Brian Curtis Wimes (born January 18, 1966) is a
United States district judge
The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district. Each district covers one U.S. state or a portion of a state. There is at least one feder ...
of the
and
. Despite his dual appointment, Wimes maintains chambers only in the Western District of Missouri.
Biography
Wimes graduated from the
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Two branch campuses are in the Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side: the university's medical school and hospital ...
, in 1990, with a
Bachelor of General Studies
A Bachelor of General Studies or a Bachelor in General Studies (BGS) is a highly interdisciplinary undergraduate academic degree offered by higher education institutions that "allows students to combine and explore multiple subjects."
The concep ...
in political science. He briefly worked for the Kansas City school district prior to entering law school. He graduated from the
Thurgood Marshall School of Law
The Thurgood Marshall School of Law (TMSL) is the ABA-accredited law school of Texas Southern University, a historically Black public university in Houston, Texas. It awards Juris Doctor and Master of Law degrees. Thurgood Marshall School of L ...
with a
Juris Doctor
A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...
in 1994. From 1994 to 1995, he worked as an Attorney Advisor for the
U.S. Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the U.S. government that oversees the domestic enforcement of federal laws and the administration of justice. It is equi ...
, Bureau of Prisons Litigation Branch, in
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
From 1995 to 2001, he worked as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the
Jackson County Prosecutors Office. From 2001 to 2007, he served as
Drug Court
Drug courts are problem-solving courts that take a public health approach to criminal offending using a specialized model in which the judiciary, prosecution, defense bar, probation, law enforcement, mental health, social service, and treatment ...
Commissioner in Jackson County. In 2007 he was appointed judge on the
Jackson County Circuit Court by
Missouri Governor Matt Blunt
Matthew Roy Blunt (born November 20, 1970) is an American politician, lobbyist, and former naval officer who served as the List of governors of Missouri, 54th governor of Missouri from 2005 to 2009. He previously served ten years in the United St ...
, a position he held until his confirmation as a U.S. district judge.
Federal judicial service
On September 22, 2011, President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
nominated Wimes for district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern and Western District of Missouri to the seat vacated by Judge
Nanette Kay Laughrey, who assumed
senior status on August 27, 2011.
He received a hearing before the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
Judiciary Committee on November 14, 2011 and his nomination was reported out of committee by a
voice vote
In parliamentary procedure, a voice vote (from the Latin ''viva voce'', meaning "by live voice") or acclamation is a voting method in deliberative assemblies (such as legislatures) in which a group vote is taken on a topic or motion by respondin ...
on December 15, 2011. On April 23, 2012, the Senate confirmed his nomination by a 92–1 vote, with Utah Senator
Mike Lee
Michael Shumway Lee (born June 4, 1971) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Utah, a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, Lee became Utah's senior senator in 2019, whe ...
casting the lone nay vote. He received his commission on April 30, 2012,
and was sworn in the same day.
Notable cases
Wimes denied a request for a 19-year-old woman to be present for her father's execution for the death of Officer William McEntee.
Kevin Johnson Jr. was executed on November 30. Missouri law prohibits anyone under 21 from witnessing an execution.
On March 7, 2023, Wimes found a state law, signed by Governor
Mike Parson
Michael Lynn Parson (born September 17, 1955) is an American politician and former law enforcement officer who served as the 57th List of governors of Missouri, governor of Missouri, from 2018 to 2025. A member of the Republican Party (United S ...
, regulating cooperation with federal authorities on firearms issues, to be unconstitutional as a violation of the
Supremacy Clause
The Supremacy Clause of the Constitution of the United States ( Article VI, Clause 2) establishes that the Constitution, federal laws made pursuant to it, and treaties made under its authority, constitute the "supreme Law of the Land", and th ...
. Missouri Attorney General
Andrew Bailey said he would challenge the decision and Republican congressman
Eric Burlison
Eric Wayne Burlison (born October 2, 1976) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative from Missouri's 7th congressional district since 2023. He previously served as the representative for District 133 ( Greene County) in the Mis ...
denigrated the decision as being understandable supposedly because Wimes was an appointee of President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
.
[Federal judge tosses Missouri gun law, ruling it 'exposes citizens to greater harm']
''Kansas City Star
''The Kansas City Star'' is a newspaper based in Kansas City, Missouri. Published since 1880, the paper is the recipient of eight Pulitzer Prizes.
''The Star'' is most notable for its influence on the career of President Harry S. Truman and a ...
'', Jonathan Shorman and Kacen Bayless, March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
See also
*
List of African-American federal judges
This is a list of African Americans who have served as United States federal judge
In the United States, a federal judge is a judge who serves on a court established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. Often called "Article III ju ...
*
List of African-American jurists
This list includes individuals self-identified as African Americans who have made prominent contributions to the field of law in the United States, especially as eminent judges or legal scholars. Individuals who may have obtained law degrees o ...
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wimes, Brian C.
1966 births
Living people
African-American judges
Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
Judges of the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri
Missouri state court judges
Texas Southern University alumni
Thurgood Marshall School of Law alumni
United States district court judges appointed by Barack Obama
University of Kansas alumni