View source for United States district court

{{Short description|Trial court of the U.S. federal judiciary}}
{{About|the district courts of the U.S. federal judicial system|the district courts of various U.S. states' judicial systems|Courts of the United States#Courts by state of the United States}}
{{refimprove|date = June 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}}
[[File:US Court of Appeals and District Court map.svg|thumb|upright=1.8|right|Map of the boundaries of the United States district courts within each of the 13 circuits of the [[United States courts of appeals]]. All district courts lie within the boundary of a single jurisdiction, usually in [[U.S. state|a state]] (heavier lines). Some states have more than one district court (dotted lines denote those jurisdictions)]]


The '''United States district courts''' are the [[trial court]]s of the [[United States federal judiciary|U.S. federal judiciary]].  There is one district court for each [[United States federal judicial district|federal judicial district]].  Each district covers one [[U.S. state]] or a portion of a state. There is at least one federal courthouse in each district, and many districts have more than one. District court decisions are appealed to the [[United States courts of appeals|U.S. court of appeals]] for the circuit in which they reside, except for certain specialized cases that are appealed to the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit|U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit]] or directly to the [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]].

District courts are courts of [[common law|law]], [[Court of equity|equity]], and [[Admiralty court|admiralty]], and can hear both [[Civil law (common law)|civil]] and [[Criminal law|criminal]] cases. But unlike [[State court (United States)|U.S. state courts]], federal district courts are courts of [[limited jurisdiction]], and can only hear cases that involve disputes between [[diversity jurisdiction|residents of different states]], [[federal question jurisdiction|questions of federal law]], or federal crimes.

==Legal basis==

Unlike the U.S. Supreme Court, which was expressly established by [[Article Three of the United States Constitution|Article III of the Constitution]], the district courts were established by Congress pursuant to authority delegated by Article III<ref group="note">Article III of the 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."</ref> through the enacting of a federal statute, the [[Judiciary Act of 1789]]. There is no constitutional requirement that district courts exist at all.<ref name="Pfander_Page_83" />

During the drafting and ratification of the [[Constitution of the United States|Constitution]], some opponents of a strong federal judiciary argued that the federal courts ought to be limited to the Supreme Court, which would hear appeals only from state courts.  In other words, the state courts would be treated as [[Federal tribunals in the United States|federal tribunals]] under Article I of the Constitution for the purpose of hearing disputes under federal law, but their judges would not become officers of the federal government.<ref name="Pfander_Page_83">{{cite book |last1=Pfander |first1=James |title=One Supreme Court: Supremacy, Inferiority, and the Judicial Department of the United States |date=2009 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=9780195340334 |page=83 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yHpVDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA83 |access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>  [[Edward Carrington]] advocated this position in a letter to [[James Madison]], and it was also discussed by [[Alexander Hamilton]] in [[Federalist No. 81]].<ref name="Pfander_Page_83" />  However, this view did not prevail, and the first Congress created the district court system that is still in place today.<ref name="Pfander_Page_83" />  Pursuant to the Constitution, nonetheless, [[State court (United States)|state courts]] retain the power of [[concurrent jurisdiction]] in most federal matters.<ref>{{Cite report |url=https://www.ncsc.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/74207/The-Role-of-State-Courts-in-our-Federal-System.pdf |title=The Role of State Courts in our Federal System |pages=6–10 |publisher=National Center for State Courts |date=January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303190237/https://www.ncsc.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/74207/The-Role-of-State-Courts-in-our-Federal-System.pdf |archive-date=March 3, 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref>

When the Act was first passed, there were thirteen districts created among the eleven states which had ratified the Constitution by that point. When North Carolina and Rhode Island voted to ratify, a district was created for each of them, bringing the number of districts to fifteen.

