| United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington | |
|---|---|
| (E.D. Wash.) | |
 | |
 Map of the court's jurisdiction by county | |
| Location | Thomas S. Foley Courthouse (Spokane) More locations
|
| Appeals to | Ninth Circuit |
| Established | March 2, 1905 |
| Judges | 4 |
| Chief Judge | Stanley Bastian |
| Officers of the court | |
| U.S. Attorney | Pete Serrano(interim) |
| U.S. Marshal | Craig Thayer |
| www | |
TheUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington (incase citations,E.D. Wash.) is thefederal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the following counties of the state ofWashington:Adams,Asotin,Benton,Chelan,Columbia,Douglas,Ferry,Franklin,Garfield,Grant,Kittitas,Klickitat,Lincoln,Okanogan,Pend Oreille,Spokane,Stevens,Walla Walla,Whitman, andYakima.
As of the2000 United States census, 1.3 million people resided in the Eastern District, representing 22% of the state's population. The district includes the cities ofRichland,Spokane, andYakima, among others. The Federal Court in Yakima is located in theWilliam O. Douglas Federal Building.
Cases from the Eastern District of Washington are appealed to theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, except forpatent claims and claims against the U.S. government under theTucker Act, which are appealed to theFederal Circuit.
TheUnited States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Washington represents the United States incivil andcriminal litigation in the court.
As of August 11, 2025[update] the interimUnited States attorney is Pete Serrano.[1]
As of December 9, 2024[update]:
| # | Title | Judge | Duty station | Born | Term of service | Appointed by | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active | Chief | Senior | ||||||
| 22 | Chief Judge | Stanley Bastian | Yakima | 1958 | 2014–present | 2020–present | — | Obama |
| 21 | District Judge | Thomas O. Rice | Spokane | 1960 | 2012–present | 2016–2020 | — | Obama |
| 24 | District Judge | Mary Dimke | Richland | 1977 | 2021–present | — | — | Biden |
| 25 | District Judge | Rebecca L. Pennell | Spokane | 1971 | 2024–present | — | — | Biden |
| 15 | Senior Judge | William Fremming Nielsen | inactive | 1934 | 1991–2003 | 1995–2000 | 2003–present | G.H.W. Bush |
| 17 | Senior Judge | Robert H. Whaley | Spokane | 1943 | 1995–2009 | 2005–2009 | 2009–present | Clinton |
| 18 | Senior Judge | Edward F. Shea | Richland | 1942 | 1998–2012 | — | 2012–present | Clinton |
| 19 | Senior Judge | Lonny R. Suko | Yakima | 1943 | 2003–2013 | 2009–2011 | 2013–present | G.W. Bush |
| 20 | Senior Judge | Rosanna M. Peterson | Spokane | 1951 | 2010–2021 | 2011–2016 | 2021–present | Obama |
| # | Judge | State | Born–died | Active service | Chief Judge | Senior status | Appointed by | Reason for termination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edward Whitson | WA | 1852–1910 | 1905–1910 | — | — | T. Roosevelt | death |
| 2 | Frank H. Rudkin | WA | 1864–1931 | 1911–1923 | — | — | Taft | elevation to9th Cir. |
| 3 | J. Stanley Webster | WA | 1877–1962 | 1923–1939[Note 1] | — | 1939–1962 | Harding[Note 2] | death |
| 4 | Lloyd Llewellyn Black | WA | 1889–1950 | 1940–1950[Note 3] | — | — | F. Roosevelt/Operation of law | death |
| 5 | Lewis B. Schwellenbach | WA | 1894–1948 | 1940–1945 | — | — | F. Roosevelt | resignation |
| 6 | Samuel Marion Driver | WA | 1892–1958 | 1946–1958 | 1948–1958 | — | Truman | death |
| 7 | William James Lindberg | WA | 1904–1981 | 1951–1961[Note 4] | — | — | Truman | seat abolished |
| 8 | Charles Lawrence Powell | WA | 1902–1975 | 1959–1972 | 1959–1972 | 1972–1975 | Eisenhower | death |
| 9 | William Nelson Goodwin | WA | 1909–1975 | 1966–1975[Note 4] | 1972–1973 | — | L. Johnson | death |
| 10 | Marshall Allen Neill | WA | 1914–1979 | 1972–1979 | 1973–1979 | — | Nixon | death |
| 11 | Jack Edward Tanner | WA | 1919–2006 | 1978[Note 4] | — | — | Carter | seat abolished |
| 12 | Robert James McNichols | WA | 1922–1992 | 1979–1991 | 1980–1989 | 1991–1992 | Carter | death |
| 13 | Justin L. Quackenbush | WA | 1929–2024 | 1980–1995 | 1989–1995 | 1995–2024 | Carter | death |
| 14 | Alan Angus McDonald | WA | 1927–2007 | 1985–1996 | — | 1996–2007 | Reagan | death |
| 16 | Frederick L. Van Sickle | WA | 1943–2021 | 1991–2008 | 2000–2005 | 2008–2021 | G.H.W. Bush | death |
| 23 | Salvador Mendoza Jr. | WA | 1971–present | 2014–2022 | — | — | Obama | elevation to9th 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. |
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