History / Courts

U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina

23 judges have served since Jun 7, 1872. Now: Matthew Emile Orso RSusan Courtwright Rodriguez RKenneth Davis Bell, Sr. RMax Oliver Cogburn, Jr. DMartin Karl Reidinger R.

Judges
23
15 R · 8 D
Longest tenure
35 years
James Edmund Boyd
Current
10 months
Matthew Emile Orso, since Dec 12, 2025
history/court/district-court-for-the-western-district-of-north-carolinaEvery holder, newest first
+23
18801900192019401960198020002020Robert Paine Dick · 1872-06-07 – 1898-07-06 · RepublicanHamilton Glover Ewart · 1898-07-13 – 1899-03-03 · RepublicanHamilton Glover Ewart · 1899-04-13 – 1900-06-07 · RepublicanJames Edmund Boyd · 1901-01-09 – 1935-08-21 · RepublicanDavid Ezekiel Henderson · 1948-09-01 – 1949-02-14 · DemocratJames Braxton Craven, Jr. · 1961-08-10 – 1966-07-05 · DemocratWoodrow Wilson Jones · 1967-06-28 – 1985-02-01 · DemocratDavid Bryan Sentelle · 1985-10-17 – 1987-10-19 · RepublicanRichard Lesley Voorhees · 1988-10-17 – 2017-08-31 · RepublicanKenneth Davis Bell, Sr. · 2019-06-12 – present · RepublicanEdwin Yates Webb · 1919-11-05 – 1948-03-01 · DemocratWilson Warlick · 1949-02-02 – 1968-06-24 · DemocratRobert Daniel Potter · 1981-10-29 – 1994-05-01 · RepublicanLacy Herman Thornburg · 1995-03-17 – 2009-08-31 · DemocratMax Oliver Cogburn, Jr. · 2011-03-11 – present · DemocratJames Bryan McMillan · 1968-06-07 – 1989-09-01 · DemocratGraham Calder Mullen · 1990-09-11 – 2005-12-01 · RepublicanFrank DeArmon Whitney · 2006-07-05 – 2024-12-01 · RepublicanSusan Courtwright Rodriguez · 2025-12-06 – present · RepublicanH[arold] Brent McKnight · 2003-08-01 – 2004-11-27 · RepublicanRobert James Conrad, Jr. · 2005-06-02 – 2023-05-17 · RepublicanMatthew Emile Orso · 2025-12-12 – present · RepublicanMartin Karl Reidinger · 2007-09-12 – present · Republican
Matthew Emile Orso R
Dec 12, 2025 – present · 10 months · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 57–41
Susan Courtwright Rodriguez R
Dec 6, 2025 – present · 10 months · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 57–32
Kenneth Davis Bell, Sr. R
Jun 12, 2019 – present · 7.3 years · appointed by Donald J. Trump · confirmed 55–43
Max Oliver Cogburn, Jr. D
Mar 11, 2011 – present · 16 years · appointed by Barack Obama · confirmed 96–0
Martin Karl Reidinger R
Sep 12, 2007 – present · 19 years · appointed by George W. Bush
Frank DeArmon Whitney R
Jul 5, 2006 – Dec 1, 2024 · 18 years · appointed by George W. Bush · senior status Dec 1, 2024
Robert James Conrad, Jr. R
Jun 2, 2005 – May 17, 2023 · 18 years · appointed by George W. Bush · senior status May 17, 2023
H[arold] Brent McKnight R
Aug 1, 2003 – Nov 27, 2004 · 16 months · appointed by George W. Bush
Lacy Herman Thornburg D
Mar 17, 1995 – Aug 31, 2009 · 14 years · appointed by William J. Clinton
Graham Calder Mullen R
Sep 11, 1990 – Dec 1, 2005 · 15 years · appointed by George H.W. Bush · senior status Dec 1, 2005
Richard Lesley Voorhees R
Oct 17, 1988 – Aug 31, 2017 · 29 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status Aug 31, 2017
David Bryan Sentelle R
Oct 17, 1985 – Oct 19, 1987 · 2 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan
Robert Daniel Potter R
Oct 29, 1981 – May 1, 1994 · 13 years · appointed by Ronald Reagan · senior status May 1, 1994
James Bryan McMillan D
Jun 7, 1968 – Sep 1, 1989 · 21 years · appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson · senior status Sep 1, 1989
Woodrow Wilson Jones D
Jun 28, 1967 – Feb 1, 1985 · 18 years · appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson · senior status Feb 1, 1985
James Braxton Craven, Jr. D
Aug 10, 1961 – Jul 5, 1966 · 4.9 years · appointed by John F. Kennedy
Wilson Warlick D
Feb 2, 1949 – Jun 24, 1968 · 19 years · appointed by Harry S Truman · senior status Jun 24, 1968
David Ezekiel Henderson D
Sep 1, 1948 – Feb 14, 1949 · 5 months · appointed by Harry S Truman
Edwin Yates Webb D
Nov 5, 1919 – Mar 1, 1948 · 28 years · appointed by Woodrow Wilson · senior status Mar 1, 1948
James Edmund Boyd R
Jan 9, 1901 – Aug 21, 1935 · 35 years · appointed by William McKinley
Hamilton Glover Ewart R
Apr 13, 1899 – Jun 7, 1900 · 14 months · appointed by William McKinley
Hamilton Glover Ewart R
Jul 13, 1898 – Mar 3, 1899 · 8 months · appointed by William McKinley
Robert Paine Dick R
Jun 7, 1872 – Jul 6, 1898 · 26 years · appointed by Ulysses Grant

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