# United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio (in case citations, S.D. Ohio) is one of two United States district courts in Ohio and includes forty-eight of the state's eighty-eight counties—everything from the Columbus area southward. Appeals from the court are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit at Cincinnati (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 of the Southern District of Ohio represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. As of February 2025, the United States attorney is Kelly A. Norris.

## Divisions

The court is divided into two divisions.

### Eastern Division

The Eastern Division, which sits in the Joseph P. Kinneary United States Courthouse at Columbus, serves the counties of Athens, Belmont, Coshocton, Delaware, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Gallia, Guernsey, Harrison, Hocking, Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Licking, Logan, Madison, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Ross, Union, Vinton, and Washington.

### Western Division

The Western Division sits at both Cincinnati and Dayton. Cases from the counties of Adams, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton, Highland, Lawrence, Scioto, and Warren are heard at Cincinnati in the Potter Stewart United States Courthouse. Cases from the counties of Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, and Shelby are heard at Dayton.

## History

The United States District Court for the District of Ohio was established on February 19, 1803, by 2 Stat. 201. The act of authorized one judgeship for the court. The district court in Ohio, not being assigned to a judicial circuit, was granted the same jurisdiction as U.S. circuit courts, except in appeals and writs of error, which were the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. By the act of February 24, 1807, 2 Stat. 420, the authority of the Ohio district court to exercise the jurisdiction of a U.S. circuit court was repealed, and Ohio was assigned to the newly organized Seventh Circuit. It also provided for a U.S. circuit court for the District of Ohio. The District was subdivided into Northern and Southern Districts on February 10, 1855, by 10 Stat. 604. The district judge serving the District of Ohio, Humphrey H. Leavitt, was reassigned to the Southern District of Ohio.
On July 23, 1866, by 14 Stat. 209, Congress reorganized the circuits and assigned Ohio to the Sixth Circuit. Additional judgeships were created in 1910, 1937, 1966, 1970, 1978, 1984, and 1990.

## Current judges

As of September 7, 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 |
| 37 | Chief Judge | Sarah D. Morrison | Columbus | 1970 | 2019–present | 2024–present | — | Trump |
| 30 | District Judge | Edmund A. Sargus Jr. | Columbus | 1953 | 1996–present | 2015–2019 | — | Clinton |
| 31 | District Judge | Algenon L. Marbley | Columbus | 1954 | 1997–present | 2019–2024 | — | Clinton |
| 34 | District Judge | Michael H. Watson | Columbus | 1956 | 2004–present | — | — | G.W. Bush |
| 38 | District Judge | Douglas R. Cole | Cincinnati | 1964 | 2019–present | — | — | Trump |
| 39 | District Judge | Matthew W. McFarland | Cincinnati | 1967 | 2019–present | — | — | Trump |
| 40 | District Judge | Michael J. Newman | Dayton | 1960 | 2020–present | — | — | Trump |
| 41 | District Judge | Jeffery P. Hopkins | Cincinnati | 1960 | 2022–present | — | — | Biden |
| 23 | Senior Judge | Walter Herbert Rice | Dayton | 1937 | 1980–2004 | 1996–2003 | 2004–present | Carter |
| 25 | Senior Judge | Herman Jacob Weber | Cincinnati | 1927 | 1985–2002 | — | 2002–present | Reagan |
| 26 | Senior Judge | James L. Graham | Columbus | 1939 | 1986–2004 | 2003–2004 | 2004–present | Reagan |
| 28 | Senior Judge | Sandra Beckwith | Cincinnati | 1943 | 1992–2009 | 2004–2009 | 2009–present | G.H.W. Bush |
| 29 | Senior Judge | Susan J. Dlott | Cincinnati | 1949 | 1995–2018 | 2009–2015 | 2018–present | Clinton |
| 32 | Senior Judge | Thomas M. Rose | Dayton | 1948 | 2002–2017 | — | 2017–present | G.W. Bush |
| 35 | Senior Judge | Michael R. Barrett | Cincinnati | 1951 | 2006–2019 | — | 2019–present | G.W. Bush |
| 36 | Senior Judge | Timothy Black | Cincinnati | 1953 | 2010–2022 | — | 2022–present | Obama |

