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List of judges for United States district courts in Missouri

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James H. Peck served the District of Missouri beginning the first year it became a state.
Samuel Treat was the first judge to serve Missouri's Eastern District.
William H. Webster was the most recent judge to be elevated from the Eastern District of Missouri to the Eighth Circuit.

The following is a list of judges for United States district courts in Missouri. Missouri currently holds two courts: Eastern[1] and Western.[2] These district-level courts are part of the first tier of the U.S. federal judicial system; cases can be appealed to the Eighth Circuit. District court judges are appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate.[Note 1]

District of Missouri

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A single district court for the District of Missouri was established by Congress on March 16, 1822.[3][4] The district was subdivided into Eastern and Western districts on March 3, 1857. Between these dates, there were only two judges who served the district. The first, James H. Peck, was impeached but acquitted, and served a total of fourteen years on the bench.[5] The succeeding judge, Robert William Wells, was assigned to the Western District when the District of Missouri was divided.[6]

# Judge State Born–died Active service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed by Reason for
termination
1 James H. Peck MO 1790–1836 1822–1836 — — Monroe death
2 Robert William Wells MO 1795–1864 1836–1857 — — Jackson reassignment

Eastern District

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Jean Constance Hamilton, appointed by George H. W. Bush in 1990, was the first female judge appointed to the District. The first African American to serve was Clyde S. Cahill Jr., who was appointed by Jimmy Carter in 1980. No Hispanic judges have served on this court. Over the history of the District, five of its judges have been elevated to the Eighth Circuit - Elmer Bragg Adams, John Caskie Collet, Charles Breckenridge Faris, Amos Madden Thayer and William Hedgcock Webster.[7]

# Judge State Born–died Active service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed by Reason for
termination
1 Samuel Treat MO 1815–1902 1857–1887 — — Pierce retirement
2 Amos Madden Thayer MO 1841–1905 1887–1894 — — Cleveland reappointment
3 Henry Samuel Priest MO 1853–1930 1894–1895 — — Cleveland resignation
4 Elmer Bragg Adams MO 1842–1916 1895–1905[Note 2] — — Cleveland reappointment
5 Gustavus A. Finkelnburg MO 1837–1908 1905–1907[Note 3] — — T. Roosevelt resignation
6 David Patterson Dyer MO 1838–1924 1907–1919 — 1919–1924 T. Roosevelt death
7 Charles Breckenridge Faris MO 1864–1938 1919–1935 — — Wilson reappointment
8 Charles B. Davis MO 1877–1943 1924–1943 — — Coolidge death
9 George Moore MO 1878–1962 1935–1962 1948–1959 1962–1962 F. Roosevelt death
10 John Caskie Collet MO 1898–1955 1937–1947 — — F. Roosevelt reappointment
11 Richard M. Duncan MO 1889–1974 1943–1965 — 1965–1974 F. Roosevelt death
12 Rubey Mosley Hulen MO 1894–1956 1943–1956 — — F. Roosevelt death
13 Roy Winfield Harper MO 1905–1994 1947–1971[Note 4] 1959–1971 1971–1994 Truman death
14 Randolph Henry Weber MO 1909–1961 1957–1961 — — Eisenhower death
15 James Hargrove Meredith MO 1914–1988 1962–1979 1971–1979 1979–1988 Kennedy death
16 John Keating Regan MO 1911–1987 1962–1977 — 1977–1987 Kennedy death
17 William Robert Collinson MO 1912–1995 1965–1980 — 1980–1995 L. Johnson death
18 William H. Webster MO 1924–present 1970–1973 — — Nixon reappointment
19 Harris Kenneth Wangelin MO 1913–1987 1970–1983 1979–1983 1983–1987 Nixon death
20 John Francis Nangle MO 1922–2008 1973–1990 1983–1990 1990–2008 Nixon death
21 Edward Louis Filippine MO 1930–present 1977–1995 1990–1995 1995–present Carter —
22 William L. Hungate MO 1922–2007 1979–1991 — 1991–1992 Carter retirement
23 Clyde S. Cahill Jr. MO 1923–2004 1980–1992 — 1992–2004 Carter death
24 Joseph Edward Stevens Jr. MO 1928–1998 1981–1995 — 1995–1998 Reagan death
25 Stephen N. Limbaugh Sr. MO 1927–present 1983–1996 — 1996–2008 Reagan retirement
26 George F. Gunn Jr. MO 1927–1998 1985–1996 — 1996–1998 Reagan death
27 Jean Constance Hamilton MO 1945–present 1990–2013 1995–2002 2013–present G.H.W. Bush —
28 Donald J. Stohr MO 1934–2015 1992–2006 — 2006–2015 G.H.W. Bush death
29 Carol E. Jackson MO 1952–present 1992–2017 2002–2009 — G.H.W. Bush retirement
30 Charles Alexander Shaw MO 1944–present 1993–2009 — 2009–present Clinton —
31 Catherine D. Perry MO 1952–present 1994–2018 2009–2016 2018–present Clinton —
32 E. Richard Webber MO 1942–present 1995–2009 — 2009–present Clinton —
33 Nanette Kay Laughrey MO 1946–present 1996–2011 — 2011–present Clinton —
34 Rodney W. Sippel MO 1956–present 1997–present 2016–present — Clinton —
35 Henry Edward Autrey MO 1952–present 2002–present — — G.W. Bush —
36 Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. MO 1952–present 2008–present — — G.W. Bush —
37 Audrey G. Fleissig MO 1955–present 2010–present — — Obama —
38 John Andrew Ross MO 1954–present 2011–present — — Obama —
39 Brian C. Wimes MO 1966–present 2012–present — — Obama —
39 Ronnie L. White MO 1953–present 2014–present — — Obama —