The [[Territories of the United States|territories]] ([[insular area]]s) of [[Guam]], the [[Northern Mariana Islands]], and the [[United States Virgin Islands]] each have one territorial court; these courts are called "district courts" and exercise the same jurisdiction as district courts,<ref name="USGOV">{{cite web |last=Article III Judges Division |date=2001-08-01 |title=An Introduction for Judges and Judicial Administrators in Other Countries |url=http://www.uscourts.gov/library/internationalbook-fedcts2.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090513052918/http://www.uscourts.gov/library/internationalbook-fedcts2.pdf |archive-date=2009-05-13 |access-date=2009-06-21 |work=The Federal Court System in the United States |publisher=Administrative Office of the United States Courts}}</ref><ref name="FJC">{{cite web |title=Territorial Courts |url=http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/territorial |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090514085651/http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/territorial |archive-date=May 14, 2009 |access-date=2009-06-21 |work=History of the Federal Judiciary |publisher=[[Federal Judicial Center]]}}</ref> but differ from district courts in that territorial courts are [[United States territorial court|Article IV courts]], with judges who serve ten-year terms rather than the [[lifetime tenure]] of judges of [[Article I and Article III tribunals|Article III courts]], such as the district court judges.<ref name="FJC" />

[[American Samoa]] does not have a district court or a federal territorial court, and so federal matters there are sent to either the [[United States District Court for the District of Columbia|District of Columbia]] or [[United States District Court for the District of Hawaii|Hawaii]].<ref name="GAO_AS">{{cite web |date=September 18, 2008 |title=American Samoa: Issues Associated with Some Federal Court Options |url=https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-1124T |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191016102008/https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-1124T |archive-date=October 16, 2019 |access-date=April 28, 2020 |publisher=U.S. Government Accountability Office}}</ref> The [[Philippines]] were previously part of the United States but were never part of the U.S. federal court system.<ref name="Go_Page_7">{{cite book |last1=Go |first1=Julian |editor1-last=Go |editor1-first=Julian |editor2-last=Foster |editor2-first=Anne L. |title=The American Colonial State in the Philippines: Global Perspectives |date=2003 |publisher=Duke University Press |location=Durham |isbn=9780822384519 |pages=1–42 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_wJ9tnBsi2YC&pg=PA7 |chapter=Introduction}} (At p. 7.)</ref>

== Geography ==
There are 89 districts in the 50 states, with a total of 94 districts including territories.<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.uscourts.gov/faq.html |title=U. S. Courts {{!}} Frequently Asked Questions |access-date= 2009-05-26 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090526071801/http://www.uscourts.gov/faq.html |archive-date=2009-05-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref> There is at least one judicial district for each [[United States state|state]], the [[District of Columbia]], and [[Puerto Rico]].

Each state has between one and four districts.  For states with multiple districts, they are named geographically.  States with two districts all give them either Northern–Southern or Western–Eastern designations.  Most states with three districts add a Middle District, with two exceptions: Illinois has a Central District instead of a Middle District, and Oklahoma has Northern, Western, and Eastern Districts.  Of the three states with four districts, New York and Texas use all four directional designations, while California has a Central District and no Western District.

==Other federal trial courts==

There are other federal trial courts that have nationwide [[jurisdiction]] over certain types of cases, but the district court also has [[concurrent jurisdiction]] over many of those cases, and the district court is the only one with jurisdiction over civilian criminal cases.

The [[United States Court of International Trade]] addresses cases involving international trade and customs issues. The [[United States Court of Federal Claims]] has [[exclusive jurisdiction]] over most claims for money damages against the United States, including disputes over federal contracts, unlawful [[Eminent domain|taking]]s of private property by the federal government, and suits for injury on federal property or by a federal employee. The [[United States Tax Court]] has jurisdiction over contested pre-assessment determinations of [[Taxation in the United States|taxes]].

