James K. Polk

Following is a list of all Article III United States federal judges appointed by President James K. Polk during his presidency.[1] In total Polk appointed 10 Article III federal judges, including 2 Justices to the Supreme Court of the United States, 1 judge to the United States Circuit Court of the District of Columbia, and 7 judges to the United States district courts.

Polk faced some obstacles in seating Justices on the Supreme Court. After Henry Baldwin's death in April 1844, Polk nominated James Buchanan for the seat, but Buchanan declined the nomination. Polk then nominated George Washington Woodward of Pennsylvania to Baldwin's seat, but the nomination was rejected by the United States Senate by a vote of 20-29. Polk finally succeeded with the nomination of Robert Cooper Grier, filling the vacancy after two years.

United States Supreme Court justices

# Justice Seat State Former justice Nomination
date 		Confirmation
date 		Began
active service 		Ended
active service
1 Levi Woodbury 2 New Hampshire Joseph Story December 23, 1845 January 3, 1846 September 20, 1845[2] September 4, 1851
2 Robert Cooper Grier 3 Pennsylvania Henry Baldwin August 3, 1846 August 4, 1846 August 4, 1846 January 31, 1870

Circuit courts

# Judge Circuit Nomination
date 		Confirmation
date 		Began active
service 		Ended active
service
1 James Dunlop D.C. December 23, 1845 February 3, 1846 October 3, 1845[3] November 27, 1855[4]

District courts

# Judge Court
[Note 1] 		Nomination
date 		Confirmation
date 		Began active
service 		Ended active
service
1 John White Brockenbrough W.D. Va. December 23, 1845 January 14, 1846 January 14, 1846 May 4, 1861
2 John Charles Watrous D. Tex./E.D. Tex. May 27, 1846 May 29, 1846 May 29, 1846 April 19, 1870[5]
3 John K. Kane E.D. Pa. June 11, 1846 June 17, 1846 June 17, 1846 February 21, 1858
4 Isaac H. Bronson D. Fla./N.D. Fla. May 5, 1846 August 8, 1846 August 8, 1846 August 13, 1855[6]
5 John James Dyer D. Iowa February 8, 1847 March 3, 1847 March 3, 1847 September 14, 1855
6 William Marvin S.D. Fla. March 2, 1847 March 3, 1847 March 3, 1847 July 1, 1863
7 Andrew G. Miller D. Wis./E.D. Wis. June 12, 1848 June 12, 1848 June 12, 1848 January 1, 1874[7]

Notes

  1. ^ See List of United States district and territorial courts

References

General
  • "Judges of the United States Courts". Biographical Directory of Federal Judges. Federal Judicial Center. Archived from the original on 2016-07-30. Retrieved 2009-04-03.
Specific
  1. ^ All information on the names, terms of service, and details of appointment of federal judges is derived from the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public-domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  2. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 23, 1845, confirmed by the United States Senate on January 3, 1846, and received commission on January 3, 1846.
  3. ^ Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 23, 1845, confirmed by the United States Senate on February 3, 1846, and received commission on February 3, 1846.
  4. ^ Laterally appointed Chief Judge of the same court on November 27, 1855.
  5. ^ Reassigned by operation of law to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas on February 21, 1857.
  6. ^ Reassigned by operation of law to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida on February 23, 1847.
  7. ^ Reassigned by operation of law to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin on June 30, 1870.

Sources

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