senior Judge | Kiyo A. Matsumoto | Brooklyn | 1955 | 2008–2022 | — | 2022–present | G.W. Bush |
| 57 | Senior Judge | William F. Kuntz II | Brooklyn | 1950 | 2011–2022 | — | 2022–present | Obama |
| 60 | Senior Judge | Joan Azrack | Central Islip Brooklyn | 1951 | 2014–2024 | — | 2024–present | Obama |

## Former judges

| # | Judge | State | Born–died | Active service | Chief Judge | Senior status | Appointed by | Reason for termination |
| 1 | Charles L. Benedict | NY | 1824–1901 | 1865–1897 | — | — | Lincoln | retirement |
| 2 | Asa Wentworth Tenney | NY | 1833–1897 | 1897 | — | — | McKinley | death |
| 3 | Edward B. Thomas | NY | 1848–1929 | 1898–1906 | — | — | McKinley | resignation |
| 4 | Thomas Chatfield | NY | 1871–1922 | 1907–1922 | — | — | T. Roosevelt | death |
| 5 | Van Vechten Veeder | NY | 1867–1942 | 1911–1917 | — | — | Taft | resignation |
| 6 | Edwin Louis Garvin | NY | 1877–1960 | 1918–1925 | — | — | Wilson | resignation |
| 7 | Marcus Beach Campbell | NY | 1866–1944 | 1923–1944 | — | — | Harding | death |
| 8 | Robert Alexander Inch | NY | 1873–1961 | 1923–1958 | 1948–1958 | 1958–1961 | Harding | death |
| 9 | Grover M. Moscowitz | NY | 1886–1947 | 1925–1947 | — | — | Coolidge | death |
| 10 | Clarence G. Galston | NY | 1876–1964 | 1929–1957 | — | 1957–1964 | Hoover | death |
| 11 | Mortimer W. Byers | NY | 1877–1962 | 1929–1960 | 1958–1959 | 1960–1962 | Hoover | death |
| 12 | Matthew T. Abruzzo | NY | 1889–1971 | 1936–1966 | — | 1966–1971 | F. Roosevelt | death |
| 13 | Harold Maurice Kennedy | NY | 1895–1971 | 1944–1952 | — | — | F. Roosevelt | resignation |
| 14 | Leo F. Rayfiel | NY | 1888–1978 | 1947–1966 | — | 1966–1978 | Truman | death |
| 15 | Walter Bruchhausen | NY | 1892–1976 | 1953–1967 | 1959–1962 | 1967–1976 | Eisenhower | death |
| 16 | Joseph Carmine Zavatt | NY | 1900–1985 | 1957–1970 | 1962–1969 | 1970–1985 | Eisenhower | death |
| 17 | John Ries Bartels | NY | 1897–1997 | 1959–1973 | — | 1973–1997 | Eisenhower | death |
| 18 | Jacob Mishler | NY | 1911–2004 | 1960–1980 | 1969–1980 | 1980–2004 | Eisenhower | death |
| 19 | John Francis Dooling Jr. | NY | 1908–1981 | 1961–1976 | — | 1976–1981 | Kennedy | death |
| 20 | George Rosling | NY | 1900–1973 | 1961–1973 | — | — | Kennedy | death |
| 21 | Jack B. Weinstein | NY | 1921–2021 | 1967–1993 | 1980–1988 | 1993–2021 | L. Johnson | death |
| 22 | Orrin Grimmell Judd | NY | 1906–1976 | 1968–1976 | — | — | L. Johnson | death |
| 23 | Anthony J. Travia | NY | 1911–1993 | 1968–1974 | — | — | L. Johnson | resignation |
| 24 | Mark Americus Costantino | NY | 1920–1990 | 1971–1987 | — | 1987–1990 | Nixon | death |
| 25 | Edward Raymond Neaher | NY | 1912–1994 | 1971–1982 | — | 1982–1994 | Nixon | death |
| 26 | Thomas Collier Platt Jr. | NY | 1925–2017 | 1974–2001 | 1988–1995 | 2001–2017 | Nixon | death |
| 27 | Henry Bramwell | NY | 1919–2010 | 1974–1987 | — | 1987–2010 | Ford | death |
| 28 | George C. Pratt | NY | 1928–present | 1976–1982 | — | — | Ford | elevation to 2d Cir. |
| 29 | Charles Proctor Sifton | NY | 1935–2009 | 1977–2000 | 1995–2000 | 2000–2009 | Carter | death |
| 30 | Eugene Nickerson | NY | 1918–2002 | 1977–1994 | — | 1994–2002 | Carter | death |
| 31 | Joseph M. McLaughlin | NY | 1933–2013 | 1981–1990 | — | — | Reagan | elevation to 2d Cir. |
| 33 | Frank Altimari | NY | 1928–1998 | 1982–1985 | — | — | Reagan | elevation to 2d Cir. |
| 34 | Leonard D. Wexler | NY | 1924–2018 | 1983–1994 | — | 1994–2018 | Reagan | death |
| 37 | Reena Raggi | NY | 1951–present | 1987–2002 | — | — | Reagan | elevation to 2d Cir. |
| 38 | Arthur Spatt | NY | 1925–2020 | 1989–2004 | — | 2004–2020 | G.H.W. Bush | death |
| 40 | Sterling Johnson Jr. | NY | 1934–2022 | 1991–2003 | — | 2003–2022 | G.H.W. Bush | death |
| 43 | David G. Trager | NY | 1937–2011 | 1993–2006 | — | 2006–2011 | Clinton | death |
| 45 | John Gleeson | NY | 1953–present | 1994–2016 | — | — | Clinton | resignation |
| 49 | Sandra J. Feuerstein | NY | 1946–2021 | 2003–2015 | — | 2015–2021 | G.W. Bush | death |
| 51 | Sandra L. Townes | NY | 1944–2018 | 2004–2015 | — | 2015–2018 | G.W. Bush | death |
| 52 | Joseph F. Bianco | NY | 1966–present | 2006–2019 | — | — | G.W. Bush | elevation to 2d Cir. |
| 55 | Roslynn R. Mauskopf | NY | 1957–present | 2007–2024 | 2020–2021 | — | G.W. Bush | retirement |
* ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 15, 1923, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 8, 1924, and received commission the same day.
* ↑ Initially appointed via recess appointment by Harding; formally nominated by and received commission from Coolidge.
* ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 15, 1962, confirmed by the Senate on March 16, 1962, and received commission on March 17, 1962.

