History / Courts

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky

26 judges have served since Jul 1, 1901. Now: Benjamin Joel Beaton RRebecca Grady Jennings RClaria Horn Boom RDavid Jason Hale DGregory N. Stivers D.

Judges
26
13 R · 12 D · 1 N(
Longest tenure
37 years
Mac Swinford
Current
5.9 years
Benjamin Joel Beaton, since Dec 1, 2020
history/court/district-court-for-the-western-district-of-kentuckyEvery holder, newest first
+26
192019401960198020002020Walter Evans · 1901-07-01 – 1923-12-30 · None (reassignment)Charles Harwood Moorman · 1924-01-08 – 1925-02-02 · RepublicanElwood Hamilton · 1935-06-20 – 1938-04-01 · DemocratShackelford Miller, Jr. · 1939-03-04 – 1945-12-21 · DemocratRoy Mahlon Shelbourne · 1946-02-08 – 1964-11-01 · DemocratJames Fleming Gordon · 1965-07-23 – 1976-01-01 · DemocratEdward Huggins Johnstone · 1977-10-11 – 1993-10-22 · DemocratThomas B. Russell · 1994-10-11 – 2011-11-15 · DemocratGregory N. Stivers · 2014-12-05 – present · DemocratCharles I. Dawson · 1925-01-13 – 1935-06-30 · RepublicanMac Swinford · 1937-08-21 – 1975-02-03 · DemocratEugene Edward Siler, Jr. · 1975-11-13 – 1991-09-20 · RepublicanJohn Gilpin Heyburn, II · 1992-08-17 – 2014-04-01 · RepublicanDavid Jason Hale · 2014-12-10 – present · DemocratHenry Luesing Brooks · 1954-08-21 – 1969-12-12 · RepublicanClifton Rhodes Bratcher · 1970-10-16 – 1977-07-25 · RepublicanThomas Austin Ballantine, Jr. · 1977-10-12 – 1991-11-29 · DemocratJennifer B. Coffman · 1993-10-01 – 2013-01-08 · DemocratClaria Horn Boom · 2018-04-11 – present · RepublicanCharles Mengel Allen · 1971-11-30 – 1985-10-01 · RepublicanCharles Ralph Simpson, III · 1986-08-04 – 2013-02-01 · RepublicanRebecca Grady Jennings · 2018-04-19 – present · RepublicanRonald Edward Meredith · 1985-04-04 – 1994-12-01 · RepublicanJoseph H. McKinley, Jr. · 1995-08-14 – 2019-06-09 · DemocratJustin Reed Walker · 2019-10-25 – 2020-09-02 · RepublicanBenjamin Joel Beaton · 2020-12-01 – present · Republican
Benjamin Joel Beaton R
Dec 1, 2020 – present · 5.9 years · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 52–44
Justin Reed Walker R
Oct 25, 2019 – Sep 2, 2020 · 10 months · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 50–41
Rebecca Grady Jennings R
Apr 19, 2018 – present · 8.5 years · appointed by Donald J. Trump
Claria Horn Boom R
Apr 11, 2018 – present · 8.5 years · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 96–1
David Jason Hale D
Dec 10, 2014 – present · 12 years · appointed by Barack Obama
Gregory N. Stivers D
Dec 5, 2014 – present · 12 years · appointed by Barack Obama
Joseph H. McKinley, Jr. D
Aug 14, 1995 – Jun 9, 2019 · 24 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status Jun 9, 2019
Thomas B. Russell D
Oct 11, 1994 – Nov 15, 2011 · 17 years · appointed by William J. Clinton · senior status Nov 15, 2011
Jennifer B. Coffman D
Oct 1, 1993 – Jan 8, 2013 · 19 years · appointed by William J. Clinton
John Gilpin Heyburn, II R
Aug 17, 1992 – Apr 1, 2014 · 22 years · appointed by George H.W. Bush · senior status Apr 1, 2014
Charles Ralph Simpson, III R
Aug 4, 1986 – Feb 1, 2013 · 26 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Feb 1, 2013
Ronald Edward Meredith R
Apr 4, 1985 – Dec 1, 1994 · 9.7 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan
Thomas Austin Ballantine, Jr. D
Oct 12, 1977 – Nov 29, 1991 · 14 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter · senior status Nov 29, 1991
Edward Huggins Johnstone D
Oct 11, 1977 – Oct 22, 1993 · 16 years · appointed by Jimmy Carter · senior status Oct 22, 1993
Eugene Edward Siler, Jr. R
Nov 13, 1975 – Sep 20, 1991 · 16 years · appointed by Gerald Ford
Charles Mengel Allen R
Nov 30, 1971 – Oct 1, 1985 · 14 years · appointed by Richard M. Nixon · senior status Oct 1, 1985
Clifton Rhodes Bratcher R
Oct 16, 1970 – Jul 25, 1977 · 6.8 years · appointed by Richard M. Nixon
James Fleming Gordon D
Jul 23, 1965 – Jan 1, 1976 · 10 years · appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson · senior status Jan 1, 1976
Henry Luesing Brooks R
Aug 21, 1954 – Dec 12, 1969 · 15 years · appointed by Dwight D. Eisenhower
Roy Mahlon Shelbourne D
Feb 8, 1946 – Nov 1, 1964 · 19 years · appointed by Harry S Truman · senior status Nov 1, 1964
Shackelford Miller, Jr. D
Mar 4, 1939 – Dec 21, 1945 · 6.8 years · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt
Mac Swinford D
Aug 21, 1937 – Feb 3, 1975 · 37 years · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt
Elwood Hamilton D
Jun 20, 1935 – Apr 1, 1938 · 2.8 years · appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt
Charles I. Dawson R
Jan 13, 1925 – Jun 30, 1935 · 10 years · appointed by Calvin Coolidge
Charles Harwood Moorman R
Jan 8, 1924 – Feb 2, 1925 · 13 months · appointed by Calvin Coolidge
Walter Evans N(
Jul 1, 1901 – Dec 30, 1923 · 22 years · appointed by None (reassignment)

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