==Judges==
{{Main|United States federal judge}}
A judge of a United States district court is officially titled a "United States District Judge". Other [[federal judge]]s, including [[United States court of appeals|circuit judges]] and [[List of justices of the Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court justice]]s, can also sit in a district court upon assignment by the chief judge of the circuit or by the [[Chief Justice of the United States]]. The number of judges in each district court (and the structure of the judicial system generally) is set by [[United States Congress|Congress]] in the [[United States Code]]. The [[President of the United States|president]] appoints the federal judges for terms of good behavior (subject to the [[advice and consent]] of the [[United States Senate|Senate]]), so the nominees often share at least some of his or her convictions. In states represented by a senator of the president's party, the senator (or the more senior of them if both senators are of the president's party) has substantial input into the nominating process, and through a tradition known as [[senatorial courtesy]] can exercise an unofficial veto over a nominee unacceptable to the senator.

Federal magistrate judges are appointed by each district court pursuant to statute. They are appointed for an eight-year term and may be reappointed for additional eight-year terms. A magistrate judge may be removed "for incompetency, misconduct, neglect of duty, or physical or mental disability".<ref>{{usc|28|631}}</ref> A magistrate judgeship may be a stepping stone to a district judgeship nomination.

District judges usually concentrate on managing their court's overall caseload, supervising trials, and writing opinions in response to important motions like the motion for [[summary judgment]]. Since the 1960s, routine tasks like resolving discovery disputes can, in the district judge's discretion, be referred to [[United States magistrate judge|magistrate judges]]. Magistrate judges can also be requested to prepare reports and recommendations on contested matters for the district judge's consideration or, with the consent of all parties, to assume complete jurisdiction over a case including conducting the trial.

With the exception of the [[United States territorial court|territorial courts]] ([[District Court of Guam|Guam]], the [[District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands|Northern Mariana Islands]], and the [[District Court of the Virgin Islands|Virgin Islands]]), federal district judges are [[Article I and Article III tribunals#Article III courts|Article III judges]] appointed for life, and can be removed involuntarily only when they violate the standard of "good behavior". The sole method of involuntary removal of a judge is through [[Federal impeachment in the United States|impeachment]] by the [[United States House of Representatives]] followed by a trial in the [[United States Senate]] and a conviction by a two-thirds vote. Otherwise, a judge, even if convicted of a [[felony]] criminal offense by a jury, is entitled to hold office until retirement or death. In the history of the United States, twelve judges have been impeached by the House, and seven have been removed following conviction in the Senate. (For a table that includes the twelve impeached judges, see [[List of federal impeachments|Impeachment in the United States]].)

A judge who has reached the age of 65 (or has become disabled) may retire or elect to go on [[senior status]] and keep working. Such senior judges are not counted in the quota of active judges for the district and do only whatever work they are assigned by the chief judge of the district, but they keep their offices (called "chambers") and staff, and many of them work full-time.

As of 2010, there were 678 authorized district court judgeships.<ref>{{cite web|title=Federal Judgeships|url=http://www.uscourts.gov/JudgesAndJudgeships/FederalJudgeships.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100516193815/http://www.uscourts.gov/JudgesAndJudgeships/FederalJudgeships.aspx|archive-date=May 16, 2010|website=United States Courts}}</ref>

A federal judge is addressed in writing as "[[The Honorable]] John/Jane Doe" or "Hon. John/Jane Doe" and in speech as "Judge" or "Judge Doe" or, when presiding in court, "Your Honor".

==Clerks==

Each district court appoints a clerk, who is responsible for overseeing filings made with the court, maintaining the court's records, processing fees, fines, and restitution, and managing the non-judicial work of the court, including information technology, budget, procurement, human resources, and financial. Clerks may appoint deputies, clerical assistants, and employees to carry out the work of the court. The clerk of each district court must reside in the district for which the clerk is appointed, except that the clerk of the District of Columbia and the clerk of the Southern District of New York may reside within twenty miles of their respective districts.

The Judiciary Act of 1789 authorized the Supreme Court and the judge of each U.S. District Court to appoint a clerk to assist with the administration of federal judicial business in those courts. The clerk for each district court was to also serve as clerk of the corresponding circuit court. The Judiciary Act required each clerk to issue the writs summoning jurors and "to record the decrees, judgments and determinations of the court of which he is clerk."

