History / Courts

U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island

25 judges have served since Jul 3, 1790. Now: Melissa Raye DuBose DMary Susan McElroy RJohn James McConnell, Jr. D.

Judges
25
11 R · 9 D · 3 JR · 2 U
Longest tenure
40 years
John Pitman
Current
21 months
Melissa Raye DuBose, since Jan 2, 2025
history/court/district-court-for-the-district-of-rhode-islandEvery holder, newest first
+25
180018201840186018801900192019401960198020002020Henry Marchant · 1790-07-03 – 1796-08-30Benjamin Bourne · 1796-12-22 – 1801-02-20David Leonard Barnes · 1802-01-26 – 1812-11-03 · Jeffersonian RepublicanDavid Howell · 1812-11-17 – 1824-07-30 · Jeffersonian RepublicanJohn Pitman · 1825-01-03 – 1864-11-17 · Jeffersonian RepublicanJonathan Russell Bullock · 1865-02-11 – 1869-09-15 · RepublicanJohn Power Knowles · 1870-01-24 – 1881-03-21 · RepublicanLeBaron Bradford Colt · 1881-03-21 – 1884-07-23 · RepublicanGeorge Moulton Carpenter · 1884-12-18 – 1896-07-31 · RepublicanArthur Lewis Brown · 1896-12-15 – 1927-06-30 · DemocratIra Lloyd Letts · 1928-01-04 – 1935-06-24 · RepublicanJohn Patrick Hartigan · 1940-02-12 – 1951-01-13 · DemocratEdward William Day · 1954-02-09 – 1976-03-19 · RepublicanFrancis Joseph Boyle · 1977-07-01 – 1992-12-01 · DemocratMary M. Lisi · 1994-05-09 – 2015-10-01 · DemocratMary Susan McElroy · 2019-09-30 – present · RepublicanJohn Christopher Mahoney · 1935-06-07 – 1940-02-21 · DemocratEdward Lawrence Leahy · 1951-01-03 – 1953-07-22 · DemocratRaymond James Pettine · 1966-06-29 – 1982-07-06 · DemocratBruce Marshall Selya · 1982-08-18 – 1986-11-24 · RepublicanErnest C. Torres · 1987-11-06 – 2006-12-01 · RepublicanJohn James McConnell, Jr. · 2011-05-06 – present · DemocratRonald Rene Lagueux · 1986-03-04 – 2001-11-30 · RepublicanWilliam E. Smith · 2002-11-15 – 2025-01-01 · RepublicanMelissa Raye DuBose · 2025-01-02 – present · Democrat
Melissa Raye DuBose D
Jan 2, 2025 – present · 21 months · appointed by Joseph R. Biden · confirmed 51–47
Mary Susan McElroy R
Sep 30, 2019 – present · 7 years · appointed by Donald J. Trump
John James McConnell, Jr. D
May 6, 2011 – present · 15 years · appointed by Barack Obama · confirmed 50–44
William E. Smith R
Nov 15, 2002 – Jan 1, 2025 · 22 years · appointed by George W. Bush · senior status Jan 1, 2025
Mary M. Lisi D
May 9, 1994 – Oct 1, 2015 · 21 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status Oct 1, 2015
Ernest C. Torres R
Nov 6, 1987 – Dec 1, 2006 · 19 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Dec 1, 2006
Ronald Rene Lagueux R
Mar 4, 1986 – Nov 30, 2001 · 16 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Nov 30, 2001
Bruce Marshall Selya R
Aug 18, 1982 – Nov 24, 1986 · 4.3 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan
Francis Joseph Boyle D
Jul 1, 1977 – Dec 1, 1992 · 15 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter · senior status Dec 1, 1992
Raymond James Pettine D
Jun 29, 1966 – Jul 6, 1982 · 16 years · appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson · senior status Jul 6, 1982
Edward William Day R
Feb 9, 1954 – Mar 19, 1976 · 22 years · appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower · senior status Mar 19, 1976
Edward Lawrence Leahy D
Jan 3, 1951 – Jul 22, 1953 · 2.5 years · appointed by Harry S Truman
John Patrick Hartigan D
Feb 12, 1940 – Jan 13, 1951 · 11 years · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt
John Christopher Mahoney D
Jun 7, 1935 – Feb 21, 1940 · 4.7 years · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt
Ira Lloyd Letts R
Jan 4, 1928 – Jun 24, 1935 · 7.5 years · appointed by Calvin Coolidge
Arthur Lewis Brown D
Dec 15, 1896 – Jun 30, 1927 · 31 years · appointed by Grover Cleveland
George Moulton Carpenter R
Dec 18, 1884 – Jul 31, 1896 · 12 years · appointed by Chester A. Arthur
LeBaron Bradford Colt R
Mar 21, 1881 – Jul 23, 1884 · 3.3 years · appointed by James A. Garfield
John Power Knowles R
Jan 24, 1870 – Mar 21, 1881 · 11 years · appointed by Ulysses Grant
Jonathan Russell Bullock R
Feb 11, 1865 – Sep 15, 1869 · 4.6 years · appointed by Abraham Lincoln
John Pitman JR
Jan 3, 1825 – Nov 17, 1864 · 40 years · appointed by James Monroe
David Howell JR
Nov 17, 1812 – Jul 30, 1824 · 12 years · appointed by James Madison
David Leonard Barnes JR
Jan 26, 1802 – Nov 3, 1812 · 11 years · appointed by Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Bourne
Dec 22, 1796 – Feb 20, 1801 · 4.2 years · appointed by George Washington
Henry Marchant
Jul 3, 1790 – Aug 30, 1796 · 6.2 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.