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Charles Wilson (Florida)

From Ballotpedia
Charles Wilson
Nonpartisan
Democratic Party of Washington, D.C. Chair
Tenure
Present officeholder
United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
Tenure
2025 - Present
Years in position
1
Prior offices:
United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
Years in office: 1999 - 2025
Successor:Embry Kidd (Nonpartisan)
Education
Bachelor's
University of Notre Dame, 1976
Law
Notre Dame Law School, 1979
Personal
Birthplace
Pensacola, FL
Contact

Charles R. Wilson is afederal judge onsenior status with theUnited States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. He joined the court in 1999 after being nominated by former PresidentBill Clinton. Prior to his service on the Eleventh Circuit, Wilson was afederal magistrate judge for theMiddle District of Florida. He assumed senior status on December 31, 2024.[1][2]

Embry Kidd was nominated by PresidentJoe Biden (D) to replace Wilson on theUnited States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit on May 14, 2024.[3]

Early life and education

Born inPensacola, Florida, Wilson earned his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame in 1976 and hisJ.D. from Notre Dame Law School in 1979.[1]

Professional career

Judicial career

11th Circuit Court of Appeals

Nomination Tracker
Fedbadgesmall.png
Nominee Information
Name: Charles R. Wilson
Court:United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
Progress
Confirmed 64 days after nomination.
ApprovedANominated: May 27, 1999
ApprovedAABA Rating:Majority Well Qualified, Minority Qualified
Questionnaire:
ApprovedAHearing: July 13, 1999
QFRs:(Hover over QFRs to read more)
ApprovedAReported: July 22, 1999 
ApprovedAConfirmed: July 30, 1999
ApprovedAVote: Voice vote

Wilson was nominated to serve on theUnited States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit by PresidentBill Clinton on May 27, 1999, to a seat vacated byJoseph Hatchett. TheAmerican Bar Association rated WilsonMajority Well Qualified, Minority Qualified for the nomination.[4] Hearings on Wilson's nomination were held before theUnited States Senate Committee on the Judiciary on July 13, 1999, and his nomination was reported by U.S. Sen.Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) on July 22, 1999. Wilson was confirmed on a voice vote of theU.S. Senate on July 30, 1999, and he received his commission on August 9, 1999.[1][5]

Middle District of Florida

Wilson served as afederal magistrate judge on theUnited States District Court for the Middle District of Florida from 1990 to 1994.[1]

Noteworthy cases

SCOTUS reverses 11th Circuit over independent medical expert (2017)

See also:Supreme Court of the United States (McWilliams v. Dunn)

On June 19, 2017, theU.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling inMcWilliams v. Dunn. The case came on appeal from a judgment of a three-judge panel of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. The panel issued a divided, 2-1per curiam opinion, holding that under theU.S. Supreme Court's ruling inAke v. Oklahoma, death row inmates were not required to have a medical expert that was independent of the prosecution on appeal. Writing in dissent, JudgeCharles Wilson held that the panel incorrectly interpretedAke. He wrote, "Defendants facing the death penalty—the 'gravest sentence our society mayimpose'—must have 'a fair opportunity to show that the Constitution prohibits their execution.' ... InAke, the Supreme Court held that this guarantee requires states to provide defendants meaningful 'access to a psychiatrist[]' when their mental health 'is likely to be a significant factor' at trial or sentencing. ... James Edmund McWilliams, Jr. was denied this basic right."

In an opinion by JusticeStephen Breyer, theU.S. Supreme Courtreversed the circuit panel, siding with Judge Wilson in this case. Justice Breyer, writing for a five-justice majority, stated, "Ake clearly established that a defendant must receive the assistance of a mental health expert who is sufficiently available to the defense and independent from the prosecution to effectively 'assist in evaluation, preparation, and presentation of the defense.' ... As a practical matter, the simplest way for a State to meet this standard may be to provide a qualified expert retained specifically for the defense team. This appears to be the approach that the overwhelming majority of jurisdictions have adopted. ... It is not necessary, however, for us to decide whether the Constitution requires States to satisfyAke’s demands in this way. That is because Alabama here did not meet evenAke’s most basic requirements."[6]

See also

External links

Officeholder

United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit

  • Website
  • Footnotes

    Political offices
    Preceded by
    -
    United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
    1999-2025
    Succeeded by
    Embry Kidd
    Preceded by
    -
    Democratic Party of Washington, D.C. Chair
    -Present
    Succeeded by
    -
    Flag of Florida.svg
    v  e
    Federal judges who have served theUnited States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
    Active judges