Western District

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Thirty six judges have been appointed to the Western District of Missouri over the course of its existence. Of those, the most noted is Charles Evans Whittaker, who served on the court only briefly before being elevated to the Eighth Circuit, and then to the Supreme Court of the United States.

# Judge State Born–died Active service Chief Judge Senior status Appointed by Reason for
termination
1 Robert William Wells MO 1795–1864 1857–1864[Note 5] — — Jackson death
2 Arnold Krekel MO 1815–1888 1865–1888 — — Lincoln retirement
3 John Finis Philips MO 1834–1919 1888–1910 — — Cleveland retirement
4 Arba Seymour Van Valkenburgh MO 1862–1944 1910–1925 — — Taft reappointment
5 Albert L. Reeves MO 1873–1971 1923–1954 1948–1954 1954–1971 Harding death
6 Merrill E. Otis MO 1884–1944 1925–1944[Note 6] — — Coolidge death
7 John Caskie Collet MO 1898–1955 1937–1947 — — F. Roosevelt reappointment
8 Richard M. Duncan MO 1889–1974 1943–1965 1954–1959 1965–1974 F. Roosevelt death
9 Albert Alphonso Ridge MO 1898–1967 1945–1961 1959–1961 — F. Roosevelt reappointment
10 Roy Winfield Harper MO 1905–1994 1947–1971[Note 7] — 1971–1994 Truman death
11 Charles Evans Whittaker MO 1901–1973 1954–1956 — — Eisenhower reappointment
12 Randle Jasper Smith MO 1908–1962 1956–1962 1961–1962 — Eisenhower death
13 Floyd Robert Gibson MO 1910–2001 1961–1965 1962–1965 — Kennedy reappointment
14 William Henry Becker MO 1909–1992 1961–1977 1965–1977 1977–1992 Kennedy death
15 John Watkins Oliver MO 1914–1990 1962–1980 1977–1980 1980–1990 Kennedy death
16 William Robert Collinson MO 1912–1995 1965–1980 — 1980–1995 L. Johnson death
17 Elmo Bolton Hunter MO 1915–2003 1965–1980 1980–1980 1980–2003 L. Johnson death
18 Harris Kenneth Wangelin MO 1913–1987 1970–1983 — 1983–1987 Nixon death
19 Russell Gentry Clark MO 1925–2003 1977–1991 1980–1985 1991–2000 Carter retirement
20 Scott Olin Wright MO 1923–2016 1979–1991 1985–1990 1991–2016 Carter death
21 Howard F. Sachs MO 1925–present 1979–1992 1990–1992 1992–present Carter —
22 Joseph Edward Stevens Jr. MO 1928–1998 1981–1995 1992–1995 1995–1998 Reagan death
23 D. Brook Bartlett MO 1937–2000 1981–2000 1995–2000 — Reagan death
24 John R. Gibson MO 1925–2014 1981–1982 — — Reagan reappointment
25 Ross Thompson Roberts MO 1938–1987 1982–1987 — — Reagan death
26 Stephen N. Limbaugh Sr. MO 1927–present 1983–1996 — 1996–2008 Reagan retirement
27 Dean Whipple MO 1938–present 1987–2007 2000–2007 2007–present Reagan —
28 Fernando J. Gaitan Jr. MO 1948–present 1991–2014 2007–2014 2014–present G.H.W. Bush —
29 Ortrie D. Smith MO 1946–present 1995–2011 — 2011–present Clinton —
30 Gary A. Fenner MO 1947–present 1996–2015 — 2015–present Clinton —
31 Nanette Kay Laughrey MO 1946–present 1996–2011 — 2011–present Clinton —
32 Rodney W. Sippel MO 1956–present 1997–present — — Clinton —
33 Richard Everett Dorr MO 1943–2013 2002–2013 — — G.W. Bush death
34 David Gregory Kays MO 1962–present 2008–present 2014–2019 — G.W. Bush —
35 Mary Elizabeth Phillips MO 1969–present 2012–present 2019–present — Obama —