The Judicial Code (28 U.S.C. § 751) provides that the clerk is appointed, and may be removed, by the court. The clerk's duties are prescribed by the statute, by the court's customs and practices, and by policy established by the [[Judicial Conference of the United States]]. The clerk is appointed by order of the court [[en banc]] to serve the entire court. The role of the clerk and deputies or assistants should not be confused with the judges' [[law clerk]]s, who assist the judges by conducting research and preparing drafts of opinions.

To be eligible to serve as a clerk, a person must have a minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible administrative experience in public service or business that provides a thorough understanding of organizational, procedural, and human aspects of managing an organization, and at least 3 of the 10 years must have been in a position of substantial management responsibility. An attorney may substitute the active practice of law on a year-for-year basis for the management or administrative experience requirement. Clerks do not have to be licensed attorneys, but some courts specify that a law degree is a preference for employment.

==Jurisdiction==
{{Civil procedure (United States)|short=yes}}
Unlike some state courts, the power of federal courts to hear cases and controversies is strictly limited. Federal courts may not decide every case that happens to come before them.  In order for a district court to entertain a lawsuit, Congress must first grant the court subject matter jurisdiction over the type of dispute in question.

The district courts exercise original jurisdiction over—that is, they are empowered to conduct trials in—the following types of cases:

* Civil actions arising under the Constitution, laws, and treaties of the United States;<ref>{{usc|28|1331}}</ref>
* Certain civil actions between citizens of different states or citizens of a state and a foreign state;<ref>{{usc|28|1332}}</ref>
* Civil actions within the admiralty or maritime jurisdiction of the United States;<ref>{{usc|28|1333}}</ref>
* Criminal prosecutions brought by the United States;<ref>{{usc|18|3231}}</ref>
* Civil actions in which the United States is a party;<ref>{{usc|28|1345}} (United States as plaintiff);  {{usc|28|1346}} (United States as defendant)</ref> and
* Many other types of cases and controversies<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080424035854/http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/28/usc_sup_01_28_10_IV_20_85.html Title 28, United States Code, Chapter 85].</ref>

For most of these cases, the jurisdiction of the federal district courts is concurrent with that of the state courts. In other words, a plaintiff can choose to bring these cases in either a federal district court or a state court. Congress has established a procedure whereby a party, typically the defendant, can "remove" a case from state court to federal court, provided that the federal court also has original jurisdiction over the matter (meaning that the case could have been filed in federal court initially).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/1441|title=28 USC 1441}}</ref> If the party that initially filed the case in state court believes that removal was improper, that party can ask the district court to "remand" the case to the state court system. For certain matters, such as patent and copyright infringement disputes and prosecutions for federal crimes, the jurisdiction of the district courts is exclusive of that of the state courts, meaning that only federal courts can hear those cases.<ref group="note">In some situations, federal law provides both for the exclusive jurisdiction of federal courts and for the immunity of the defendant from the power of those courts. One example of this is [[patent]]-infringement claims against a state government: only the federal courts may hear patent cases, but the states have [[sovereign immunity]] from such suits under the [[Eleventh Amendment to the United States Constitution|Eleventh Amendment]].  Although a state may choose to waive its immunity in such a case and allow it to proceed to trial, if it does not do so, the plaintiff has no recourse. This doctrine was reaffirmed by the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] in ''[[Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense Board v. College Savings Bank]]'', 527 U.S. 627 (1999).</ref>

In addition to their original jurisdiction, the district courts have appellate jurisdiction over a very limited class of judgments, orders, and decrees.<ref>''See'', ''e.g.'', {{usc|28|158}}(a)(1) (U.S. district courts are authorized to hear appeals from final judgments, orders, and decrees of U.S. bankruptcy judges).</ref>