    Chief JudgeMarcia Howard  •  Mary Scriven  •  Sheri Chappell  •  Wendy W. Berger  •  Tom Barber  •  Carlos E. Mendoza  •  Paul G. Byron  •  John L. Badalamenti  •  William Jung  •  Julie Sneed  •  Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe  •  Kathryn Kimball Mizelle  •  Jordan Pratt  •  Kyle Dudek

    Senior judges

    Patricia Fawsett  •  Harvey Schlesinger  •  Susan Bucklew  •  Elizabeth Kovachevich  •  Anne Conway  •  Steven Merryday  •  Henry Adams  •  Richard Lazzara  •  James Whittemore (Florida)  •  John Antoon  •  John Steele  •  James S. Moody (Florida federal judge)  •  Gregory Presnell  •  Timothy Corrigan (Florida)  •  Virginia Covington  •  Charlene Honeywell  •  Roy Bale Dalton, Jr.  •  Brian J. Davis  •  

    Magistrate judgesThomas G. Wilson  •  Greg Kelly  •  James Klindt  •  Monte Richardson  •  Anthony E. Porcelli  •  Joel Toomey  •  Philip Lammens  •  Patricia D. Barksdale  •  Mac McCoy  •  Daniel Irick  •  Amanda Sansone  •  Nicholas Mizell  •  Leslie Hoffman  •  Christopher Tuite  •  Sean Flynn (Florida)  •  Embry Kidd  •  
    Former Article III judges

    George C. Young  •  Howell Melton  •  William Castagna  •  John Moore (Florida)  •  William Hodges  •  George Sharp  •  Gerald Tjoflat  •  Susan Black (Eleventh Circuit)  •  George Carr  •  Isaac Krentzman  •  Joseph Lieb  •  William McRae  •  Ralph Nimmons  •  John Reed (Florida)  •  Charles Scott (Florida)  •  John Bryan Simpson  •  

    Former Chief judges

    Patricia Fawsett  •  George C. Young  •  John Moore (Florida)  •  William Hodges  •  Elizabeth Kovachevich  •  Steven Merryday  •  Timothy Corrigan (Florida)  •  Susan Black (Eleventh Circuit)  •  George Carr  •  Isaac Krentzman  •  Joseph Lieb  •  William McRae  •  John Bryan Simpson  •  



    US-CourtOfAppeals-11thCircuit-Seal.png
    v  e
    Federal judges who have served theU.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
    Active judges

    Chief JudgeWilliam Pryor  •  Adalberto Jordan  •  Barbara Lagoa  •  Robin Rosenbaum  •  Jill Pryor  •  Elizabeth Branch  •  Robert J. Luck  •  Britt Grant  •  Kevin Newsom  •  Andrew Brasher  •  Embry Kidd  •  Nancy Gbana Abudu

    Senior judges

    Stanley Marcus  •  Julie Carnes  •  Robert Lanier Anderson  •  Gerald Tjoflat  •  James Edmondson (Federal judge)  •  Joel Dubina  •  Susan Black (Eleventh Circuit)  •  Frank Hull  •  Charles Wilson (Florida)  •  Edward Carnes  •  

    Former judgesBeverly Martin  •  Peter Fay  •  John Godbold  •  Phyllis Kravitch  •  Joseph Hatchett  •  Albert Henderson  •  Paul Roney  •  David Dyer  •  Elbert Tuttle  •  Thomas Clark (Eleventh Circuit)  •  Richard Rives  •  Robert Vance  •  Lewis Morgan  •  Emmett Cox  •  Stanley Birch  •  Rosemary Barkett  •  James Hill (Federal judge)  •  Warren Leroy Jones  •  John Bryan Simpson  •  Frank M. Johnson, Jr.  •  
    Former Chief judges

    John Godbold  •  Robert Lanier Anderson  •  Gerald Tjoflat  •  Joseph Hatchett  •  James Edmondson (Federal judge)  •  Paul Roney  •  Joel Dubina  •  Edward Carnes  •  


    George H.W. Bush
    v  e
    Federal judges nominated byGeorge H.W. Bush
    1989

    BarksdaleBonnerBuckwalterCyrFernandezGarbisHarmonLeeLindbergLodgeNelsonNottinghamPlagerRosenRymerSmithSpattThomasVanBebberJ. WalkerV. WalkerWienerWright

