United States District Court for the Central District of California

History

California was admitted to the union on September 9, 1850, and was divided into two federal trial court districts – Northern and Southern – by Act of Congress on September 28, 1850, 9 Stat. 521. The boundary was at the 37th parallel. The two districts were merged as the United States District Court for the District of California on July 27, 1866, by 14 Stat. 300. On August 5, 1886, Congress re-created the Southern District by 24 Stat. 308, while the northern half was renamed Northern District. The Eastern and Central Districts of California were created on March 18, 1966 from portions of the Northern and Southern Districts by 80 Stat. 75.

Along with the Central District of Illinois, this court is the only district court referred to by the name "Central" – all other courts with similar geographical names instead use the term "Middle".

Divisions

The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California is divided into three divisions, with jurisdiction over seven counties: Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.

The Eastern Division covers Riverside and San Bernardino Counties at the Riverside courthouse.

The Southern Division covers Orange County from the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse in Santa Ana.

The Western Division covers Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties. Cases are heard in two courthouses in downtown Los Angeles. All but two district judges are located in the new First Street Courthouse, whereas magistrate judges and two district judges maintain chambers in the Edward R. Roybal Courthouse.

United States attorney for the Central District of California

The United States attorney for the Central District of California represents the United States government in civil and criminal cases before the court. Beginning on April 2, 2025, the interim U.S. Attorney for the district was Bill Essayli. On October 28, 2025, a federal judge ruled that Essayli's authority as an interim appointee had expired as of July 29, 2025. Judge J. Michael Seabright wrote that "Essayli unlawfully assumed the role of Acting United States Attorney for the Central District of California", stating that "He is disqualified from serving in that role".

Current judges

:

Former judges

Chief judges

Succession of seats

List of U.S. attorneys

• George J. Denis (1888–1889)
• Aurelus H. Hutton (1889–1890)
• Matthew T. Allen (1892–1893)
• George J. Denis (1893–1897)
• Frank P. Flint (1897–1901)
• Louis H. Valentine (1901–1905)
• Oscar Lawler (1905–1909)
• Albert Schoonover (1913–1917)
• J. Robert O’Conner (1917–1921)
• Joseph C. Burke (1921–1925)
• Samuel W. McNabb (1925–1933)
• John Rose Laying (1933)
• Peirson M. Hall (1933–1937)
• Ben Harrison (1937–1940)
• William Fleet Palmer (1940–1942)
• Leo V. Silverstein (1942–1943)
• Charles H. Carr (1943–1946)
• James M. Carter (1946–1949)
• Ernest A. Tolin (1949–1951)
• Walter Binns (1951–1953)
• Laughlin Edward Waters Sr. (1953–1961)
• Francis C. Whelan (1961–1964)
• Thomas R. Sheridan (1962–1964)
• Manuel L. Real (1964–1966)
• John K. Van de Kamp (1966–1967)
• William Matthew Byrne Jr. (1967–1970)
• Robert L. Meyer (1970–1972)
• William D. Keller (1972–1977)
• Robert L. Brosio (1977) (Acting)
• Andrea S. Ordin (1977–1981)
• Alexander H. Williams, III (1981) (Acting)
• Stephen S. Trott (1981–1983)
• Alexander H. Williams, III (1983–1984)
• Robert C. Bonner (1984–1989)
• Gary Allen Feess (1989)
• Robert L. Brosio (1989–1990)
• Lourdes Baird (1990–1992)
• Terree Bowers (1992–1994)
• Nora Margaret Manella (1994–1998)
• Alejandro Mayorkas (1998–2001)
• John S. Gordon (2001–2002)
• Debra Wong Yang (2002–2006)
• George S. Cardona (2006–2007)
• Thomas P. O'Brien (2007–2009)
• George S. Cardona (2009–2010) (Acting)
• André Birotte Jr. (2010–2014)
• Stephanie Yonekura (2014–2015) (Acting)
• Eileen M. Decker (2015–2017)
• Sandra R. Brown (2017–2018) (Acting)
• Nicola T. Hanna (2018–2021)
• Tracy L. Wilkison (2021–2022) (Acting)
• E. Martin Estrada (2022–2025)
• Joseph T. McNally (2025) (Acting)
• Bill Essayli (2025) (Acting, unlawfully)

References

References

1. (June 22, 2015). "Central District of California | Our District".
2. "U.S. District Courts for the Districts of California: Legislative History".
3. Willoughby Rodman, ''History of the Bench and Bar of Southern California'' (1909), p. 46.
4. (28 October 2025). "Trump-appointed acting US attorney disqualified from cases for 'unlawfully serving', rules judge". Associated Press.
5. (28 October 2025). "Federal Judge Disqualifies Trump-Backed Prosecutor in Los Angeles".
6. (28 October 2025). "Federal judge rules top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles is serving unlawfully".
7. (November 4, 2015). "Former United States Attorneys".
8. In 1966, the Central District of California was created from portions of the Southern District of California.