## Former judges

| # | Judge | State | Born–died | Active service | Chief Judge | Senior status | Appointed by | Reason for termination |
| 1 | Humphrey H. Leavitt | OH | 1796–1873 | 1855–1871 | — | — | Jackson/Operation of law | retirement |
| 2 | Philip Bergen Swing | OH | 1820–1882 | 1871–1882 | — | — | Grant | death |
| 3 | William White | OH | 1822–1883 | 1883 | — | — | Arthur | death |
| 4 | George Read Sage | OH | 1828–1898 | 1883–1898 | — | — | Arthur | retirement |
| 5 | Albert C. Thompson | OH | 1842–1910 | 1898–1910 | — | — | McKinley | death |
| 6 | John Elbert Sater | OH | 1854–1937 | 1907–1924 | — | — | T. Roosevelt | retirement |
| 7 | Howard Clark Hollister | OH | 1856–1919 | 1910–1919 | — | — | Taft | death |
| 8 | John Weld Peck | OH | 1874–1937 | 1919–1923 | — | — | Wilson | resignation |
| 9 | Smith Hickenlooper | OH | 1880–1933 | 1923–1929 | — | — | Harding | elevation to 6th Cir. |
| 10 | Benson W. Hough | OH | 1875–1935 | 1925–1935 | — | — | Coolidge | death |
| 11 | Robert Reasoner Nevin | OH | 1875–1952 | 1929–1952 | 1948–1952 | — | Coolidge | death |
| 12 | Mell G. Underwood | OH | 1892–1972 | 1936–1965 | 1953–1962 | 1965–1972 | F. Roosevelt | death |
| 13 | John H. Druffel | OH | 1886–1967 | 1937–1961 | — | 1961–1967 | F. Roosevelt | death |
| 14 | Lester LeFevre Cecil | OH | 1893–1982 | 1953–1959 | — | — | Eisenhower | elevation to 6th Cir. |
| 15 | Carl Andrew Weinman | OH | 1903–1979 | 1959–1973 | 1962–1973 | 1973–1979 | Eisenhower | death |
| 16 | John Weld Peck II | OH | 1913–1993 | 1961–1966 | — | — | Kennedy | elevation to 6th Cir. |
| 17 | Joseph Peter Kinneary | OH | 1905–2003 | 1966–1986 | 1973–1975 | 1986–2003 | L. Johnson | death |
| 18 | Timothy Sylvester Hogan | OH | 1909–1989 | 1966–1979 | 1975–1977 | 1979–1989 | L. Johnson | death |
| 19 | David Stewart Porter | OH | 1909–1989 | 1966–1979 | 1977–1979 | 1979–1989 | L. Johnson | death |
| 20 | Carl Bernard Rubin | OH | 1920–1995 | 1971–1995 | 1979–1990 | — | Nixon | death |
| 21 | Robert Morton Duncan | OH | 1927–2012 | 1974–1985 | — | — | Nixon | resignation |
| 22 | John David Holschuh | OH | 1926–2011 | 1980–1996 | 1990–1996 | 1996–2011 | Carter | death |
| 24 | S. Arthur Spiegel | OH | 1920–2014 | 1980–1995 | — | 1995–2014 | Carter | death |
| 27 | George Curtis Smith | OH | 1935–2020 | 1987–2002 | — | 2002–2020 | Reagan | death |
| 33 | Gregory L. Frost | OH | 1949–present | 2003–2016 | — | — | G.W. Bush | retirement |
* ↑ Reassigned from the District of Ohio.
* ↑ White was confirmed and received his commission, but died without taking the oath of office or commencing service.
* ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 18, 1883, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 7, 1884, and received commission the same day.
* ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 13, 1898, confirmed by the Senate on December 20, 1898, and received commission the same day.
* ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 8, 1908, confirmed by the Senate on March 1, 1909, and received commission the same day.
* ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on November 16, 1937, confirmed by the Senate on December 8, 1937, and received commission on December 14, 1937.
* ↑ Recess appointment; formally nominated on January 15, 1962, confirmed by the Senate on April 11, 1962, and received commission on April 12, 1962.

