Appeals to Ninth Circuit Judges assigned 13 | Established September 28, 1850 Chief Judge Barry Ted Moskowitz | |
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The United States District Court for the Southern District of California (in case citations, S.D. Cal.) is a federal court in the Ninth Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appealed to the Federal Circuit).
The District was created on September 28, 1850, following California statehood on September 9, 1850. The state was divided into a Northern and Southern district. The Judicial Circuits Act of 1866 abolished the Northern and Southern districts, re-organizing California as a single circuit district. On August 5, 1886 the Southern district was re-established, following the division of the state into Northern and Southern districts. The district was further divided on March 18, 1966 with the creation of the Central and Eastern districts.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. The current Acting United States Attorney is Alana Robinson, who was appointed on January 6, 2017.
Organization of the court
The United States District Court for the Southern District of California is one of four federal judicial districts in California. Court for the District is held at El Centro and the Edward J. Schwartz U.S. Courthouse and U.S. Courthouse Annex in San Diego. The district comprises Imperial and San Diego counties.