    1990

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    1991

    AlbrittonAndersenArmstrongArnoldBartleBasslerBatchelderBeckwithBelotBensonBlackburnBramletteBrodyBrodyBurrellCarnesCaulfieldCauthronClementCollierConwayCooperDalzellDeMentDeMossDohertyEcholsEdmundsFaberFreehGaitanGarzaGrahamHaikHamiltonHansenHendrenHerlongHighsmithHoganHuffHurleyIrenasJohnsonJoynerKellyKleinfeldLeggLeonardLewisLongstaffLungstrumLuttigMatiaMcCallaMcDadeMcKeagueMcKelvieMeansMerrydayMooreMorganNielsenNimmonsOsteen Sr.PadovaPayneReinhardRobinsonRobrenoRollRothSchlesingerScullinSilerSolisSotomayorSparksStohrThomasTraxlerTrimbleUngaroVan SickleWangerWerleinWhyte

    Yohn
    1992

    BairdBarbadoroBlackBoudinCarnesCovelloDiClericoGilbertGonzalezGortonHansenHeyburnJacksonJacobsKeeleyKendallKopfKyleLewisMcAuliffeMcLaughlinMelloyPreskaQuistRandaRosenthalRovnerSchallSedwickSimandleStahlVratilWilliams

    Bill Clinton
    v  e
    Federal judges nominated byBill Clinton
    1993

    AdamsAmbroseBarnesBrinkemaBucklewChasanowCoffmanDaughtreyFergusonGinsburgHagenJacksonLancasterLevalLindsayMessitteMichaelPiersolSarisSchwartzSeybertShanahanShawStearnsTragerVazquezWilkenWilson

    1994

    BaerBarkettBattsBeatyBenavidesBennettBerriganBieryBlockBormanBreyerBrionesBrysonBuckloBurgessBurrageCabranesCalabresiCarrCasellasCastilloChatignyChinCindrichCoarCollinsCooperCoteCurrieDavisDominguezDownesDuvalFriedmanFurgesonGarciaGertnerGettlemanGillmorGilmoreGleesonHaggertyHamiltonHannahHawkinsHenryHolmesHoodHullHurleyJackJonesJonesKaplanKatzKernKesslerKoeltlLisiManningMcKeeMcLaughlinMelanconMiles-LaGrangeMooreMotzMurphyO'MalleyO'MearaOliverPaezB. ParkerF. ParkerR. ParkerPerryPonsorPoolerPorteousRendell • Riley •RobertsonRogersRossRussellSandsSarokinScheindlinSilverSquatritoStewartSullivanTatelThompsonTimlinUrbinaVanaskieVanceWallsWellsWilliams

    1995

    ArtertonAtlasBlackBlakeBriscoeTena CampbellTodd CampbellChesneyColeCollierDanielDavisDennisDlottDonaldDuffyEconomusEvansFallonFolsomGaughanGoodwinHeartfieldHuntIllstonJonesKingKornmannLawsonLenardLuceroLynchMcKinleyMoodyMooreMoskowitzMurphyMurthaNugentO'TooleOrlofskyPogueSessionsC. SmithO. SmithSteinThornburgTunheimWallachWardlawWebberWhaleyWinmill

    Wood
    1996

    BroadwaterClevertFennerGershonGottschallGreenawayHinkleJonesKahnLaughreyLemmonMartenMillerMolloyMontgomeryPregersonRakoffSargusTashimaThomasZapata

    1997

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    1998

    AikenBarbierBarzilayBermanButtramCarterCollinsDawsonDimitrouleasFletcherFogelFrankGraberHellersteinHerndonJamesJohnsonKaneKellyG. KingR. KingLasnikLeeLemelleLindsayLipezManellaMatzMcCuskeyMcKeownMcMahonMickleMollwayMordueMorenoMorrowMunleyMurphyPallmeyerPauleyPolsterPoolerRawlinsonRidgwayR. RobertsV. RobertsSackScottSeitzSeymourSheaSilvermanSleetSotomayorSteehStoryStraubTagleTarnowTraugerTraxlerTysonWardlawWhelanYoung

    1999

    AlsupBarryBrownBuchwaldCooperEatonEllisonFeessFisherGouldGuzmanHaynesHibblerHochbergHurdHuvelleJordanKatzmannKennellyLinnLorenzLynnMarreroMurguiaPannellPechmanPepperPhillipsSchreierStewartUnderhillWardWilliamsWilson

    2000

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