United States District Court for the Western District of Washington

Western District of Washington
Ninth Circuit
Judgeships
Posts: 7
Judges: 7
Vacancies: 0
Judges
Chief: David G. Estudillo
Active judges: Tiffany Cartwright, John Chun, David G. Estudillo, Kymberly Evanson, Lauren King, Tana Lin, Jamal Whitehead Senior judges: Robert Bryan, John Coughenour, Carolyn Dimmick, Richard Jones, Robert Lasnik, Ricardo Martinez, Marsha Pechman, James Robart, Barbara Rothstein, Benjamin Hale Settle, Thomas Zilly

The United States District Court for the Western District of Washington is one of 94 United States district courts. The district operates out of courthouses in Seattle and Tacoma, Wash. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit based in downtown San Francisco at the James R. Browning Federal Courthouse, but hears initial appeals at the Pioneer Federal Courthouse in Portland, Oregon.

Vacancies

See also: Current federal judicial vacancies

There are no current vacancies on the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, out of the court's seven judicial positions.

Pending nominations

There are no pending nominees for this court.

Active judges

Article III judges

Judge	Appointed By	Assumed Office	Bachelors	Law
David G. Estudillo	Joe Biden (D)	October 7, 2021 -	University of Washington	University of Washington
Tana Lin	Joe Biden (D)	November 23, 2021 -	Cornell University, 1988	New York University School of Law, 1991
Lauren King	Joe Biden (D)	December 7, 2021 -	University of Washington, 2004	University of Virginia School of Law, 2008
John Chun	Joe Biden (D)	March 30, 2022 -	Columbia University, 1991	Cornell Law School, 1994
Jamal Whitehead	Joe Biden (D)	March 14, 2023 -	University of Washington, 2004	Seattle University School of Law, 2007
Kymberly Evanson	Joe Biden (D)	July 18, 2023 -	Seattle University, 1999	Georgetown University Law Center, 2007
Tiffany Cartwright	Joe Biden (D)	July 18, 2023 -	Stanford University, 2007	Stanford Law School, 2010

Active Article III judges by appointing political party

The list below displays the number of active judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.

• Democrat appointed: 7
• Republican appointed: 0

Senior judges

Judge	Appointed By	Assumed Office	Bachelors	Law
Carolyn Dimmick	Ronald Reagan (R)	November 1, 1997 -	University of Washington, 1951	University of Washington School of Law, 1953
Robert Bryan	Ronald Reagan (R)	November 1, 2000 -	University of Washington, 1956	University of Washington School of Law, 1958
Thomas Zilly	Ronald Reagan (R)	January 1, 2004 -	University of Michigan, 1956	Cornell Law School, 1962
John Coughenour	Ronald Reagan (R)	July 27, 2006 -	Kansas State College of Pittsburg, 1963	University of Iowa College of Law, 1966
Barbara Rothstein	Jimmy Carter (D)	September 1, 2011 -	Cornell University, 1960	Harvard Law School, 1966
Robert Lasnik	Bill Clinton (D)	January 27, 2016 -	Brandeis University, 1972	University of Washington School of Law, 1978
Marsha Pechman	Bill Clinton (D)	February 6, 2016 -	Cornell University, 1973	Boston University School of Law, 1976
James Robart	George W. Bush (R)	June 28, 2016 -	Whitman College, 1969	Georgetown University Law Center, 1973
Benjamin Hale Settle	George W. Bush (R)	January 1, 2020 -	Claremont McKenna College, 1969	Willamette University College of Law, 1972
Ricardo Martinez	George W. Bush (R)	September 5, 2022 -	University of Washington, 1975	University of Washington School of Law, 1980
Richard Jones		September 5, 2022 -	Seattle University, 1972	University of Washington School of Law, 1975

Senior judges by appointing political party

The list below displays the number of senior judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.

