A Historical Overview
The old Southern District of California, with its headquarters in Los
Angeles, was established on August 5, 1886. Eight decades later, San Diego
and Imperial Counties became the new Southern District of California
with its headquarters in San Diego.
T
he United States District Court for the Southern District of
California, serving San Diego and Imperial Counties, is
relatively new in the organization of United States Courts. The old
Southern District of California, with its headquarters in Los Angeles,
was established on
August 5, 1886.
On
March 1, 1929, the old Southern
District was divided into three divisions. San Diego and Imperial Counties
were designated the Southern Division; Los Angeles and surrounding
counties became the Central Division; and Fresno and its surrounding counties
became the Northern Division. During this time, semi-annual court sessions were held
in the Southern Division of the Southern District of California in San Diego.
However, as early as 1931, more frequent and regular court sessions were held in San Diego.
These sessions were presided over by judges from Los Angeles on a rotating basis.
Court sessions were held in the Historic
U.S. Post Office and Custom House
adjacent to the City’s offices in downtown
San Diego.
"On March 18, 1966, Congress passed Public Law 89-372,
authorizing the division of California into four judicial
districts: Northern, Eastern, Central, and Southern."
On November 1, 1949, the
Honorable Jacob Weinberger was assigned
as the first resident federal judge in San Diego, having been appointed as a judge
for the old Southern District of California in Los Angeles in March 1946. Judges
from Los Angeles continued to be assigned to San Diego on a rotating basis until
April 1, 1956, when the Honorable James M. Carter was assigned as the
second resident judge for San Diego. After Judge Weinberger assumed senior
status in November 1958, the Honorable Fred Kunzel was appointed to fill
Judge Weinberger’s seat in San Diego.
No other piece of equipment better
represents our 40-year history
than this original seal machine.
In 1961, the U.S. Post Office and Custom House was re-designated as
the United States Courthouse, which would become the home of the new
Southern District of California.
On March 18, 1966, Congress passed
Public Law 89-372, authorizing the division of California into four
judicial districts: Northern, Eastern, Central, and Southern. The
law creating the new California judicial districts became
effective six months later, on September 18, 1966. San
Diego and Imperial Counties became the new Southern
District of California with its headquarters in San Diego.
Judge Carter presided as the first Chief Judge of the new
Southern District of California.
To commemorate the Southern
District of California being created as
its own independent judicial district,
an in-court ceremony was held on
September 16, 1966. Ninth Circuit
Judge Walter Ely presided over the
ceremony along with Chief Judge
Carter, and Judges Weinberger and
Kunzel.
Also present at this ceremony
were Bankruptcy Referees Arline
Rossi and Louis Karp; Commissioners
Elmer Enstrom, Jr., J. Edward Harris
and William Luddy, who also served
as Chief Clerk of Court; Chief
Deputy Clerk Margaret Kiesling; and Probation Officer in Charge Robert
Knox.
Chief Judge Carter introduced
the new U.S. Attorney, Edwin L.
Miller, Jr. and the head of Federal
Defenders, Inc., Harry Steward. Chief
Judge Carter administered the oath
of office to new U.S. Marshal, Wayne
Burrell Colburn. Other distinguished
guests included Alex Cory, President
of the San Diego County Bar
Association; Thomas R. Mitchell,
President of Junior Barristers;
Presiding Judge Gerald Brown, of the
California District Court of Appeals;
Presiding Judge George Lazar, of
the San Diego Superior Court; and
Presiding Judge Earl Cantos of the
San Diego Municipal Court.
In 1966, when the Southern District of California was established
in San Diego, the Court had two active judges and one senior judge.
Since 1966, 23 distinct judges have been appointed. In 2006, the
Court has twelve active and five senior judges, with one vacant seat.
Top Right, Court sessions were held in the Historic U.S. Post Office and Custom House as early as 1931.
In 1961, the building was redisignated as the U.S. Courthouse.
