John Heil III

Nonpartisan

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma

Tenure

2020 - Present

Years in position

5

United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma

Tenure

2020 - Present

Years in position

5

United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma

Tenure

2020 - Present

Years in position

5

Education

Bachelor's

Oklahoma State University, 1990

Law

University of Tulsa College of Law, 1994

Personal

Birthplace

Lima, OH

Contact

Official website

John F. Heil III is a judge on theUnited States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma,Eastern District of Oklahoma, andWestern District of Oklahoma. He was nominated by PresidentDonald Trump (R) on December 2, 2019. TheU.S. Senate confirmed Heil on May 20, 2020, by a vote of 75-17. To see a full list of judges appointed byDonald Trump,click here.

Heil becamechief judge of theNorthern District of Oklahoma in 2021.^[1]

The United States District Courts for theNorthern,Eastern, andWestern Districts of Oklahoma are three of 94U.S. District Courts. They are the generaltrial courts of theUnited States federal courts. To learn more about the courts,click here.

Heil was a shareholder and director at Hall, Estill, Hardwick, Gable, Golden & Nelson, P.C. inTulsa, Oklahoma, from 2000 to 2020.

Judicial nominations and appointments

United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern and Western Districts of Oklahoma (2020-present)

See also:Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump

On December 2, 2019, PresidentDonald Trump (R) nominated Heil to a seat on theUnited States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma,Eastern District of Oklahoma, andWestern District of Oklahoma.^[2] He was confirmed by theU.S. Senate on May 20, 2020, on a 75-17 vote.^[3] Heil received commission on May 27, 2020. He becamechief judge of theNorthern District of Oklahoma in 2021.^[1] To read more about the federal nominations process,click here.

Nomination Tracker
Nominee Information
Name: John Heil
Court: United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern and Western Districts of Oklahoma
Progress
Confirmed 170 days after nomination.
ANominated: December 2, 2019
AABA Rating:Unanimously well qualified
Questionnaire:Questionnaire
AHearing: January 8, 2020
QFRs:QFRs(Hover over QFRs to read more)
AReported: March 12, 2020
AConfirmed: May 20, 2020
AVote: 75-17

Confirmation vote

The U.S. Senate confirmed Heil on May 20, 2020, on a vote of 75-17.^[3] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website,click here.

John Heil confirmation vote (May 20, 2020)
Party	Yea	Nay	No vote
Democratic	25	17	3
Republican	49	0	4
Independent	1	0	1
Total	75	17	8

Change in Senate rules

See also:

Filibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress

Federal judges nominated by Donald Trump

United States federal courts

Heil was confirmed to a U.S. District Court under a new precedent the Senate established.

On April 3, 2019, theU.S. Senate voted 51-48 in favor of a change to chamber precedent lowering the maximum time allowed for debate on executive nominees to posts below the Cabinet level and on nominees todistrict court judgeships from 30 hours after invokingcloture to two.^[4]

The change was passed under a procedure, often referred to as thenuclear option, that requires 51 votes rather than 60.^[5]

It was the third use of thenuclear option in Senate history. In 2013, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold to confirm presidential nominees, except those to theSupreme Court. In 2017, it was used to eliminate the 60-vote threshold required to confirm Supreme Court nominees.^[6] For more, seeFilibuster and reconciliation in the United States Congress.

Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

Heil had his hearing before theSenate Judiciary Committee on January 8, 2020.^[7] Heil was reported to the full Senate on March 12, 2020, after a 16-5 vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee.^[8]

Nomination

On November 6, 2019, PresidentDonald Trump (R) announced his intent to nominate Heil to a seat on theUnited States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma,Eastern District of Oklahoma, andWestern District of Oklahoma.^[9] The president officially submitted the nomination on December 2, 2019.^[2]

The nomination was returned to the president at thesine die adjournment of theU.S. Senate on January 3, 2020.^[2] The president officially renominated Heil on January 6.^[3]

Heil was nominated to replace JudgeJames Payne, who assumedsenior status beginning on August 1, 2017.^[2]

Oklahoma SenatorsJames Lankford andJim Inhofe, both Republicans, supported Heil's nomination.

• Lankford said, "Heil’s work and reputation across Oklahoma has proven he is well-qualified, and I am confident his expertise will serve our nation and Oklahoma well I am grateful John is willing to answer the call to serve, and I look forward to his confirmation in the Senate in the days to come."
• Inhofe said, "John has handled litigation matters in various state and federal courts, including at the appellate level, throughout the United States and has extensive trial experience, giving him all the tools necessary to excel in this new role. I commend the president on this nomination and urge my colleagues in the Senate to confirm him swiftly."^[10]

TheAmerican Bar Association unanimously rated Heilwell qualified for the position.^[11] To read more about ABA ratings,click here.