## Chief judges

Chief Judge :
| Inch | 1948–1958 |
| Byers | 1958–1959 |
| Bruchhausen | 1959–1962 |
| Zavatt | 1962–1969 |
| Mishler | 1969–1980 |
| Weinstein | 1980–1988 |
| Platt | 1988–1995 |
| Sifton | 1995–2000 |
| Korman | 2000–2007 |
| Dearie | 2007–2011 |
| Amon | 2011–2016 |
| Irizarry | 2016–2020 |
| Mauskopf | 2020–2021 |
| Brodie | 2021–present |
Chief judges have administrative responsibilities with respect to their district court. Unlike the Supreme Court, where one justice is specifically nominated to be chief, the office of chief judge rotates among the district court judges. To be chief, a judge must have been in active service on the court for at least one year, be under the age of 65, and have not previously served as chief judge.
A vacancy is filled by the judge highest in seniority among the group of qualified judges. The chief judge serves for a term of seven years, or until age 70, whichever occurs first. The age restrictions are waived if no members of the court would otherwise be qualified for the position.
When the office was created in 1948, the chief judge was the longest-serving judge who had not elected to retire, on what has since 1958 been known as senior status, or declined to serve as chief judge. After August 6, 1959, judges could not become or remain chief after turning 70 years old. The current rules have been in operation since October 1, 1982.

