History / Courts

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi

18 judges have served since Jun 18, 1838. Now: James Donald Maxwell, II RRobert Porter Chamberlin RDebra Marie Brown D.

Judges
18
9 R · 8 D · 1 N(
Longest tenure
28 years
Elijah Allen Cox
Current
10 months
James Donald Maxwell, II, since Dec 18, 2025
history/court/district-court-for-the-northern-district-of-mississippiEvery holder, newest first
+18
1840186018801900192019401960198020002020George Adams · 1838-06-18 – 1838-09-30 · None (reassignment)Samuel Jameson Gholson · 1839-02-13 – 1861-01-10 · DemocratRobert Andrews Hill · 1866-05-01 – 1891-08-01 · DemocratHenry Clay Niles · 1892-01-11 – 1918-09-26 · RepublicanEdwin Ruthven Holmes · 1918-10-24 – 1929-03-01 · DemocratElijah Allen Cox · 1929-03-02 – 1957-03-22 · RepublicanClaude Feemster Clayton · 1958-03-12 – 1967-11-24 · RepublicanWilliam Colbert Keady · 1968-04-04 – 1983-04-26 · DemocratNeal Brooks Biggers, Jr. · 1984-03-28 – 2000-10-01 · RepublicanMichael P. Mills · 2001-10-16 – 2021-11-01 · RepublicanRobert Porter Chamberlin · 2025-12-16 – present · RepublicanOrma Rinehart Smith · 1968-07-25 – 1978-08-16 · DemocratLyonel Thomas Senter, Jr. · 1979-12-21 – 1998-07-30 · DemocratW. Allen Pepper, Jr. · 1999-07-07 – 2012-01-24 · DemocratDebra Marie Brown · 2013-11-05 – present · DemocratGlen H. Davidson · 1985-10-17 – 2007-06-01 · RepublicanSharion Aycock · 2007-10-22 – 2025-04-15 · RepublicanJames Donald Maxwell, II · 2025-12-18 – present · Republican
James Donald Maxwell, II R
Dec 18, 2025 – present · 10 months · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 51–46
Robert Porter Chamberlin R
Dec 16, 2025 – present · 10 months · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 51–46
Debra Marie Brown D
Nov 5, 2013 – present · 13 years · appointed by Barack Obama · confirmed 90–0
Sharion Aycock R
Oct 22, 2007 – Apr 15, 2025 · 17 years · appointed by George W. Bush · senior status Apr 15, 2025
Michael P. Mills R
Oct 16, 2001 – Nov 1, 2021 · 20 years · appointed by George W. Bush · senior status Nov 1, 2021 · confirmed 98–0
W. Allen Pepper, Jr. D
Jul 7, 1999 – Jan 24, 2012 · 13 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · confirmed 94–4
Glen H. Davidson R
Oct 17, 1985 – Jun 1, 2007 · 22 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Jun 1, 2007
Neal Brooks Biggers, Jr. R
Mar 28, 1984 – Oct 1, 2000 · 17 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Oct 1, 2000
Lyonel Thomas Senter, Jr. D
Dec 21, 1979 – Jul 30, 1998 · 19 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter · senior status Jul 30, 1998 · confirmed 43–25
Orma Rinehart Smith D
Jul 25, 1968 – Aug 16, 1978 · 10 years · appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson · senior status Aug 16, 1978
William Colbert Keady D
Apr 4, 1968 – Apr 26, 1983 · 15 years · appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson · senior status Apr 26, 1983
Claude Feemster Clayton R
Mar 12, 1958 – Nov 24, 1967 · 9.7 years · appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower
Elijah Allen Cox R
Mar 2, 1929 – Mar 22, 1957 · 28 years · appointed by Calvin Coolidge · senior status Mar 22, 1957
Edwin Ruthven Holmes D
Oct 24, 1918 – Mar 1, 1929 · 10 years · appointed by Woodrow Wilson
Henry Clay Niles R
Jan 11, 1892 – Sep 26, 1918 · 27 years · appointed by Benjamin Harrison
Robert Andrews Hill D
May 1, 1866 – Aug 1, 1891 · 25 years · appointed by Andrew Johnson
Samuel Jameson Gholson D
Feb 13, 1839 – Jan 10, 1861 · 22 years · appointed by Martin Van Buren
George Adams N(
Jun 18, 1838 – Sep 30, 1838 · 3 months · appointed by None (reassignment)

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