Appeals to Ninth Circuit Judges assigned 28 | Established September 18, 1966 Chief Judge Virginia A. Phillips | |
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The United States District Court for the Central District of California (in case citations, C.D. Cal.; commonly referred to as the CDCA or CACD) serves over 19 million people in Southern and Central California, making it the most populous federal judicial district. The district was created on September 18, 1966.
Contents
Cases from the Central District are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the United States government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).
History
California was admitted as a state on September 9, 1850, and was initially divided into two districts, the Northern and the Southern, by Act of Congress approved September 28, 1850, 9 Stat. 521. The boundary line was at the 37th parallel of North Latitude. The Southern District of California was abolished and the State made to constitute a single district – the United States District Court for the District of California – by Act of Congress approved July 27, 1866, 14 Stat. 300. Twenty years later, on August 5, 1886, Congress re-created the Southern District of California by 24 Stat. 308, but it was not until March 18, 1966, that the Eastern and Central Districts were created from portions of the Northern and Southern Districts by 80 Stat. 75.
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, the older Spring Street Courthouse and the newer Edward R. Roybal Courthouse.
U.S. Attorney
The United States Attorney for the Central District represents the United States Government in civil and criminal cases before the court. The Acting United States Attorney has been Sandra Brown since March 11, 2017.