## 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 reassigned from District of Ohio on February 10, 1855 by 10 Stat. 604 ||
| Leavitt | 1855–1871 |
| Swing | 1871–1882 |
| White | 1883 |
| Sage | 1883–1898 |
| Thompson | 1898–1910 |
| Seat abolished on January 26, 1910 (temporary judgeship expired) ||
Seat 2 :
| Seat established on February 25, 1907 by 34 Stat. 928 (temporary) ||||
| Seat became permanent upon the abolition of Seat 1 on January 26, 1910 ||||
| Sater | 1909–1924 |
| Hough | 1925–1935 |
| Underwood | 1936–1965 |
| Kinneary | 1966–1986 |
| Smith | 1987–2002 |
| Frost | 2003–2016 |
| Morrison | 2019–present |
Seat 3 :
| Seat established on February 24, 1910 by 36 Stat. 202 ||||
| Hollister | 1910–1919 |
| Peck | 1919–1923 |
| Hickenlooper | 1923–1927 |
| Nevin | 1929–1952 |
| Cecil | 1953–1959 |
| Weinman | 1959–1973 |
| Duncan | 1974–1985 |
| Graham | 1986–2004 |
| Watson | 2004–present |
Seat 4 :
| Seat established on August 25, 1937 by 50 Stat. 805 ||
| Druffel | 1937–1961 |
| Seat abolished on September 30, 1961 (temporary judgeship expired) ||
Seat 5 :
| Seat established on May 19, 1961 by 75 Stat. 80 (temporary) ||||
| Seat became permanent upon the abolition of Seat 4 on September 30, 1961 ||||
| Peck II | 1961–1966 |
| Hogan | 1966–1979 |
| Rice | 1980–2004 |
| Barrett | 2006–2019 |
| Newman | 2020–present |
Seat 6 :
| Seat established on March 18, 1966 by 80 Stat. 75 ||||
| Porter | 1966–1979 |
| Spiegel | 1980–1995 |
| Dlott | 1995–2018 |
| Cole | 2019–present |
Seat 7 :
| Seat established on June 2, 1970 by 84 Stat. 294 ||||
| Rubin | 1971–1995 |
| Sargus, Jr. | 1996–present |
Seat 8 :
| Seat established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 ||||
| Holschuh | 1980–1996 |
| Marbley | 1997–present |
Seat 9 :
| Seat established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 347 ||||
| Weber | 1985–2002 |
| Rose | 2002–2017 |
| McFarland | 2019–present |
Seat 10 :
| Seat established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 ||||
| Beckwith | 1992–2009 |
| Black | 2010–2022 |
| Hopkins | 2022–present |

## United States attorneys

| Term start | Term end | United States Attorney |
| 1855 | 1856 | Hugh J. Jewett |
| 1856 | 1858 | John O'Neill |
| 1858 | 1861 | Stanley Matthews |
| 1861 | 1865 | Flamen Ball |
| 1865 | 1866 | Richard Corwine |
| 1866 | 1869 | Durbin Ward |
| 1869 | 1877 | Warner Bateman |
| 1877 | 1885 | Channing Richards |
| 1885 | 1887 | Philip Kumler |
| 1887 | 1889 | William Burnet |
| 1889 | 1894 | John Herron |
| 1894 | 1898 | Harlan Cleveland |
| 1898 | 1903 | William Bundy |
| 1903 | 1916 | Sherman McPherson |
| 1916 | 1920 | Stuart Bolin |
| 1920 | 1922 | James Clark |
| 1922 | 1923 | Thomas Morrow |
| 1923 | 1925 | Benson W. Hough |
| 1925 | 1934 | Haveth Mau |
| 1934 | 1939 | Francis Canny |
| 1939 | 1939 | James Cleveland |
| 1939 | 1944 | Leo Crawford |
| 1944 | 1946 | Byron B. Harlan |
| 1946 | 1953 | Ray O'Donnell |
| 1953 | 1961 | Hugh Martin |
| 1961 | 1966 | Joseph Peter Kinneary |
| 1966 | 1969 | Robert Draper |
| 1969 | 1969 | Roger Makley |
| 1969 | 1977 | William Milligan |
| 1977 | 1978 | James Rattan |
| 1978 | 1982 | James Cissell |
| 1982 | 1985 | Christopher Barnes |
| 1985 | 1986 | Anthony Nyktas |
| 1986 | 1993 | Michael Crites |
| 1993 | 1993 | Barbara Beran |
| 1993 | 1996 | Edmund A. Sargus Jr. |
| 1996 | 1997 | Dale Goldberg |
| 1997 | 2001 | Sharon Zealey |
| 2001 | 2001 | Salvador Dominguez |
| 2001 | 2009 | Gregory Lockhart |
| 2009 | 2016 | Carter M. Stewart |
| 2016 | 2019 | Benjamin C. Glassman (Acting) |
| 2019 | 2021 | David M. DeVillers |
| 2021 | 2021 | Vipal J. Patel (Acting) |
| 2021 | 2025 | Kenneth L. Parker |
| 2025 | | Kelly A. Norris (Acting) |