==Attorneys==
[[File:United_States_District_Court_Reciprocity_Map.png|thumb|right|United States District Court Attorney Admissions Reciprocity Map]]
In order to represent a party in a case in a district court, a person must be an [[Attorney at law (United States)|attorney at law]] and generally must be admitted to the bar of that particular court. The United States usually does not have a separate [[bar examination]] for federal practice (except with respect to patent practice before the [[United States Patent and Trademark Office]]). [[Admission to the bar in the United States|Admission to the bar]] of a district court is generally available to any attorney who is admitted to practice law in the state where the district court sits.<ref group="note">Nearly all district courts have a Local Rule 11.1 or 83.1 that describes the appropriate state judicial institution which admits attorneys to practice (either the state bar association or an office or committee of the state supreme court).</ref>

56 districts (around 60% of all district courts) require an attorney to be admitted to practice in the state where the district court sits. The other 39 districts (around 40% of all district courts) extend admission to certain lawyers admitted in other states, although conditions vary from court to court. For example, the district courts in [[New York City]] ([[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York|Southern District of New York]] and [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York|Eastern District of New York]]) extend admission to attorneys admitted to the bar in Connecticut or Vermont and to the district court in that state, but otherwise require attorneys to be admitted to the New York bar. Only 13 districts extend admission to attorneys admitted to any U.S. state bar.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.msba.org/uploadedFiles/MSBA/Member_Groups/Sections/Litigation/USDCTMDSurvey0115.pdf|title=Survey of Admission Rules in Federal District Courts|year=2015|website=U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland|access-date=April 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017234736/http://www.msba.org/uploadedFiles/MSBA/Member_Groups/Sections/Litigation/USDCTMDSurvey0115.pdf|archive-date=October 17, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fedbar.org/Resources_1/Federal-Lawyer-Magazine/2016/September/Attorney-Admission-Practices-in-the-US-Federal-Courts.aspx?FT=.pdf|title=Attorney Admission Practices in the U.S. Federal Courts|last=Okray|first=John|date=September 2016|publisher=The Federal Lawyer|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190625225523/http://www.fedbar.org/Resources_1/Federal-Lawyer-Magazine/2016/September/Attorney-Admission-Practices-in-the-US-Federal-Courts.aspx?FT=.pdf|archive-date=June 25, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The attorney generally submits an application with a fee and takes the oath of admission. Local practice varies as to whether the oath is given in writing or in open court before a judge of the district. A "sponsor" admitted to the court's bar is often required. Several district courts require attorneys seeking admission to their bars to take an additional bar examination on federal law, including the following: the Southern District of Ohio,<ref>Local Rule 83.3, Local Rules of the Southern District of Ohio.</ref> the Northern District of Florida,<ref>Local Rule 11.1, Local Rules of the Northern District of Florida,</ref> and the [[United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico|District of Puerto Rico]].<ref>Local Rule 83.1, Local Rules of the District of Puerto Rico.</ref>

''[[Pro hac vice]]'' admission is also available in most federal district courts on a case-by-case basis. Most district courts require ''pro hac vice'' attorneys to associate with an attorney admitted to practice before the court.<ref name=":0" />

==Appeals==
Generally, a final ruling by a district court in either a civil or a criminal case can be appealed to the [[United States court of appeals]] in the [[United States federal judicial circuits|federal judicial circuit]] in which the district court is located, except that some district court rulings involving patents and certain other specialized matters must be appealed instead to the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit]], and in a very few cases the appeal may be taken directly to the [[United States Supreme Court]].

==Largest and busiest district courts==
[[File:U.S. Court House, Los Angeles.JPG|thumb|United States Court House in downtown [[Los Angeles|Los Angeles, California]], one of several sites used by the [[United States District Court for the Central District of California|Central District of California]].]]
The [[United States District Court for the Central District of California|Central District of California]] is the largest federal district by population;<ref>[https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/our-district Our District - USAO-CDCA]</ref> it includes all five counties that make up [[Greater Los Angeles]]. By contrast, [[New York City]] and the surrounding [[New York metropolitan area|metropolitan area]] are divided between the [[United States District Court for the Southern District of New York|Southern District of New York]] (which includes [[Manhattan]], [[The Bronx]] and [[Westchester County, New York|Westchester County]]) and the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York|Eastern District of New York]] (which includes [[Brooklyn]], [[Queens]], [[Staten Island]], [[Nassau County, New York|Nassau County]] and [[Suffolk County, New York|Suffolk County]]). New York suburbs in [[Connecticut]] and [[New Jersey]] are covered by the [[United States District Court for the District of Connecticut|District of Connecticut]] and [[United States District Court for the District of New Jersey|District of New Jersey]], respectively.