• Democrat appointed: 3
• Republican appointed: 8

Magistrate judges

Federal magistrate judges are federal judges who serve in United States district courts, but they are not appointed by the president and they do not serve life terms. Magistrate judges are assigned duties by the district judges in the district in which they serve. They may preside over most phases of federal proceedings, except for criminal felony trials. The specific duties of a magistrate judge vary from district to district, but the responsibilities always include handling matters that would otherwise be on the dockets of the district judges. Full-time magistrate judges serve for renewable terms of eight years. Some federal district courts have part-time magistrate judges, who serve for renewable terms of four years.

Judge	Appointed By	Assumed Office	Bachelors	Law
Brian Tsuchida			Grinnell College, 1980	University of Oregon, 1983
David Christel			Washington State University, 1979	University of Washington School of Law, 1985
Richard Creatura			Tufts University, 1974	University of the Pacific Law, 1978
Paula McCandlis		May 2, 2016 -	University of California, Santa Cruz	Gonzaga University School of Law
Theresa Fricke		May 1, 2017 -	University of Washington, 1982	University of Puget Sound, 1986
Michelle Peterson		March 1, 2019 -	Seattle Pacific University, 1997	University of Minnesota Law School, 2000
S. Kate Vaughan	United States District Court for the Western District of Washington	May 3, 2021 -	University of Durham	University of Washington School of Law

Former chief judges

In order to qualify for the office of chief judge in an Article III circuit or district court, or on the United States Court of International Trade, a judge must be in active service and hold seniority over the court's commissioned judges who are 64 years of age or under, have served one year or more, and have not previously served as chief judge.

In the event that no judge on the court meets those qualifications, the youngest judge in regular active service aged 65 years or more and who has served as a judge for one year or more shall become chief judge. If no judge meets those qualifications, the judge holding seniority in active service who has not served as chief before shall become the chief judge.

The chief judge serves for a term of seven years until another judge becomes eligible to serve in the position. No judge is permitted to serve as chief judge after reaching the age of 70 years unless no other judge is qualified to serve.

Unlike the chief justice of the United States, a chief judge returns to active service after the expiration of their term and does not create a vacancy on the court by the fact of their promotion.

On the United States Court of Federal Claims, the chief judge is selected by the president of the United States. The judge must be less than 70 years of age. A chief may serve until they reach age 70 or until another judge is designated by the president as the new chief judge. If the president selects a new chief judge, the former chief judge may continue active service on the court for the remainder of their appointed term.

Ricardo Martinez - (2016 - 2022) Marsha Pechman - (2011 - 2016) Robert Lasnik - (2004 - 2011) John Coughenour - (1997 - 2004) Carol Dimmick - (1994 - 1997) Barbara Rothstein - (1987 - 1994) Walter McGovern - (1975 - 1987)

William Goodwin - (1973 - 1975) William Beeks - (1971 - 1973) George Boldt - (1971 - 1971) William Lindberg - (1959 - 1971) John Clyde Bowen - (1948 - 1959)

Former judges

For information on the judges of the Western District of Washington, see former federal judges of the Western District of Washington.

Jurisdiction

The Counties of the Western District of Washington (click for larger map)

The Western District of Washington has original jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.

The geographic jurisdiction of the Western District of Washington consists of all the following counties in the western part of the state of Washington. The court's headquarters are in Seattle, with a courthouse in Tacoma.

• Clallam County
• Clark County
• Cowlitz County
• Grays Harbor County
• Island County
• Jefferson County
• King County
• Kitsap County
• Lewis County
• Mason County
• Pacific County
• Pierce County
• San Juan County
• Skagit County
• Skamania County
• Snohomish County
• Thurston County
• Wahkiakum County
• Whatcom County

Caseloads

This section contains court management statistics dating back to 2010. It was last updated in September 2024.

Click [show] below for more information on caseload terms and definitions.