Early life and education

Heil was born in 1968 inLima, Ohio. He earned his B.S. in finance from Oklahoma State University in 1990 and hisJ.D., with honors, from the University of Tulsa College of Law in 1994. During his legal studies, he served as an editor for theTulsa Law Journal.^[9][12][13]

Professional career

• 2020-present: Judge,U.S. District Courts for the Eastern District of Oklahoma,Northern District of Oklahoma, andWestern District of Oklahoma
  • 2021-present:Chief judge,Northern District of Oklahoma
• 2000-2020: Shareholder, Hall, Estill, Hardwick, Gable, Golden & Nelson, P.C. inTulsa, Oklahoma
  • 2018-2020: Executive committee member
  • 2015-2020: Board of directors member
• 1997-2000: Assistant district attorney,Tulsa County district attorney’s office
• 1994-1997: Attorney, Ronald D. Wood & Associates^[12]

Associations

• Oklahoma Bar Association
• Tulsa County Bar Association
• American Inns of Court
• Former Member, Board of Directors, Leadership Tulsa
• Former Member, Board of Directors, Eisenhower International School Foundation
• Former Member, Board of Directors, Crosstown Learning Center^[12]

About the court

Eastern District of Oklahoma

Eastern District of Oklahoma
Tenth Circuit
Judgeships
Posts: 2
Judges: 1
Vacancies: 1
Judges
Chief:Ronald White
Active judges:John Heil III Senior judges: James Payne,Frank Seay,Ronald White

TheUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma is one of 94United States district courts. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit based in downtownDenver, Colorado, at the Byron White Federal Courthouse.

The Eastern District of Oklahoma hasoriginal jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.

The jurisdiction of the Eastern District of Oklahoma consists of all thecounties in the eastern part of the state ofOklahoma.

Northern District of Oklahoma

Northern District of Oklahoma
Tenth Circuit
Judgeships
Posts: 4
Judges: 3
Vacancies: 1
Judges
Chief:John Heil
Active judges:John Heil III,Sara Hill,John Russell Senior judges: John E. Dowdell,Claire Eagan,Gregory Frizzell,Terence Kern,James Payne

TheUnited States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma is one of 94United States district courts. The district operates out of two courthouses inTulsa, Oklahoma. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit based in downtownDenver, Colorado, at the Byron White Federal Courthouse.

The Northern District of Oklahoma hasoriginal jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.

The jurisdiction of the Northern District of Oklahoma consists of all thecounties in the northeastern part of the state ofOklahoma.

Western District of Oklahoma

Western District of Oklahoma
Tenth Circuit
Judgeships
Posts: 7
Judges: 7
Vacancies: 0
Judges
Chief:Timothy DeGiusti
Active judges:Timothy DeGiusti,Jodi Dishman,Charles B. Goodwin,John Heil III,Bernard Jones,Scott Palk,Patrick Wyrick Senior judges: Wayne Alley,Robin Cauthron,Stephen Friot,Joe Heaton,Timothy D. Leonard,Vicki Miles-LaGrange,James Payne,David Russell

TheUnited States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma is one of 94United States district courts. It operates out of a courthouse inOklahoma City, Oklahoma. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit based inDenver, Colorado at the Byron White Federal Courthouse.

The Western District of Oklahoma hasoriginal jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.

The jurisdiction of the Western District of Oklahoma consists of all thecounties in the western part of the state ofOklahoma.

The federal nomination process

Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:

• The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
• The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by theSenate Judiciary Committee.
• The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.

• As part of this process, the committee sends ablue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.

• After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.

• If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
• If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.

• The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.

• If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
• If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.