The Southern District of New York and the Central District of California are the largest federal districts by number of judges, with 28 judges each.<ref>{{usc|28|133}}</ref>

In 2007, the busiest district courts in terms of criminal federal felony filings were the [[United States District Court for the District of New Mexico|District of New Mexico]], [[United States District Court for the Western District of Texas|Western District of Texas]], [[United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas|Southern District of Texas]], and the [[United States District Court for the District of Arizona|District of Arizona]]. These four districts all share the [[Mexico – United States border|border with Mexico]].<ref>{{cite web|date=May 7, 2007|title=Border Crackdown Jams US Federal Courts|url=http://www.nacdl.org/public.nsf/mediasources/20070508a?opendocument|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090118215752/http://www.nacdl.org/public.nsf/mediasources/20070508a?opendocument|archive-date=January 18, 2009}}</ref> A crackdown on illegal immigration resulted in 75 percent of the criminal cases filed in the 94 district courts in 2007 being filed in these four districts and the other district that borders Mexico, the [[Southern District of California]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Goldman|first=Russell|date=July 23, 2008|title=What's Clogging the Courts? Ask America's Busiest Judge|publisher=ABC News|url=https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/Story?id=5429227|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001031249/https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/Story?id=5429227|archive-date=October 1, 2018}}</ref> The busiest patent litigation court is the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas]], with the most patent lawsuits filed there nearly every year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lexmachina.com/2016-third-quarter-litigation-trends/|title=Third Quarter Trends|last=Byrd|first=Owen|date=October 11, 2016|publisher=Lex Machina|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024145332/https://lexmachina.com/2016-third-quarter-litigation-trends/|archive-date=October 24, 2019|url-status=live|access-date=April 28, 2020}}</ref>

==List of district courts==
{{Main|List of United States district and territorial courts}}

==Extinct district courts==

===Subdivided district courts===
{{Main|List of former United States district courts}}
Most extinct district courts have disappeared by being divided into smaller districts.  The following courts were subdivided out of existence: [[List of former United States district courts#Alabama|Alabama]], [[List of former United States district courts#Arkansas|Arkansas]], [[List of former United States district courts#California|California]], [[List of former United States district courts#Florida|Florida]], [[List of former United States district courts#Georgia|Georgia]], [[List of former United States district courts#Illinois|Illinois]], [[List of former United States district courts#Indiana|Indiana]], [[List of former United States district courts#Iowa|Iowa]], [[List of former United States district courts#Kentucky|Kentucky]], [[List of former United States district courts#Louisiana|Louisiana]], [[List of former United States district courts#Michigan|Michigan]], [[List of former United States district courts#Mississippi|Mississippi]], [[List of former United States district courts#Missouri|Missouri]], [[List of former United States district courts#New York|New York]], [[List of former United States district courts#North Carolina|North Carolina]], [[List of former United States district courts#Ohio|Ohio]], [[List of former United States district courts#Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[List of former United States district courts#Tennessee|Tennessee]], [[List of former United States district courts#Texas|Texas]], [[List of former United States district courts#Virginia|Virginia]], [[List of former United States district courts#Washington|Washington]], [[List of former United States district courts#West Virginia|West Virginia]], [[List of former United States district courts#Wisconsin|Wisconsin]].