Caseload statistics explanation
Term	Explanation
Cases filed and terminated	The number of civil and criminal lawsuits formally initiated or decided by the court in a calendar year. The chart below reflects the table columns Cases filed and Cases terminated.
Average time from filing to disposition	The average amount of time, in months, from a case's date of filing to date of disposition (acquittal, sentencing, dismissal, etc.). The chart below reflects the table columns Median time (Criminal) and Median time (Civil).
Starting case load	The number of cases pending from the previous calendar year.
Cases filed	The number of civil and criminal lawsuits formally initiated in a calendar year.
Cases terminated	The total number of civil and criminal lawsuits decided by the court in a calendar year.
Remaining cases	The number of civil and criminal cases pending at the end of a given year.
Median time (Criminal)	The average amount of time, in months, from a case's date of filing to the date of disposition. In criminal cases, the date of disposition occurs on the day of sentencing or acquittal/dismissal.
Median time (Civil)	The average amount of time, in months, from a case's date of filing to the date of disposition.
Three-year civil cases	The number and percent of civil cases that were filed more than three years before the end of the given calendar year.
Vacant posts	The number of months during the year an authorized judgeship was vacant.
Trial/Post	The number of trials completed divided by the number of authorized judgeships on the court. Trials include evidentiary trials, hearings on temporary restraining orders, and preliminary injunctions.
Source: United States Courts, "Explanation of the Judicial Caseload Profiles for United States District Courts," accessed September 25, 2018

United States District Court for the Western District of Washington caseload stats, 2010-2023
Year	Cases Filed	Cases Terminated	Cases Pending	Number of Judgeships	Vacant Judgeship Months	Average Total Filings per Judgeship	Trials Completed per Judgeship	Median time from filing to disposition, criminal	Median time from filing to disposition, civil	Three-year civil cases (#)	Three-year civil cases (%)
2010	3,793	3,734	3,006	7	0	542	21	7	7	104	4
2011	4,104	3,918	2,989	7	0	586	22	7	6	177	7
2012	4,498	4,474	3,291	7	0	643	21	8	6	208	8
2013	4,468	4,451	3,128	7	0	638	17	9	7	64	3
2014	3,850	4,176	2,786	7	0	550	18	8	7	77	4
2015	3,888	3,929	2,733	7	0	555	15	8	7	69	3
2016	3,857	3,778	2,785	7	28	551	20	9	7	67	3
2017	3,866	3,742	2,892	7	36	552	15	9	7	83	4
2018	3,853	3,755	2,971	7	36	550	14	8	7	85	4
2019	3,972	3,765	3,135	7	46	567	13	10	7	73	3
2020	3,575	3,139	3,541	7	60	511	7	12	7	108	4
2021	3,162	3,758	2,943	7	54	452	12	16	9	137	6
2022	3,323	3,213	3,059	7	22	475	13	17	7	154	6
2023	3,667	3,660	3,060	7	11	524	12	18	6	148	6
Average	3,848	3,821	3,023	7	21	550	16	10	7	111	5

History

Washington was established by Congress as one judicial district on April 5, 1890, with one post to cover the entire state. It was assigned to the Ninth Circuit. On March 2, 1905, the Washington was divided into two judicial districts—the Eastern District and the Western District—with a post assigned to each. The post existing before the division was assigned over to the Western District. Over time, seven additional judicial posts were added for a total of eight current posts.

Judicial posts

The following table highlights the development of judicial posts for the Western District of Washington:

Year	Statute	Total Seats
April 5, 1890	26 Stat. 45	1
March 2, 1905	33 Stat. 824	1
March 2, 1909	35 Stat. 686	2
May 31, 1938	52 Stat. 585	3
May 19, 1961	75 Stat. 80	5
October 20, 1978	92 Stat. 1629	6
July 10, 1984	98 Stat. 333	7 (1 temporary)
December 1, 1990	104 Stat. 5089	7 (temporary position made permanent)