See also

• United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma
• United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
• 10th Circuit Court of Appeals

External links

Suggest a link

• United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma
• United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
• United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit
• Biography from theFederal Judicial Center
• Biography from Hall Estill

Footnotes

v • e Federal judges who have served theUnited States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma
Active judges	Chief Judge: John Heil  •  John Russell (Oklahoma)  •  Sara Hill
Senior judges	James Payne  •  Claire Eagan  •  Terence Kern  •  Gregory Frizzell  •  John Dowdell  •
Magistrate judges	Jodi Jayne  •  Christine Little  •  Susan Huntsman  •  Mark Steele  •
Former Article III judges	David L. Russell  •  Franklin Elmore Kennamer  •  Alfred Murrah  •  James Ellison (Oklahoma)  •  Bower Broaddus  •  Luther Bohanon  •  William Wallace (Oklahoma)  •  Billy Burrage  •  Harold Cook  •  Frederick Daugherty  •  Allen Barrow  •  Thomas Brett  •  Sven Holmes  •  Royce Savage  •
Former Chief judges	Terence Kern  •  James Ellison (Oklahoma)  •  Harold Cook  •  Allen Barrow  •  Thomas Brett  •  Sven Holmes  •  Royce Savage  •

v • e Federal judges who have served theUnited States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
Active judges	Chief Judge: Timothy DeGiustiChief Judge: John Heil  •  Bernard Jones (Oklahoma)  •  Charles B. Goodwin  •  Scott Palk  •  Patrick Wyrick  •  Jodi Dishman
Senior judges	James Payne  •  Robin Cauthron  •  Timothy Leonard (Oklahoma)  •  David L. Russell  •  Vicki Miles-LaGrange  •  Stephen Friot  •  Joe Heaton  •  Wayne Alley  •
Magistrate judges	Gary Purcell  •  Shon Erwin  •  Suzanne Mitchell  •  Amanda Maxfield Green  •
Former Article III judges	Lee West  •  John Hazelton Cotteral  •  Alfred Murrah  •  Edgar Vaught  •  Bower Broaddus  •  Luther Bohanon  •  William Wallace (Oklahoma)  •  Billy Burrage  •  Harold Cook  •  Frederick Daugherty  •  Stephen Chandler  •  Luther Eubanks  •  Layn Phillips  •  Ross Rizley  •  Ralph Thompson  •
Former Chief judges	Robin Cauthron  •  Lee West  •  David L. Russell  •  Vicki Miles-LaGrange  •  Edgar Vaught  •  Luther Bohanon  •  Frederick Daugherty  •  Stephen Chandler  •  Luther Eubanks  •  Ralph Thompson  •

v • e Federal judges who have served theUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma
Active judges	Chief Judge: John Heil
Senior judges	James Payne  •  Frank Seay  •  Ronald White (Oklahoma)  •
Magistrate judges	Steven Shreder  •  Kimberly West  •
Former Article III judges	David L. Russell  •  Ralph Campbell  •  Robert Williams (Oklahoma)  •  Joseph Morris  •  Franklin Elmore Kennamer  •  Alfred Murrah  •  Eugene Rice  •  Bower Broaddus  •  Luther Bohanon  •  William Wallace (Oklahoma)  •  Billy Burrage  •  Harold Cook  •  Frederick Daugherty  •  Orville Langley  •
Former Chief judges	James Payne  •  Frank Seay  •  Joseph Morris  •  Eugene Rice  •  Billy Burrage  •  Frederick Daugherty  •  Orville Langley  •

