The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois is one of 94 United States district courts. The district operates out of Chicago and Rockford, Illinois. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit located in the same courthouse as the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago. VacanciesSee also: Current federal judicial vacanciesThere are two current vacancies on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, out of the court's 22 judicial positions. Pending nominations
Active judgesArticle III judges
Active Article III judges by appointing political partyThe list below displays the number of active judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.
Senior judges
Senior judges by appointing political partyThe list below displays the number of senior judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.
Magistrate judgesFederal magistrate judges are federal judges who serve in United States district courts, but they are not appointed by the president and they do not serve life terms. Magistrate judges are assigned duties by the district judges in the district in which they serve. They may preside over most phases of federal proceedings, except for criminal felony trials. The specific duties of a magistrate judge vary from district to district, but the responsibilities always include handling matters that would otherwise be on the dockets of the district judges. Full-time magistrate judges serve for renewable terms of eight years. Some federal district courts have part-time magistrate judges, who serve for renewable terms of four years.[1]
Former chief judgesIn order to qualify for the office of chief judge in an Article III circuit or district court, or on the United States Court of International Trade, a judge must be in active service and hold seniority over the court's commissioned judges who are 64 years of age or under, have served one year or more, and have not previously served as chief judge.[2] In the event that no judge on the court meets those qualifications, the youngest judge in regular active service aged 65 years or more and who has served as a judge for one year or more shall become chief judge. If no judge meets those qualifications, the judge holding seniority in active service who has not served as chief before shall become the chief judge.[3][4][5] The chief judge serves for a term of seven years until another judge becomes eligible to serve in the position. No judge is permitted to serve as chief judge after reaching the age of 70 years unless no other judge is qualified to serve.[3][4][5] Unlike the chief justice of the United States, a chief judge returns to active service after the expiration of their term and does not create a vacancy on the court by the fact of their promotion.[2][3][4][5] On the United States Court of Federal Claims, the chief judge is selected by the President of the United States. The judge must be less than 70 years of age. A chief may serve until they reach age 70 or until another judge is designated by the president as the new chief judge. If the president selects a new chief judge, the former chief judge may continue active service on the court for the remainder of their appointed term.[6]
Former judgesFor more information about the judges of the Northern District of Illinois, see former federal judges of the Northern District of Illinois. JurisdictionThe Counties of the Northern District of Illinois (click for larger map) The Northern District of Illinois has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law. There are two court divisions, each covering the following counties: The Eastern Division, covering Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake County, LaSalle, and Will counties The Western Division, covering Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside, and Winnebago counties CaseloadsThis section contains court management statistics dating back to 2010. It was last updated in May 2021. Click [show] below for more information on caseload terms and definitions.
HistoryIllinois was established as one judicial district by Congress on March 3, 1819, with one post to cover the entire state. The district court was not yet assigned to a judicial circuit and was therefore granted the same jurisdiction as the United States circuit courts, excluding appeals and writs of error, which are the jurisdiction of the United States Supreme Court. Congress repealed the circuit court jurisdiction of the U.S. District Court for the District of Illinois on March 3, 1837, established a United States circuit court within the district, and assigned it over to the Seventh Circuit. Illinois was divided into two judicial districts on February 13, 1855. The districts were known as the Northern District of Illinois and the Southern District of Illinois. One judgeship was assigned to each district and the District of Illinois was assigned over to the Northern District of Illinois. Congress reorganized the circuits on July 15, 1862, and assigned Illinois to the Eighth Circuit and then to the Seventh Circuit on July 23, 1866. The Eastern District of Illinois was established on March 3, 1905. One judgeship was authorized for the district court, as well as an additional judgeship to the Northern District of Illinois. Illinois was again reorganized into the Northern District of Illinois, the Central District of Illinois, and the Southern District of Illinois on October 2, 1978. Thirteen judgeships were assigned for the Northern District of Illinois, two for the Central District of Illinois, and two for the Southern District of Illinois. Over time, nine additional judicial posts were added for a total of twenty-two posts.[7] Judicial postsThe following table highlights the development of judicial posts for the Northern District of Illinois:[7]
Noteworthy casesFor a searchable list of opinions, please see Justia.com-Dockets and Filings-Northern District of Illinois.
Federal courthouseTwo separate courthouses serve the Northern District of Illinois. The eastern division of the district is served by the Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse in Chicago, and the western division is served by the Stanley J. Roszkowski United States Courthouse in Rockford.[14] About United States District CourtsThe United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. There are 94 such courts. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of both law and equity. There is a United States bankruptcy court and a number of bankruptcy judges associated with each United States district court. Each federal judicial district has at least one courthouse, and most districts have more than one. There is at least one judicial district for each state, and one each for Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. District courts in three insular areas—the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands—exercise the same jurisdiction as U.S. district courts. Despite their name, these courts are technically not District Courts of the United States. Judges on these territorial courts do not enjoy the protections of Article III of the Constitution, and serve terms of 10 years rather than for life. There are 677 U.S. District Court judgeships.[15][16] The number of federal district judge positions is set by the U.S. Congress in Title 28 of the U.S. Code, Section 133, which authorizes a set number of judge positions, or judgeships, making changes and adjustments in these numbers from time to time. In order to relieve the pressure of trying the hundreds of thousands of cases brought before the federal district courts each year, many trials are tried by juries, along with a presiding judge.[17] Appointments by presidentThe chart below shows the number of district court judges confirmed by the U.S. Senate through November 1 of the second year of each president's term in office. At this point in the term, President Clinton had the most district court appointments with 107. Judges by districtSee also: Judicial vacancies in federal courtsThe table below displays the number of judges in each district and indicates how many were appointed by presidents from each major political party. It also includes the number of vacancies in a district and how many pending nominations for that district are before the United States Senate. The table can be sorted by clicking the column headers above the line, and you can navigate through the pages by clicking the arrows at the top of the table. It is updated every Monday. Judicial selectionThe district courts are served by Article III federal judges who are appointed for life during "good behavior." They are usually first recommended by senators (or members of the House, occasionally). The President of the United States makes the appointments, which must then be confirmed by the U.S. Senate in accordance with Article III of the United States Constitution.[16]
Magistrate judgesThe district courts are also served by magistrate judges. Congress created the judicial office of federal magistrate in 1968. In 1990, the position title was changed to magistrate judge. The chief judge of each district appoints one or more magistrate judges, who discharge many of the ancillary duties of district judges so judges can handle more trials. There are both full-time and part-time magistrate judge positions, and these positions are assigned to the district courts according to caseload criteria (subject to funding by Congress). A full-time magistrate judge serves a term of eight years; a part-time magistrate judge's term of office is four years.[18] See also
External links
Footnotes
Where is the Northern District of Illinois located?Federal Court hearings within the Northern District of Illinois are held in two locations. The Eastern Division is located in Chicago at the Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse. The Western Division is located in Rockford at the Stanley J. Roszkowski U.S. Courthouse.
How do I file in the Northern District of Illinois?All new cases must be filed in paper. For e-filing assistance, please call our Help Desk at 312-582-8727 or 312-435-5671.
What district court is Illinois in?Welcome to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois. This federal trial court serves the forty-six counties in the heart of Illinois.
Why would I get a letter from United States district court?In a broader sense, U.S. Attorney's Offices issue target letters when they believe that they have sufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges in federal district court.
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