Noteworthy cases

• Washington Mutual 401(k) case (2009)      Judge(s):Marsha Pechman (IN RE WASHINGTON MUTUAL, INC. SECURITIES, DERIVATIVE AND ERISA LITIGATION, Nos. 2:08-md-01919-MJP, C07-1874 MJP)	Click for summary→
In 2009, Judge Marsha Pechman presided in a case in which employees of Washington Mutual sued to recover lost funds from their 401(k) retirement accounts after JP Morgan Chase acquired the assets of Washington Mutual in 2008. In October 2009, Pechman ruled that JP Morgan Chase was not liable for the 401(k) accounts of Washington Mutual employees. She said, "Allowing plaintiffs to proceed against JPMC (JPMorgan) runs the risk of expanding the FDIC’s jurisdiction well beyond its statutory reach,” she wrote.

Federal courthouse

Two separate courthouses serve the Western District of Washington.

About United States District Courts

The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. There are 94 such courts. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of both law and equity.

There is a United States bankruptcy court and a number of bankruptcy judges associated with each United States district court. Each federal judicial district has at least one courthouse, and most districts have more than one.

There is at least one judicial district for each state, and one each for Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. District courts in three insular areas—the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands—exercise the same jurisdiction as U.S. district courts. Despite their name, these courts are technically not District Courts of the United States. Judges on these territorial courts do not enjoy the protections of Article III of the Constitution, and serve terms of 10 years rather than for life.

There are 677 U.S. District Court judgeships.

The number of federal district judge positions is set by the U.S. Congress in Title 28 of the U.S. Code, Section 133, which authorizes a set number of judge positions, or judgeships, making changes and adjustments in these numbers from time to time.

In order to relieve the pressure of trying the hundreds of thousands of cases brought before the federal district courts each year, many trials are tried by juries, along with a presiding judge.

Appointments by president

The chart below shows the number of district court judges confirmed by the U.S. Senate through November 1 of the fourth year of each president's term in office. At this point in the term, President Bill Clinton had the most district court appointments with 169.

Judges by district

See also: Judicial vacancies in federal courts

The table below displays the number of judges in each district and indicates how many were appointed by presidents from each major political party. It also includes the number of vacancies in a district and how many pending nominations for that district are before the United States Senate. The table can be sorted by clicking the column headers above the line, and you can navigate through the pages by clicking the arrows at the top of the table. It is updated every Monday.

Judicial selection

The district courts are served by Article III federal judges who are appointed for life during "good behavior." They are usually first recommended by senators (or members of the House, occasionally). The President of the United States makes the appointments, which must then be confirmed by the U.S. Senate in accordance with Article III of the United States Constitution.

Step	A Candidacy Proceeds	A Candidacy Halts
1. Recommendation made by Congress Member to the President	President Nominates to Senate Judiciary Committee	President Declines Nomination
2. Senate Judiciary Committee interviews Candidate	Sends candidate to Senate for confirmation	Returns candidate to President, who may re-nominate to Committee
3. Senate votes on candidate confirmation	Candidate becomes federal judge	Candidate does not receive judgeship

Magistrate judges

The district courts are also served by magistrate judges. Congress created the judicial office of federal magistrate in 1968. In 1990, the position title was changed to magistrate judge. The chief judge of each district appoints one or more magistrate judges, who discharge many of the ancillary duties of district judges so judges can handle more trials. There are both full-time and part-time magistrate judge positions, and these positions are assigned to the district courts according to caseload criteria (subject to funding by Congress). A full-time magistrate judge serves a term of eight years; a part-time magistrate judge's term of office is four years.

See also

• United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
• District of Alaska
• District of Arizona
• Central District of California
• Eastern District of California
• Northern District of California
• Southern District of California
• District of Hawaii
• District of Idaho
• District of Montana
• District of Nevada
• District of Oregon
• Eastern District of Washington
• United States District Court for the District of Guam
• United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• United States District Court for the Western District of Washington Official Website
• United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington Official Website