History / Courts

U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland

56 judges have served since Feb 10, 1790. Now: Adam Ben Abelson DMatthew James Maddox DBrendan Abell Hurson DJulie Rebecca Rubin DLydia Kay Griggsby DDeborah Lynn Boardman DStephanie Agli Gallagher RPaula Xinis DTheodore David Chuang DGeorge Levi Russell, III D.

Judges
56
27 D · 23 R · 3 JR · 1 U · 1 F · 1 W
Longest tenure
33 years
Thomas John Morris
Current
2.1 years
Adam Ben Abelson, since Sep 12, 2024
history/court/district-court-for-the-district-of-marylandEvery holder, newest first
+56
180018201840186018801900192019401960198020002020William Paca · 1790-02-10 – 1799-10-13James Winchester · 1799-12-10 – 1806-04-05 · FederalistJames Houston · 1806-04-21 – 1819-06-08 · Jeffersonian RepublicanTheodorick Bland · 1820-01-05 – 1824-08-16 · Jeffersonian RepublicanElias Glenn · 1825-01-03 – 1836-04-01 · Jeffersonian RepublicanUpton Scott Heath · 1836-04-04 – 1852-02-21 · DemocratJohn Glenn · 1852-03-19 – 1853-07-08 · WhigWilliam Fell Giles · 1854-01-11 – 1879-03-21 · DemocratThomas John Morris · 1879-07-01 – 1912-06-06 · RepublicanMorris Ames Soper · 1923-02-24 – 1931-05-09 · RepublicanWilliam Calvin Chesnut · 1932-01-12 – 1953-07-31 · RepublicanRoszel Cathcart Thomsen · 1954-05-12 – 1971-01-31 · RepublicanCharles Stanley Blair · 1971-07-29 – 1980-04-20 · RepublicanNorman Park Ramsey · 1980-09-30 – 1991-11-01 · DemocratPeter Jo Messitte · 1993-10-20 – 2008-09-01 · DemocratJames Kelleher Bredar · 2010-12-17 – 2024-04-30 · DemocratAdam Ben Abelson · 2024-09-12 – present · DemocratJohn Carter Rose · 1910-04-04 – 1922-12-26 · RepublicanWilliam Caldwell Coleman · 1927-12-19 – 1955-06-01 · RepublicanRobert Dorsey Watkins · 1956-03-02 – 1971-08-11 · RepublicanShirley Brannock Jones · 1979-10-05 – 1982-12-31 · DemocratJohn Raymond Hargrove, Sr. · 1984-02-10 – 1994-02-21 · RepublicanAlexander Williams, Jr. · 1994-08-18 – 2013-05-08 · DemocratTheodore David Chuang · 2014-05-02 – present · DemocratEdward Skottowe Northrop · 1961-09-05 – 1981-06-12 · DemocratWalter Evan Black, Jr. · 1982-04-21 – 1994-10-21 · RepublicanAndre Maurice Davis · 1995-08-14 – 2009-11-12 · DemocratEllen Lipton Hollander · 2010-12-28 – 2022-01-04 · DemocratJulie Rebecca Rubin · 2022-03-30 – present · DemocratHarrison Lee Winter · 1962-02-17 – 1966-06-27 · DemocratFrank Albert Kaufman · 1966-09-22 – 1986-06-16 · DemocratFrederic N. Smalkin · 1986-09-26 – 2003-01-08 · RepublicanWilliam D. Quarles, Jr. · 2003-03-14 – 2016-02-01 · RepublicanPaula Xinis · 2016-05-18 – present · DemocratAlexander Harvey, II · 1966-09-22 – 1991-03-08 · DemocratBenson Everett Legg · 1991-09-16 – 2012-06-08 · RepublicanPaul William Grimm · 2012-12-06 – 2022-12-11 · DemocratBrendan Abell Hurson · 2023-10-06 – present · DemocratJames Rogers Miller, Jr. · 1970-10-15 – 1986-12-01 · RepublicanPaul Victor Niemeyer · 1988-02-22 – 1990-08-10 · RepublicanDeborah K. Chasanow · 1993-10-20 – 2014-10-03 · DemocratStephanie Agli Gallagher · 2019-09-13 – present · RepublicanJoseph H. Young · 1971-07-29 – 1987-08-01 · RepublicanMarvin J. Garbis · 1989-10-25 – 2003-06-14 · RepublicanRoger W. Titus · 2003-11-06 – 2014-01-17 · RepublicanGeorge Jarrod Hazel · 2014-05-02 – 2023-02-24 · DemocratMatthew James Maddox · 2023-11-03 – present · DemocratHerbert Frazier Murray · 1971-07-29 – 1988-12-31 · RepublicanWilliam M. Nickerson · 1990-05-14 – 2002-06-11 · RepublicanRichard D. Bennett · 2003-04-10 – 2021-06-30 · RepublicanLydia Kay Griggsby · 2021-07-20 – present · DemocratJoseph Clemens Howard · 1979-10-05 – 1991-11-15 · DemocratCatherine C. Blake · 1995-08-14 – 2021-04-02 · DemocratDeborah Lynn Boardman · 2021-06-25 – present · DemocratJ. Frederick Motz · 1985-07-12 – 2010-12-17 · RepublicanGeorge Levi Russell, III · 2012-05-22 – present · Democrat
