The United States District Court for the District of Orleans was a

United States district court The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...

created on March 26, 1804, by 2 Stat. 283 for implementation on October 1, 1804 to resolve disputes in the

Territory of Orleans The Territory of Orleans or Orleans Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from October 1, 1804, until April 30, 1812, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Louisiana. History In 180 ...

, the portion of the

Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or app ...

lands south of the 33rd parallel. This act organized the Territory of Orleans as a judicial district and authorized one judgeship for the court. This was the only time the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

provided a territory with a district court equal in its authority and

jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, areas of jurisdiction apply to local, state, and federal levels. Jur ...

to the district courts in the states. The district court in Orleans, not being assigned to a judicial circuit, was granted the same jurisdiction as

United States circuit court The United States circuit courts were the original intermediate level courts of the United States federal court system. They were established by the Judiciary Act of 1789. They had trial court jurisdiction over civil suits of diversity jurisdic ...

s, except in appeals and writs of error, which were the jurisdiction of the

Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

. Only one person – Dominic Augustin Hall – served as a judge on the court. Hall was nominated to the Court by President

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...

on November 30, 1804, and was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

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 of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

as a judicial district. Hall's service was thereby terminated, but shortly thereafter, on May 27, 1812, he was successfully nominated by President

James Madison James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...

to be a judge on the

United States District Court for the District of Louisiana The following are former United States district courts, which ceased to exist because they were subdivided into smaller units. With the exception of California, each of these courts initially covered an entire U.S. state, and was subdivided as the ...

Former judge

Succession of seats

External links

U.S. District Courts of Louisiana, Legislative history
'' Federal Judicial Center''. {{Authority control Territory of Orleans Orleans 1804 establishments in the Territory of Orleans 1812 disestablishments in the United States Courts and tribunals established in 1804 Courts and tribunals disestablished in 1812

Former judge

Succession of seats

See also

External links