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| United States District Court for the District of Orleans | |
|---|---|
| Defunct | |
| Location | New Orleans |
| Established | October 1, 1804 |
| Abolished | April 30, 1812 |
TheUnited States District Court for the District of Orleans was aUnited States district court created on March 26, 1804, by 2 Stat. 283 for implementation on October 1, 1804 to resolve disputes in theTerritory of Orleans, the portion of theLouisiana Purchase lands south of the33rd parallel.
This act organized the Territory of Orleans as a judicial district and authorized one judgeship for the court. This was the only time theUnited States Congress provided a territory with a district court equal in its authority andjurisdiction to the district courts in the states. The district court in Orleans, not being assigned to a judicial circuit, was granted the same jurisdiction asUnited States circuit courts, except in appeals and writs of error, which were the jurisdiction of theSupreme Court of the United States.
Only one person –Dominic Augustin Hall – served as a judge on the court. Hall was nominated to the Court by PresidentThomas Jefferson on November 30, 1804, and was confirmed by theUnited States Senate on that date, receiving his commission on December 11, 1804.
The court was abolished on April 8, 1812, by 2 Stat. 701, which organized the State ofLouisiana as a judicial district. Hall's service was thereby terminated, but shortly thereafter, on May 27, 1812, he was successfully nominated by PresidentJames Madison to be a judge on theUnited States District Court for the District of Louisiana.
| # | Judge | Born–died | Active service | Chief Judge | Senior status | Appointed by | Reason for termination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dominic Augustin Hall | 1765–1820 | 1804–1812 | — | — | Jefferson | seat abolished |
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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. |