## Succession of seats

Seat 1 :
| Seat established on February 25, 1865 by 13 Stat. 438 ||||
| Benedict | 1865–1897 |
| Tenney | 1897 |
| Thomas | 1898–1906 |
| Chatfield | 1907–1922 |
| Inch | 1923–1958 |
| Bartels | 1959–1973 |
| Bramwell | 1974–1987 |
| Spatt | 1989–2004 |
| Vitaliano | 2006–2017 |
| Komitee | 2019–present |
Seat 2 :
| Seat established on June 25, 1910 by 36 Stat. 838 ||||
| Veeder | 1911–1917 |
| Garvin | 1918–1925 |
| Moscowitz | 1925–1947 |
| Rayfiel | 1947–1966 |
| Weinstein | 1967–1993 |
| Gleeson | 1994–2016 |
| Gujarati | 2020–present |
Seat 3 :
| Seat established on September 14, 1922 by 42 Stat. 837 (temporary) ||||
| Seat made permanent on August 19, 1935 by 49 Stat. 659 ||||
| Campbell | 1923–1944 |
| Kennedy | 1944–1952 |
| Bruchhausen | 1953–1967 |
| Judd | 1968–1976 |
| Nickerson | 1977–1994 |
| Block | 1994–2005 |
| Cogan | 2006–2020 |
| Gonzalez | 2022–present |
Seat 4 :
| Seat established on February 28, 1929 by 45 Stat. 1409 ||||
| Galston | 1929–1957 |
| Zavatt | 1957–1970 |
| Neaher | 1971–1982 |
| Altimari | 1982–1985 |
| Raggi | 1987–2002 |
| Irizarry | 2004–2020 |
| Morrison | 2022–present |
Seat 5 :
| Seat established on February 28, 1929 by 45 Stat. 1409 ||||
| Byers | 1929–1960 |
| Mishler | 1960–1980 |
| Glasser | 1981–1993 |
| Ross | 1994–2011 |
| Brodie | 2012–present |
Seat 6 :
| Seat established on August 19, 1935 by 49 Stat. 659 ||||
| Abruzzo | 1936–1966 |
| Travia | 1968–1974 |
| Pratt | 1976–1982 |
| Wexler | 1983–1994 |
| Gershon | 1996–2008 |
| Kuntz II | 2011–2022 |
| Merchant | 2023–present |
Seat 7 :
| Seat established on May 19, 1961 by 75 Stat. 80 ||||
| Dooling, Jr. | 1961–1976 |
| Sifton | 1977–2000 |
| Garaufis | 2000–2014 |
| Hall | 2015–present |
Seat 8 :
| Seat established on May 19, 1961 by 75 Stat. 80 ||||
| Rosling | 1961–1973 |
| Platt, Jr. | 1974–2001 |
| Feuerstein | 2003–2015 |
| Brown | 2019–present |
Seat 9 :
| Seat established on June 2, 1970 by 84 Stat. 294 ||||
| Costantino | 1971–1987 |
| Amon | 1990–2016 |
| Kovner | 2019–present |
Seat 10 :
| Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 ||||
| McLaughlin | 1981–1990 |
| Johnson, Jr. | 1991–2003 |
| Townes | 2004–2015 |
| Donnelly | 2015–present |
Seat 11 :
| Seat established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333 ||||
| Korman | 1985–2007 |
| Matsumoto | 2008–2022 |
| Reyes | 2023–present |
Seat 12 :
| Seat established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333 ||||
| Dearie | 1986–2011 |
| Chen | 2013–present |
Seat 13 :
| Seat established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 ||||
| Hurley | 1991–2004 |
| Bianco | 2006–2019 |
| Choudhury | 2023–present |
Seat 14 :
| Seat established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 ||||
| Seybert | 1993–2014 |
| Azrack | 2014–2024 |
| Bulsara | 2024–present |
Seat 15 :
| Seat established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 ||
| Trager | 1993–2006 |
| Mauskopf | 2007–2024 |
| Seat abolished on January 31, 2024 (temporary judgeship expired) ||
Seat 16 :
| Seat established on February 1, 2021 pursuant to 104 Stat. 5089 (temporary) ||||
| Seat became permanent upon the abolition of Seat 15 on January 31, 2024 ||||
| Merle | 2023–present |