On Left, The District's first Chief Judge, James M. Carter and Clerk of Court Bill Luddy
In 1966, when the Southern District of California was established in San Diego, the Court had two active judges, Chief Judge Carter and Judge Kunzel and one senior judge, Judge Weinberger.
In 1970, Congress passed an omnibus
bill creating three new judgeships for
the Southern District of California.
The Court continued doing business
with five active district judges until
1980 when two additional judgeships
were created. The Southern District of
California got one additional judgeship
in 1995, bringing the total number of
active district judges in San Diego to
eight. In 2003, following a period of
judicial emergency, Congress approved
a bill creating five new judgeships in
the Southern District of California.
In 2006, the Court has twelve active
district judges, one vacant judicial seat,
and five senior judges.
"In 2003, following period of judicial emergency, Congress approved a bill creating five new judgeships in the Southern District of California."
As the Southern District of
California grew in its early years, so did
the need for space. Modular buildings
were used to add an annex onto the
back of the U.S. Courthouse to provide
supplemental courtroom space.
On
November 3, 1972, a groundbreaking
ceremony was held and construction
began for a new United States
Courthouse and Federal Office
Building in downtown San Diego.
"On November 3, 1972, a groundbreaking ceremony was held and construction began for a new United States Courthouse and Federal Office Building in downtown San Diego."
The new courthouse and federal
building were to be located on three
city blocks in the downtown Horton
Plaza Redevelopment Area, consistent
with President Nixon’s program to use
Federal construction to aid community
redevelopment.
The new five story
courthouse was built to contain eight
U.S. District Judge courtrooms, judges’
chambers, and the offices of the U.S.
Attorney and U.S. Marshal. Building
was completed in the summer of 1976
and the U.S. District Court for the
Southern District of California moved
into the new U.S. Courthouse.
In 1972, Congressman Lionel Van Deerlin, Chief Judge Edward Schwartz, GSA Administrator Arthur Sampson and Congressman Bob Wilson broke ground for a new downtown U.S. Courthouse and Federal office building.
Another rendition detailing
the spaciousness of the new
courthouse.
On September 14, 1994, the U.S. Courthouse was officially renamed the Edward J. Schwartz U.S. Courthouse.
"With the appointment of five new district judges, and the addition of five new magistrate judges since 1966, the Edward J. Schwartz Courthouse is not at full capacity.
On
September 16, 1994, the U.S.
Courthouse and Federal Office
Building was officially re-named the
Edward J. Schwartz United States
Courthouse and Federal Building. At
a ceremony attended by many of the
District’s judicial officers, judicial staff,
and Clerk’s Office staff, then-Chief
Judge Judith N. Keep paid tribute to
Judge Schwartz’s tremendous efforts in
paving the way for the building of the
courthouse and federal building.
James M. Carter and
Judith N. Keep United States Courthouse
In 1995, the Bankruptcy Court for
the Southern District of California
was moved into the newly renovated
original U.S. Post Office and Custom
House and former U.S. Courthouse,
located adjacent to the Federal Office
Building.
This gave room on the
5th floor of the Edward J. Schwartz
Courthouse to build four additional
district judge courtrooms and chambers.
Around the same time period,
the Clerk’s Office moved to the 4th
floor of the Federal Office Building,
making room for the building of two
new magistrate judges’ chambers and
courtrooms, as well as offices for the
Court’s pro se law clerks. Those new
offices were completed and ready for
occupancy in June 1996.
On November 2, 2002, Congress created 5 additional judgeships bringing the district to a total
of 13 district judgeships. With the appointment of five new
district judges, and the addition of five new magistrate judges between 1996 and 2006, the
Edward J. Schwartz Courthouse was at full capacity. As a result, Congress
authorized the building of a new federal courthouse in San Diego.
On December 3, 2012, court proceedings were held for the first time
in the new San Diego courthouse annex. On December 15, 2014, legislation was
passed by Congress to designate the new San Diego courthouse the James M. Carter and Judith N. Keep United
States Courthouse, and the complex of federal buildings the John Rhoades Federal Judicial Center.