| United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky | |
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| (E.D. Ky.) | |
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| Location | United States Post Office and Courthouse |
| Appeals to | Sixth Circuit |
| Established | February 12, 1901 |
| Judges | 6 |
| Chief Judge | David L. Bunning |
| Officers of the court | |
| U.S. Attorney | Paul McCaffrey(acting) |
| U.S. Marshal | Jeremy Honaker (acting) |
| www | |
TheUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky (incase citations,E.D. Ky.) is theFederal district court whosejurisdiction comprises approximately the Eastern half of theCommonwealth of Kentucky.TheUnited States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit inCincinnati, Ohio maintains appellate jurisdiction for the district (except forpatent claims and claims against the U.S. government under theTucker Act, which are appealed to theFederal Circuit).
The Eastern District of Kentucky encompasses the following counties:Anderson,Bath,Bell,Boone,Bourbon,Boyd,Boyle,Bracken,Breathitt,Campbell,Carroll,Carter,Clark,Clay,Elliott,Estill,Fayette,Fleming,Floyd,Franklin,Gallatin,Garrard,Grant,Greenup,Harlan,Harrison,Henry,Jackson,Jessamine,Johnson,Kenton,Knott,Knox,Laurel,Lawrence,Lee,Leslie,Letcher,Lewis,Lincoln,McCreary,Madison,Magoffin,Martin,Mason,Menifee,Mercer,Montgomery,Morgan,Nicholas,Owen,Owsley,Pendleton,Perry,Pike,Powell,Pulaski,Robertson,Rockcastle,Rowan,Scott,Shelby,Trimble,Wayne,Whitley,Wolfe, andWoodford.
TheUnited States District Court for the District of Kentucky was one of the original 13 courts established by theJudiciary Act of 1789, 1 Stat. 73, on September 24, 1789.[1][2] At the time, Kentucky was not yet a state, but was within the territory of the state ofVirginia. The District was unchanged when Kentucky became a state on June 1, 1792. On February 13, 1801, theJudiciary Act of 1801, 2 Stat. 89, abolished the U.S. district court in Kentucky,[2] but the repeal of this Act restored the District on March 8, 1802, 2 Stat. 132.[2] The District was subdivided into Eastern andWestern Districts on February 12, 1901, by 31 Stat. 781.[2]
The court is based inLexington and also holds sessions in Federal Courthouses inAshland,Covington,Frankfort,London andPikeville. The court also meets inRichmond andJackson. From 1911 to 1985, the court held sessions in downtownCatlettsburg at the Federal Courthouse and Post Office building which still stands on the corner of 25th and Broadway. By 1980, the Eastern District had long outgrown the historic Catlettsburg facility and it was decided that a new facility should be constructed. City officials in neighboring Ashland requested that the new facility be located there instead of in Catlettsburg. They argued that Ashland, by being a larger city, was a superior choice to the much smaller Catlettsburg with more services and amenities such as lodging for overnight guests and better restaurant options. As a result, theCarl D. Perkins Federal Building and United States Courthouse was built in Ashland on U.S. Routes 23 and 60 (Greenup Avenue).
TheUnited States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. TheActing United States attorney is currently Paul McCaffrey.[3]
As of February 1, 2025[update]:
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Term of service | Appointed by | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active | Chief | Senior | ||||||
| 16 | Chief Judge | David Bunning | Covington | 1966 | 2002–present | 2025–present | — | G.W. Bush |
| 14 | District Judge | Karen K. Caldwell | Lexington | 1956 | 2001–present | 2012–2019 | — | G.W. Bush |
| 17 | District Judge | Gregory F. Van Tatenhove | Frankfort | 1960 | 2006–present | — | — | G.W. Bush |
| 19 | District Judge | Claria Horn Boom[Note 1] | London | 1969 | 2018–present | — | — | Trump |
| 20 | District Judge | Robert E. Wier | Lexington | 1967 | 2018–present | — | — | Trump |
| 21 | District Judge | Chad Meredith | Lexington | 1981 | beg. 2025 | — | — | Trump |
| 8 | Senior Judge | William Bertelsman | inactive | 1936 | 1979–2001 | 1991–1998 | 2001–present | Carter |
| 12 | Senior Judge | Joseph Martin Hood | inactive | 1942 | 1990–2007 | 2005–2007 | 2007–present | G.H.W. Bush |
| 15 | Senior Judge | Danny C. Reeves | Lexington | 1957 | 2001–2025 | 2019–2025 | 2025–present | G.W. Bush |
| # | Judge | State | Born–died | Active service | Chief Judge | Senior status | Appointed by | Reason for termination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrew McConnell January Cochran | KY | 1854–1934 | 1901–1934[Note 1] | — | — | McKinley[Note 2] T. Roosevelt[Note 3] | death |
| 2 | Hiram Church Ford | KY | 1884–1969 | 1935–1963 | 1948–1963 | 1963–1969 | F. Roosevelt | death |
| 3 | Mac Swinford | KY | 1899–1975 | 1937–1975[Note 4] | 1963–1969 | — | F. Roosevelt | death |
| 4 | Bernard Thomas Moynahan Jr. | KY | 1918–1999 | 1963–1984 | 1969–1984 | 1984–1999 | Kennedy | death |
| 5 | Howard David Hermansdorfer | KY | 1931–2003 | 1972–1981 | — | — | Nixon | resignation |
| 6 | Eugene E. Siler Jr. | KY | 1936–present | 1975–1991[Note 4] | 1984–1991 | — | Ford | elevation to6th Cir. |
| 7 | Scott Elgin Reed | KY | 1921–1994 | 1979–1988 | — | 1988–1994 | Carter | death |
| 9 | Green Wix Unthank | KY | 1923–2013 | 1980–1988 | — | 1988–2013 | Carter | death |
| 10 | Henry Rupert Wilhoit Jr. | KY | 1935–2022 | 1981–2000 | 1998–2000 | 2000–2022 | Reagan | death |
| 11 | Karl Spillman Forester | KY | 1940–2014 | 1988–2005 | 2001–2005 | 2005–2014 | Reagan | death |
| 13 | Jennifer B. Coffman | KY | 1948–present | 1993–2013[Note 4] | 2007–2012 | — | Clinton | retirement |
| 18 | Amul Thapar | KY | 1969–present | 2008–2017 | — | — | G.W. Bush | elevation to6th Cir. |
Chief judges have administrative responsibilities with respect to their district court. Unlike the Supreme Court, where one justice is specifically nominated to be chief, the office of chief judge rotates among the district court judges. To be chief, a judge must have been in active service on the court for at least one year, be under the age of 65, and have not previously served as chief judge.
A vacancy is filled by the judge highest in seniority among the group of qualified judges. The chief judge serves for a term of seven years, or until age 70, whichever occurs first. The age restrictions are waived if no members of the court would otherwise be qualified for the position.
When the office was created in 1948, the chief judge was the longest-serving judge who had not elected to retire, on what has since 1958 been known assenior status, or declined to serve as chief judge. After August 6, 1959, judges could not become or remain chief after turning 70 years old. The current rules have been in operation since October 1, 1982.
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| Note | American Samoa does not have a district court or federal territorial court; federal matters there go to theDistrict of Columbia,Hawaii, orits own Supreme Court. |