36 Brian C. Wimes MO 1966–present 2012–present — — Obama —
37 M. Douglas Harpool MO 1956–present 2014–present — — Obama —
38 Stephen R. Bough MO 1970–present 2014–present — — Obama —
39 Roseann A. Ketchmark MO 1963–present 2015–present — — Obama —

Notes

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  1. ^ Article Three of the United States Constitution provides that the "judicial power of the United States, shall be vested in . . . such inferior courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish."
  2. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 4, 1895, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 9, 1895, and received commission on December 9, 1895.
  3. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 5, 1905, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 12, 1905, and received commission on December 12, 1905.
  4. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on November 24, 1947, but the United States Senate failed to act on the appointment; appointed by recess appointment a second time, and again not confirmed by the Senate; appointed by recess appointment a third time; formally nominated on January 13, 1949, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 31, 1949, and received commission on February 2, 1949.
  5. ^ Reassigned from the District of Missouri
  6. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 8, 1925, confirmed by the United States Senate on December 14, 1925, and received commission on December 14, 1925.
  7. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on November 24, 1947, but the United States Senate failed to act on the appointment; appointed by recess appointment a second time, and again not confirmed by the Senate; appointed by recess appointment a third time; formally nominated on January 13, 1949, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 31, 1949, and received commission on February 2, 1949.

References

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  • "Judges of the United States Courts". Biographical Directory of Federal Judges. Federal Judicial Center. Archived from the original on 2016-07-30. Retrieved 2009-04-03.
  • Hinds, Asher C. (March 4, 1907). Hinds' Precedents of the House of Representatives of the United States. Vol. III. United States Government Printing Office. Retrieved April 6, 2009.
  1. ^ "United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri official site". Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
  2. ^ "United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri official site". Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Archived from the original on 2013-08-01. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
  3. ^ 3 Stat. 653.
  4. ^ U.S. District Courts of Missouri, Legislative history, Federal Judicial Center.
  5. ^ Chapter LXXIII: Impeachment and Trial of James H. Peck, Hinds' Precedents.
  6. ^ Wells, Robert William Archived 2009-05-13 at the Wayback Machine, Federal Judicial Center.
  7. ^ Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, passim.
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