The United States District Court for the District of Oregon (in case citations, D. Ore. or D. Or.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the state of

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

. It was created in 1859 when the state was admitted to the Union. Appellate jurisdiction belongs to the

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts: * District ...

(except for

patent A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A ...

claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the

Federal Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (in case citations, Fed. Cir. or C.A.F.C.) is a United States court of appeals that has special appellate jurisdiction over certain types of specialized cases in the U.S. federal court ...

). Matthew P. Deady served as its first judge. Marco A. Hernandez is the current chief judge. The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon represents the United States in civil and criminal

litigation - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil act ...

in the court. , the United States Attorney is Natalie K. Wight.

Organization

The court has four divisional offices within the state (three with staff): Portland, Eugene, Medford, and Pendleton.U.S. District Court District of Oregon: Local Rules of Civil Practice
/ref> The Portland Division holds court at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse and handles cases from Clackamas, Clatsop,

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region i ...

, Hood River, Jefferson, Multnomah,

Polk Polk may refer to: People * James K. Polk, 11th president of the United States * Polk (name), other people with the name Places * Polk (CTA), a train station in Chicago, Illinois * Polk, Illinois, an unincorporated community * Polk, Missour ...

, Tillamook, Wasco,

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, and Yamhill Counties. The Medford Division meets at the James A. Redden United States Courthouse and handles cases from

Curry A curry is a dish with a sauce seasoned with spices, mainly associated with South Asian cuisine. In southern India, leaves from the curry tree may be included. There are many varieties of curry. The choice of spices for each dish in trad ...

, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath and Lake Counties.GAS: Historic Federal Buildings
/ref> The Pendleton Division holds session at John F. Kilkenny United States Post Office and Courthouse and covers cases from

Baker A baker is a tradesperson who baking, bakes and sometimes Sales, sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery. History Ancient history Si ...

, Crook, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union,

Wallowa Wallowa may refer to: Places * Wallowa, Oregon *Wallowa County, Oregon *Wallowa Lake * Wallowa Lake State Park *Wallowa Mountains *Wallowa River Other *'' Acacia calamifolia'', a shrub or tree *'' Acacia euthycarpa'', a shrub or tree * '' The ...

and Wheeler Counties. The

Wayne L. Morse United States Courthouse The Wayne Lyman Morse United States Courthouse is a federal courthouse located in Eugene, Oregon. Completed in 2006, it serves the District of Oregon as part of the Ninth Judicial Circuit. The courthouse is named in honor of former U.S. Senat ...

houses the Eugene Division that handles cases from Benton, Coos, Deschutes,

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking * Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil ...

, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, and Marion Counties.

History

After Oregon became a state on February 14, 1859, the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...

created the District of Oregon encompassing the entire state on March 3, 1859.U.S. District Court of Oregon: Legislative history
/ref> The bill creating the district authorized a single judge and also designated it as a judicial circuit. President

James Buchanan James Buchanan Jr. ( ; April 23, 1791June 1, 1868) was an American lawyer, diplomat and politician who served as the 15th president of the United States from 1857 to 1861. He previously served as secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and repr ...

appointed Matthew Deady as judge, and the court was to hold annual sessions in April and September at the seat of government in Salem.Horner, John B. (1919). ''Oregon: Her History, Her Great Men, Her Literature''. The J.K. Gill Co.: Portland. p. 168-169. Deady held the first session of the court on September 12, 1859, in Salem, but was able to have the court relocated to Portland by the September session of 1860. Beginning in 1933, the court was housed in the United States Courthouse (now Gus J. Solomon United States Courthouse) before moving to the new Hatfield Courthouse in 1997.Historic Federal Courthouses: Portland, Oregon.
Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved on November 19, 2007. On March 3, 1863, Congress passed a law that removed the circuit court jurisdiction and transferred appeals court jurisdiction to the Tenth Circuit, and in 1866 transferred it again to the Ninth Circuit. On April 18, 1877, court clerk

Ralph Wilcox Ralph Wilcox (July 9, 1818 – April 18, 1877) was the first teacher and practicing doctor in Portland, Oregon.Corning, Howard M. ''Dictionary of Oregon History''. Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956. He also served in the Provisional Government ...

committed suicide in his office at the court using a Deringer pistol. On March 27, 1885, Judge Deady admitted Mary Leonard to the federal bar, the first woman admitted in Oregon.Abrams, Kerry
Folk Hero, Hell Raiser, Mad Woman, Lady Lawyer: What is the Truth about Mary Leonard?
Women's Legal History Biography Project. Stanford Law School. Retrieved on May 7, 2008. In 1909, Congress added another seat to the court, followed by another judgeship in 1949. On October 20, 1978, Congress passed a law authorizing two more positions on the bench of the Oregon district court. The first woman to serve on the court was Helen J. Frye, whose service began on February 20, 1980. In 1990, Congress added a sixth judgeship for the district. Ancer L. Haggerty, the first African American on the court, began his service on March 28, 1994.

Current judges

Vacancies and pending nominations

Former judges

Chief judges

Succession of seats

References

External links

United States District Court for the District of Oregon Official Website

United States Attorney for the District of Oregon Official Website

U.S. District Court of Oregon Historical Society
* from the Congressional Research Service {{DEFAULTSORT:United States District Court for the District of Oregon Oregon law

Portland, Oregon Eugene, Oregon Medford, Oregon Pendleton, Oregon 1859 establishments in Oregon Courthouses in Oregon Courts and tribunals established in 1859