===Other abolished district courts===
On rare occasions, an extinct district court was extinguished by merging it with other district courts. In every case except one, this has restored a district court that had been subdivided:

* Between 1794 and 1797, the [[United States District Court for the District of North Carolina]] was divided into the United States district courts for the districts of [[United States District Court for the District of Edenton|Edenton]], [[United States District Court for the District of New Bern|New Bern]], and [[United States District Court for the District of Wilmington|Wilmington]].
* Between 1801 and 1802, the [[United States District Court for the District of New Jersey]] was divided into the United States district courts for the districts of [[United States District Court for the District of East Jersey|East Jersey]] and [[United States District Court for the District of West Jersey|West Jersey]].
* When California was admitted as a state in 1850, it was initially divided into two districts, the Northern and the Southern.<ref name="calif">{{cite book |last=Willoughby |first=Rodman |title=History of the Bench and Bar of Southern California |date=1909 |page=46}}</ref> The Southern District of California was abolished on July 27, 1866, and the State made to constitute one district, the statute providing that the Judge of the Northern District exercise the powers of the United States District Court for the District of California, and that all records of the Southern District Court be delivered to the Clerk of the Northern District Court.<ref name="calif"/> Twenty years later, on August 5, 1886, Congress re-created the Southern District of California.<ref name="calif"/>
* Between 1911 and 1961, the [[United States District Court for the District of South Carolina]] was divided into the United States district courts for the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of South Carolina|Eastern]] and [[United States District Court for the Western District of South Carolina|Western]] districts of South Carolina.
* The [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Illinois]] was eliminated and a new [[United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois]] was created in its place on October 2, 1978.

There are a few additional extinct district courts that fall into neither of the above two patterns.

* From 1801 to 1802, the District of Columbia and pieces of Maryland and Virginia formed the [[United States District Court for the District of Potomac]], which was the first United States district court to cross state lines. During the same period, the [[United States District Court for the District of Norfolk]] was carved out of another piece of Virginia. The United States district courts for the districts of Maryland and Virginia remained during this brief period.
* From 1801 to 1802, and again from 1802 to 1872, the state of North Carolina was subdivided into the United States district courts for the districts of [[United States District Court for the District of Albemarle|Albemarle]], [[United States District Court for the District of Cape Fear|Cape Fear]], and [[United States District Court for the District of Pamptico|Pamptico]]. These courts were extinguished when the state was reorganized into the United States district courts for the Eastern and Western districts of North Carolina.
* [[United States District Court for the District of Orleans]]. This court was renamed the [[United States District Court for the District of Louisiana]] when the [[Territory of Orleans]] became the State of Louisiana.
* [[United States District Court for the Canal Zone]]. This court was abolished, effective March 31, 1982, as part of the process of returning the [[Panama Canal Zone|Canal Zone]] to [[Panama]]. Cases then pending in the Canal Zone court were transferred to the [[United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana]] in [[New Orleans]].
* [[United States Court for China]]. This court functioned as a district court between 1906 and 1943. It had jurisdiction over American citizens in China.

==See also==
* [[List of courts of the United States]]
* [[Federal tribunals in the United States]]
* [[List of United States district and territorial courts]]
* [[List of current United States district judges]]
* [[United States Marshals Service]]

==Notes==

=== Footnotes ===
{{Reflist|group="note"}}

===Citations===
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikisource|Portal:United States District Courts}}
* {{official website|http://www.uscourts.gov/}}
* [http://openjurist.org/us-court/type/district-court United States district courts by state]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040822154530/http://www.catea.org/grade/legal/district.html Federal Court Concepts, Georgia Tech]
* [https://www.archives.gov/research/court-records/ Links to researching court records] and also [https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/021.html National Archives: Records of District Courts of the United States (Record Group 21) 1685-1993].
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090514085651/http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/territorial Territorial Courts at Federal Judicial Center]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041107235001/http://air.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/autoframe?openform&top=%2Fhistory%2Fhome.nsf%2Fpage%2Fcourtssitecontent&nav=%2Fhistory%2Fhome.nsf%2Fpage%2Fdc_nav&page=%2Fhistory%2Fhome.nsf%2Fpage%2Fdc_bdy United States District Courts at Federal Judicial Center]
* [http://dockets.justia.com United States District Court Civil Case Filings]

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