Adam Ben Abelson D
Sep 12, 2024 – present · 2.1 years · appointed by Joseph R. Biden · confirmed 53–43
Matthew James Maddox D
Nov 3, 2023 – present · 2.9 years · appointed by Joseph R. Biden · confirmed 55–42
Brendan Abell Hurson D
Oct 6, 2023 – present · 3 years · appointed by Joseph R. Biden · confirmed 53–44
Julie Rebecca Rubin D
Mar 30, 2022 – present · 4.5 years · appointed by Joseph R. Biden · confirmed 51–46
Lydia Kay Griggsby D
Jul 20, 2021 – present · 5.2 years · appointed by Joseph R. Biden · confirmed 59–39
Deborah Lynn Boardman D
Jun 25, 2021 – present · 5.3 years · appointed by Joseph R. Biden · confirmed 52–48
Stephanie Agli Gallagher R
Sep 13, 2019 – present · 7.1 years · appointed by Donald J. Trump
Paula Xinis D
May 18, 2016 – present · 10 years · appointed by Barack Obama · confirmed 53–34
Theodore David Chuang D
May 2, 2014 – present · 12 years · appointed by Barack Obama · confirmed 53–42
George Jarrod Hazel D
May 2, 2014 – Feb 24, 2023 · 8.8 years · appointed by Barack Obama · confirmed 95–0
Paul William Grimm D
Dec 6, 2012 – Dec 11, 2022 · 10 years · appointed by Barack Obama · senior status Dec 11, 2022 · confirmed 92–1
George Levi Russell, III D
May 22, 2012 – present · 14 years · appointed by Barack Obama
Ellen Lipton Hollander D
Dec 28, 2010 – Jan 4, 2022 · 11 years · appointed by Barack Obama · senior status Jan 4, 2022 · confirmed 95–0
James Kelleher Bredar D
Dec 17, 2010 – Apr 30, 2024 · 13 years · appointed by Barack Obama · senior status Apr 30, 2024
Roger W. Titus R
Nov 6, 2003 – Jan 17, 2014 · 10 years · appointed by George W. Bush · senior status Jan 17, 2014 · confirmed 97–0
Richard D. Bennett R
Apr 10, 2003 – Jun 30, 2021 · 18 years · appointed by George W. Bush · senior status Jun 30, 2021 · confirmed 99–0
William D. Quarles, Jr. R
Mar 14, 2003 – Feb 1, 2016 · 13 years · appointed by George W. Bush · confirmed 91–0
Andre Maurice Davis D
Aug 14, 1995 – Nov 12, 2009 · 14 years · appointed by William J. Clinton
Catherine C. Blake D
Aug 14, 1995 – Apr 2, 2021 · 26 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status Apr 2, 2021
Alexander Williams, Jr. D
Aug 18, 1994 – May 8, 2013 · 19 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status May 8, 2013
Peter Jo Messitte D
Oct 20, 1993 – Sep 1, 2008 · 15 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status Sep 1, 2008
Deborah K. Chasanow D
Oct 20, 1993 – Oct 3, 2014 · 21 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status Oct 3, 2014
Benson Everett Legg R
Sep 16, 1991 – Jun 8, 2012 · 21 years · appointed by George H.W. Bush · senior status Jun 8, 2012
William M. Nickerson R
May 14, 1990 – Jun 11, 2002 · 12 years · appointed by George H.W. Bush · senior status Jun 11, 2002
Marvin J. Garbis R
Oct 25, 1989 – Jun 14, 2003 · 14 years · appointed by George H.W. Bush · senior status Jun 14, 2003
Paul Victor Niemeyer R
Feb 22, 1988 – Aug 10, 1990 · 2.5 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan
Frederic N. Smalkin R
