# United States District Court for the District of Idaho

The United States District Court for the District of Idaho (in case citations, D. Idaho) is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the state of Idaho (except for the part of the state within Yellowstone National Park, which is under the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming). Court is held in Boise, Coeur d'Alene, and Pocatello. Cases from the District of Idaho are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for 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 United States Attorney's Office for the District of Idaho represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. As of June 17, 2022, the U.S. attorney for the District of Idaho is Joshua Hurwit.

## History

The District of Idaho was established shortly after Idaho's admission as a U.S. State. On July 3, 1890, by 26 Stat. 215, the United States Congress organized Idaho as one judicial district, authorizing one judgeship for the court and assigning it to the Ninth Circuit. The second judgeship was authorized by Congress on February 10, 1954, by 68 Stat. 8.

## Current judges

As of May 17, 2023:
| # | 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 |
| 12 | Chief Judge | David Nye | Pocatello | 1958 | 2017–present | 2019–present | — | Trump |
| 13 | District Judge | Amanda Brailsford | Boise | 1967 | 2023–present | — | — | Biden |
| 10 | Senior Judge | Edward Lodge | inactive | 1933 | 1989–2015 | 1992–1999 | 2015–present | G.H.W. Bush |
| 11 | Senior Judge | B. Lynn Winmill | Boise | 1952 | 1995–2021 | 1999–2019 | 2021–present | Clinton |

## Former judges

| # | Judge | State | Born–died | Active service | Chief Judge | Senior status | Appointed by | Reason for termination |
| 1 | James H. Beatty | ID | 1836–1927 | 1891–1907 | — | — | B. Harrison | retirement |
| 2 | Frank Sigel Dietrich | ID | 1863–1930 | 1907–1927 | — | — | T. Roosevelt | elevation to 9th Cir. |
| 3 | Charles Cheatham Cavanah | ID | 1871–1953 | 1927–1942 | — | 1942–1953 | Coolidge | death |
| 4 | Chase A. Clark | ID | 1883–1966 | 1943–1964 | 1954–1964 | 1964–1966 | F. Roosevelt | death |
| 5 | Fredrick Monroe Taylor | ID | 1901–1988 | 1954–1971 | 1964–1971 | 1971–1988 | Eisenhower | death |
| 6 | Raymond Clyne McNichols | ID | 1914–1985 | 1964–1981 | 1971–1981 | 1981–1985 | L. Johnson | death |
| 7 | J. Blaine Anderson | ID | 1922–1988 | 1971–1976 | — | — | Nixon | elevation to 9th Cir. |
| 8 | Marion Jones Callister | ID | 1921–1997 | 1976–1989 | 1981–1988 | 1989–1997 | Ford | death |
| 9 | Harold Lyman Ryan | ID | 1923–1995 | 1981–1992 | 1988–1992 | 1992–1995 | Reagan | death |
* ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 10, 1891, confirmed by the United States Senate on February 4, 1892, and received his commission the same day.
* ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 3, 1907, confirmed by the Senate on December 17, 1907, and received his commission the same day.

## Chief judges

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 July 3, 1890 by 26 Stat. 215 ||||
| Beatty | 1892–1907 |
| Dietrich | 1907–1927 |
| Cavanah | 1927–1942 |
| Clark | 1943–1964 |
| McNichols | 1964–1981 |
| Ryan | 1981–1992 |
| Winmill | 1995–2021 |
| Brailsford | 2023–present |
Seat 2 :
| Seat established on February 10, 1954 by 68 Stat. 8 ||||
| Taylor | 1954–1971 |
| Anderson | 1971–1976 |
| Callister | 1976–1989 |
| Lodge | 1989–2015 |
| Nye | 2017–present |

## U.S. Attorneys

* Richard Williams 1863-64
* George C. Hough 1864-67
* Joseph W. Huston 1869
* Norman Buck 1878-80
* James B. Butler 1880-81
* Wallace R. White 1881-85
* James H. Hawley 1885-89
* Willis Sweet 1889-90
* Fremont Wood 1890-93
* James H. Forney 1893-97
* Robert V. Cozier 1897-1904
* Norman M. Ruick 1904-08
* Curg H. Lingenfelter 1908-13
* James L. McClear 1913-21
* Edwin G. Davis 1921-25
* James F. Ailshie 1925
* Hoyt E. Ray 1925-33
* John A. Carver 1933-53
* Sherman F. Furey, Jr. 1953-57
* Ben Peterson 1957-59
* Kenneth G. Bergquist 1959-61
* Sylvan A. Jeppesen 1961-68
* Jay F. Bates 1968-69
* Sherman F. Furey, Jr. 1969-71
* Sidney E. Smith 1971-75
* Wilbur T. Nelson 1975
* Marion J. Callister 1975-76
* Wilbur T. Nelson 1976-77
* Paul L. Westberg 1977
* M. Karl Shirtliff 1977-81
* Guy G. Hurlbutt 1981-84
* William Van Hale 1984-85
* Maurice O. Ellsworth 1985-93
* Patrick J. Molloy 1993
* Betty Hansen Richardson 1993-2001
* Thomas E. Moss 2001-2010
* Wendy J. Olson 2010-2017
* Bart Davis 2017-2021
* Rafael M. Gonzalez Jr. 2021-2022
* Joshua Hurwit 2022-2025
* Justin D. Whatcott (acting)