v • e Federal judges nominated to Article III courts byDonald Trump
2017	Thomas Parker •Elizabeth Branch •Neil Gorsuch •Amul Thapar •David C. Nye •John K. Bush •Kevin Newsom •Timothy J. Kelly •Ralph Erickson •Scott Palk •Trevor McFadden •Joan Larsen •Amy Coney Barrett •Allison Eid •Stephanos Bibas •Donald Coggins Jr. •Dabney Friedrich •Greg Katsas •Steven Grasz •Don Willett •James Ho •William L. Campbell Jr. •David Stras •Tilman E. Self III •Karen Gren Scholer •Terry A. Doughty •Claria Horn Boom •John Broomes •Rebecca Grady Jennings •Kyle Duncan •Kurt Engelhardt •Michael B. Brennan •Joel Carson •Robert Wier •Fernando Rodriguez Jr. •Annemarie Carney Axon •
2018	Andrew Oldham •Amy St. Eve •Michael Scudder •John Nalbandian •Mark Bennett •Andrew Oldham •Britt Grant •Colm Connolly •Maryellen Noreika •Jill Otake •Jeffrey Beaverstock •Emily Coody Marks •Holly Lou Teeter •Julius Richardson •Charles B. Goodwin •Barry Ashe •Stan Baker •A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr. •Terry F. Moorer •Susan Baxter •William Jung •Alan Albright •Dominic Lanza •Eric Tostrud •Charles Williams •Nancy E. Brasel •James Sweeney •Kari A. Dooley •Marilyn J. Horan •Robert Summerhays •Brett Kavanaugh •David Porter •Liles Burke •Michael Juneau •Peter Phipps •Lance Walker •Richard Sullivan •Eli Richardson •Ryan Nelson •Chad F. Kenney, Sr. •Susan Brnovich •William M. Ray, II •Jeremy Kernodle •Thomas Kleeh •J.P. Hanlon •Mark Norris •Jonathan Kobes •Michael Brown •David Counts
2019	Eric Miller •Chad Readler •Eric Murphy •Neomi Rao •Paul Matey •Allison Jones Rushing •Bridget S. Bade •Roy Altman •Patrick Wyrick •Holly Brady •David Morales •Andrew Brasher •J. Campbell Barker •Rodolfo Ruiz •Daniel Domenico •Michael Truncale •Michael Park •Joseph Bianco •Raúl Arias-Marxuach •Daniel Collins •Joshua Wolson •Wendy Vitter •Kenneth Kiyul Lee •Kenneth Bell •Stephen Clark •Howard Nielson •Rodney Smith •Jean-Paul Boulee •Sarah Daggett Morrison •Rossie Alston •Pamela A. Barker •Corey Maze •Greg Guidry •Matthew Kacsmaryk •Allen Winsor •Carl Nichols •James Cain, Jr. •Tom Barber •J. Nicholas Ranjan •Clifton L. Corker •Peter Phipps •Daniel Bress •Damon Leichty •Wendy W. Berger •Peter Welte •Michael Liburdi •William Shaw Stickman •Mark Pittman •Karin J. Immergut •Jason Pulliam •Brantley Starr •Brian Buescher •James Wesley Hendrix •Timothy Reif •Martha Pacold •Sean Jordan •Mary Rowland •John M. Younge •Jeff Brown •Ada Brown •Steven Grimberg •Stephanie A. Gallagher •Steven Seeger •Stephanie Haines •Mary McElroy •David J. Novak •Frank W. Volk •Charles Eskridge •Rachel Kovner •Justin Walker •T. Kent Wetherell •Danielle Hunsaker •Lee Rudofsky •Jennifer Philpott Wilson • William Nardini •Steven Menashi •Robert J. Luck •Eric Komitee •Douglas Cole •John Sinatra •Sarah Pitlyk •Barbara Lagoa •Richard Myers II •Sherri Lydon •Patrick Bumatay •R. Austin Huffaker • Miller Baker •Anuraag Singhal •Karen Marston •Jodi Dishman •Mary Kay Vyskocil •Matthew McFarland •John Gallagher •Bernard Jones •Kea Riggs •Robert J. Colville •Stephanie Dawkins Davis •Gary R. Brown •David Barlow • Lewis Liman
2020	Lawrence VanDyke •Daniel Traynor •John Kness •Joshua Kindred •Philip Halpern •Silvia Carreno-Coll •Scott Rash •John Heil •Anna Manasco •John L. Badalamenti •Drew Tipton •Andrew Brasher •Cory Wilson •Scott Hardy •David Joseph •Matthew Schelp •John Cronan •Justin Walker •Brett H. Ludwig •Christy Wiegand •Thomas Cullen •Diane Gujarati •Stanley Blumenfeld •Mark Scarsi •John Holcomb •Stephen P. McGlynn •Todd Robinson •Hala Jarbou •David Dugan •Iain D. Johnston •Franklin U. Valderrama •John Hinderaker •Roderick Young •Michael Newman •Aileen Cannon •James Knepp •Kathryn Kimball Mizelle • Benjamin Beaton • Kristi Johnson •Toby Crouse •Philip Calabrese •Taylor McNeel •Thomas Kirsch •Stephen Vaden •Katherine Crytzer •Fernando Aenlle-Rocha •Charles Atchley •Joseph Dawson
2025	Whitney Hermandorfer •Joshua Divine •Cristian M. Stevens •Zachary Bluestone •Emil Bove •Edward Artau •Kyle Dudek•Maria Lanahan•Jennifer Mascott•Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe•Chad Meredith•Harold Mooty•Jordan Pratt•Edmund LaCour•Bill Lewis•Eric Tung•Rebecca Taibleson•Joshua D. Dunlap•Bill Mercer•Susan Rodriguez•Robert Chamberlin•Matthew Orso•David Bragdon•Jimmy Maxwell•Lindsey Freeman•William J. Crain
2026	Alexander Van Hook•Megan Benton•Aaron Peterson