§ 136. Chief judges; precedence of district judges

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(1)In any district having more than one district judge, the chief judge of the district shall be the district judge in regular active service who is senior in commission of those judges who—

(A)are sixty-four years of age or under;

(B)have served for one year or more as a district judge; and

(C)have not served previously as chief judge.

(A)In any case in which no district judge meets the qualifications of paragraph (1), the youngest district judge in regular active service who is sixty-five years of age or over and who has served as district judge for one year or more shall act as the chief judge.

(B)In any case under subparagraph

(A)in which there is no district judge in regular active service who has served as a district judge for one year or more, the district judge in regular active service who is senior in commission and who has not served previously as chief judge shall act as the chief judge.

(A)Except as provided in subparagraph (C), the chief judge of the district appointed under paragraph

(1)shall serve for a term of seven years and shall serve after expiration of such term until another judge is eligible under paragraph

(1)to serve as chief judge of the district.

(B)Except as provided in subparagraph (C), a district judge acting as chief judge under subparagraph

(A)or

(B)of paragraph

(2)shall serve until a judge has been appointed who meets the qualifications under paragraph (1).

(C)No district judge may serve or act as chief judge of the district after attaining the age of seventy years unless no other district judge is qualified to serve as chief judge of the district under paragraph

(1)or is qualified to act as chief judge under paragraph (2).

(b)Other district judges shall have precedence and preside according to the seniority of their commissions. Judges whose commissions bear the same date shall have precedence according to seniority in age.

(c)A judge whose commission extends over more than one district shall be junior to all district judges except in the district in which he resided at the time he entered upon the duties of his office.

(d)If the chief judge desires to be relieved of his duties as chief judge while retaining his active status as district judge, he may so certify to the Chief Justice of the United States, and thereafter, the chief judge of the district shall be such other district judge who is qualified to serve or act as chief judge under subsection (a).

(e)If a chief judge is temporarily unable to perform his duties as such, they shall be performed by the district judge in active service, present in the district and able and qualified to act, who is next in precedence.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 646, 62 Stat. 897; Oct. 31, 1951, ch. 655, § 37, 65 Stat. 723; Pub. L. 85–593, § 2, Aug. 6, 1958, 72 Stat. 497; Pub. L. 97–164, title II, § 202, Apr. 2, 1982, 96 Stat. 52.)

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 375 and District of Columbia Code, 1940 ed., § 11–301 (Mar. 3, 1901, ch. 854, §§ 60, 61, 31 Stat. 1199; Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, § 260, 36 Stat. 1161; Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, § 289, 32 Stat. 1167; Feb. 25, 1919, ch. 29, § 6, 40 Stat. 1157; Dec. 20, 1928, ch. 41, 45 Stat. 1056; Mar. 1, 1929, ch. 419, 45 Stat. 1422; June 19, 1930, ch. 537, 46 Stat. 785; May 31, 1938, ch. 290, § 5, 52 Stat. 584).

Section consolidates portions of section 375 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., and section 11–301 of the District of Columbia Code, 1940 ed. The provisions of said section 375 relating to resignation and retirement of judges, and appointment of court officers, are incorporated in sections 294, 371, and 756 of this title. Other provisions of said section 11–301 of the District of Columbia Code are incorporated in section 133 of this title.

Subsection (a), providing for a “chief judge” is new. Such term replaces the terms “senior district judge,” and “Chief Justice” of the District Court in the District of Columbia. It is employed in view of the great increase of administrative duties of such judge. The use of the term “chief judge” with respect to the District of Columbia will result in uniform nomenclature for all district courts. The district judges of that court have expressed approval of such designation.

The provision in said section 11–301 of the District of Columbia Code, 1940 ed., that the “Chief Justice” shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, was omitted for the purpose of establishing a uniform method of creating the position of chief judge in all districts. The District of Columbia is expressly made a judicial district by section 88 of this title.

Subsection

(b)is new and conforms with similar provisions respecting associate justices of the Supreme Court and circuit judges in sections 4 and 45 of this title.

Subsection

(c)is from the proviso in the second paragraph of section 375 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., which applied only in cases of appointment of court officers. Here it is made applicable to all district judges.

Subsections

(d)and

(e)are new, and conform with section 44 of this title relating to precedence of circuit judges.

The official status of the Chief Justice of the District Court for the District of Columbia holding office at the effective date of this act is preserved by section 2 of the bill to enact revised title 28.

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