F. Edward Hebert Federal Building in New Orleans.
Originally, the Fifth Circuit also included the federal district courts in
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = " Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to t ...
, and
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...
. In 1981, the district courts for those states were transferred to the newly created
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
History of the court
This court was created by the
Evarts Act
The Judiciary Act of 1891 ({{USStat, 26, 826), also known as the Evarts Act after its primary sponsor, Senator William M. Evarts, created the United States courts of appeals and reassigned the jurisdiction of most routine appeals from the district ...
on June 16, 1891, which moved the circuit judges and appellate jurisdiction from the Circuit Courts of the Fifth Circuit to this court. At the time of its creation, the Fifth Circuit covered
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to t ...
,
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = " Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
,
Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Mis ...
,
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...
, and
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
.
On June 25, 1948, the
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone ( es, Zona del Canal de Panamá), also simply known as the Canal Zone, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the Isthmus of Panama, that existed from 1903 to 1979. It was located within the terr ...
was added to the Fifth Circuit by 62 Stat. 870. The Fifth Circuit gained appellate jurisdiction over the
United States District Court for the Canal Zone
The United States District Court for the Canal Zone (in case citations, D.C.Z.) was a United States District Court that existed in the Panama Canal Zone of Panama from 1914 to 1982.
Appeals were taken to the United States Court of Appeals for th ...
.
On October 1, 1981, under , the Fifth Circuit was split: Alabama, Georgia, and Florida were moved to the new
Eleventh Circuit.
On March 31, 1982, the Fifth Circuit lost jurisdiction over the Panama Canal Zone, which was transferred to Panamanian control.
The Fifth Circuit Four
During the late 1950s, Chief Judge
Elbert Tuttle
Elbert Parr Tuttle (July 17, 1897 – June 23, 1996) was the Chief United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit from 1960 to 1967, when that court became known for a series of decisions crucial in advanc ...
and three of his colleagues (
John Minor Wisdom
John Minor Wisdom (May 17, 1905 – May 15, 1999), one of the "Fifth Circuit Four", and a Republican from Louisiana, was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit during the 1950s and 1960s, when th ...
,
John Brown, and
Richard Rives) became known as the "
Fifth Circuit Four", or simply "The Four", for decisions crucial in advancing the
civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life ...
of
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
s. In this, they were usually opposed by their fellow Fifth Circuit Judge,
Benjamin F. Cameron of Mississippi, until his death in 1964.
That Fascinating and Frenetic Fifth
" Time Magazine, 1964-12-04.
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans on August 29, 2005, devastating the city and slightly damaging the John Minor Wisdom Courthouse. All deadlines concerning filings were extended. The court temporarily relocated its administrative operations to Houston, and returned to normal operations in New Orleans in March 2007.
Current composition of the court
:
Vacancies and pending nominations
List of former judges
Chief judges
Succession of seats
See also
* Courts of Louisiana
Courts of Louisiana include:
;State courts of Louisiana
* Louisiana Supreme Court
** Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal (5 circuits)
*** Louisiana District Courts (42 districts)
;
;Federal courts located in Louisiana
*United States Court of Ap ...
* Courts of Mississippi Courts of Mississippi include:
;State courts of Mississippi
*Supreme Court of Mississippi
** Mississippi Court of Appeals
***Mississippi Chancery Courts
*** Mississippi Circuit Courts (22 circuits)
**** Mississippi County Courts
***** Mississippi J ...
* Courts of Texas
* Judicial appointment history for United States federal courts#Fifth Circuit
* List of current United States Circuit Judges
References
*
External links
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Recent Fifth Circuit opinions from FindLaw
Criminal law opinions from the Fifth Circuit
Business litigation opinions from the Fifth Circuit
{{DEFAULTSORT:United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
New Orleans
1891 establishments in the United States
Courts and tribunals established in 1891