Sep 26, 1986 – Jan 8, 2003 · 16 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Jan 8, 2003
J. Frederick Motz R
Jul 12, 1985 – Dec 17, 2010 · 25 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Dec 17, 2010
John Raymond Hargrove, Sr. R
Feb 10, 1984 – Feb 21, 1994 · 10 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Feb 21, 1994
Walter Evan Black, Jr. R
Apr 21, 1982 – Oct 21, 1994 · 13 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Oct 21, 1994
Norman Park Ramsey D
Sep 30, 1980 – Nov 1, 1991 · 11 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter · senior status Nov 1, 1991
Shirley Brannock Jones D
Oct 5, 1979 – Dec 31, 1982 · 3.2 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter
Joseph Clemens Howard D
Oct 5, 1979 – Nov 15, 1991 · 12 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter · senior status Nov 15, 1991
Charles Stanley Blair R
Jul 29, 1971 – Apr 20, 1980 · 8.7 years · appointed by Richard M. Nixon
Joseph H. Young R
Jul 29, 1971 – Aug 1, 1987 · 16 years · appointed by Richard M. Nixon · senior status Aug 1, 1987
Herbert Frazier Murray R
Jul 29, 1971 – Dec 31, 1988 · 17 years · appointed by Richard M. Nixon · senior status Dec 31, 1988
James Rogers Miller, Jr. R
Oct 15, 1970 – Dec 1, 1986 · 16 years · appointed by Richard M. Nixon
Frank Albert Kaufman D
Sep 22, 1966 – Jun 16, 1986 · 20 years · appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson · senior status Jun 16, 1986
Alexander Harvey, II D
Sep 22, 1966 – Mar 8, 1991 · 24 years · appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson · senior status Mar 8, 1991
Harrison Lee Winter D
Feb 17, 1962 – Jun 27, 1966 · 4.4 years · appointed by John F. Kennedy
Edward Skottowe Northrop D
Sep 5, 1961 – Jun 12, 1981 · 20 years · appointed by John F. Kennedy · senior status Jun 12, 1981
Robert Dorsey Watkins R
Mar 2, 1956 – Aug 11, 1971 · 15 years · appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower · senior status Aug 11, 1971
Roszel Cathcart Thomsen R
May 12, 1954 – Jan 31, 1971 · 17 years · appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower · senior status Jan 31, 1971
William Calvin Chesnut R
Jan 12, 1932 – Jul 31, 1953 · 22 years · appointed by Herbert Hoover · senior status Jul 31, 1953
William Caldwell Coleman R
Dec 19, 1927 – Jun 1, 1955 · 27 years · appointed by Calvin Coolidge
Morris Ames Soper R
Feb 24, 1923 – May 9, 1931 · 8.2 years · appointed by Warren G. Harding
John Carter Rose R
Apr 4, 1910 – Dec 26, 1922 · 13 years · appointed by William H. Taft
Thomas John Morris R
Jul 1, 1879 – Jun 6, 1912 · 33 years · appointed by Rutherford B. Hayes
William Fell Giles D
Jan 11, 1854 – Mar 21, 1879 · 25 years · appointed by Franklin Pierce
John Glenn W
Mar 19, 1852 – Jul 8, 1853 · 16 months · appointed by Millard Fillmore
Upton Scott Heath D
Apr 4, 1836 – Feb 21, 1852 · 16 years · appointed by Andrew Jackson
Elias Glenn JR
Jan 3, 1825 – Apr 1, 1836 · 11 years · appointed by James Monroe
Theodorick Bland JR
Jan 5, 1820 – Aug 16, 1824 · 4.6 years · appointed by James Monroe
James Houston JR
Apr 21, 1806 – Jun 8, 1819 · 13 years · appointed by Thomas Jefferson
James Winchester F
Dec 10, 1799 – Apr 5, 1806 · 6.3 years · appointed by John Adams
William Paca
Feb 10, 1790 – Oct 13, 1799 · 9.7 years · appointed by George Washington

Dates are from the Federal Judicial Center (commission to senior status or departure). Consecutive terms of one person are merged.