The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the following United States district courts: The United States Courts of Appeals (or circuit courts) are the mid-level appellate courts of the United States federal court system. ... An appellate court is a court that hears cases in which a lower court -- either a trial court or a lower-level appellate court — has already made some decision, which at least one party to the action wants to challenge based upon some legal grounds that are allowed to be... The term jurisdiction has more than one sense. ... The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. ...

• District of Maryland
• Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of North Carolina
• District of South Carolina
• Western and Eastern Districts of Virginia
• Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia

The court is based at the Lewis F. Powell, Jr. U.S. Courthouse in Richmond, Virginia. The United States District Court for the District of Maryland is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is comprised of the state of Maryland. ... The United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is comprised of the following counties: Alexander, Anson, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain... The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina 24 counties in the center of North Carolina. ... The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina is the U.S. District Court that serves the eastern 44 counties in North Carolina. ... The United States District Court for the District of South Carolina is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is comprised of the state of South Carolina. ... The United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia is a United States district court which is seated in the following locations in Virginia: Abingdon Big Stone Gap Charlottesville Danville Harrisonburg Lynchburg Roanoke The people are represented in this court by the United States Attorney for the Western... The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia is a United States district court seated in the following locations in Virginia: Alexandria Newport News Norfolk Richmond The people are represented in this court by the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. ... Notable people with the name Lewis Powell include: Lewis Powell, one of the conspirators hanged for the assassination of United States President Abraham Lincoln. ... Richmond is the capital of the state of Virginia (officially the Commonwealth of Virginia) of the United States of America. ...

Judges

As of 2005, the judges on the court are: 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• Chief Judge William W. Wilkins, Greenville, South Carolina
• Circuit Judge H. Emory Widener, Jr., Abingdon, Virginia
• Circuit Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III, Charlottesville, Virginia
• Circuit Judge Paul V. Niemeyer, Baltimore, Maryland
• Circuit Judge J. Michael Luttig, Alexandria, Virginia
• Circuit Judge Karen J. Williams, Richmond, Virginia
• Circuit Judge M. Blane Michael, Charleston, West Virginia
• Circuit Judge Diana Gribbon Motz, Baltimore, Maryland
• Circuit Judge William B. Traxler, Jr., Greenville, South Carolina
• Circuit Judge Robert B. King, Charleston, West Virginia
• Circuit Judge Roger L. Gregory, Richmond, Virginia
• Circuit Judge Dennis W. Shedd, Columbia, South Carolina
• Circuit Judge Allyson K. Duncan, Raleigh, North Carolina
• Senior Circuit Judge Clyde H. Hamilton, Columbia, South Carolina
• Senior Circuit Judge John D. Butzner, Jr. (retired)
• Senior Circuit Judge J. Dickson Phillips, Jr. (retired)
• Senior Circuit Judge Robert F. Chapman (retired)

(Here circuit judges and senior circuit judges are listed in order of seniority.) Greenvilles skyline at night. ... Abingdon is a town located in Washington County, Virginia. ... Charlottesville is an independent city located within the confines of Albemarle County in the state of Virginia. ... City nickname: Charm City Location in the state of Maryland Founded 30 July 1729 County Independent city Mayor Martin OMalley (Dem) Area  - Total  - Water 1,214. ... Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. ... Richmond is the capital of the state of Virginia (officially the Commonwealth of Virginia) of the United States of America. ... Charleston is the capital of West Virginia, a state of the United States of America. ... City nickname: Charm City Location in the state of Maryland Founded 30 July 1729 County Independent city Mayor Martin OMalley (Dem) Area  - Total  - Water 1,214. ... Greenvilles skyline at night. ... Charleston is the capital of West Virginia, a state of the United States of America. ... Richmond is the capital of the state of Virginia (officially the Commonwealth of Virginia) of the United States of America. ... Columbia, South Carolina Seen from across the Congaree River. ... Downtown Raleigh as seen from US 401 on the southwest side. ... Columbia, South Carolina Seen from across the Congaree River. ...

There are two vacant judgeships in this circuit. Terrence W. Boyle has been nominated to fill one vacancy.

Trivia

The Fourth Circuit has never seen one of its judges promoted to the United States Supreme Court. However, Judges Wilkinson and Luttig are considered to be front-runners for a justiceship if there is a vacancy during the George W. Bush presidential administration. The Fourth is widely regarded as the most ideologically conservative court in the federal appellate system. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C., (large image) The Supreme Court of the United States, located in Washington, D.C., is the highest court (see supreme court) in the United States; that is, it has ultimate judicial authority within the United States... Order: 43rd President Vice President: Dick Cheney Term of office: January 20, 2001 – Present Preceded by: Bill Clinton Succeeded by: Incumbent Date of birth: July 6, 1946 Place of birth: New Haven, Connecticut First Lady: Laura Welch Bush Political party: Republican George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the...

External links

• United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (http://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/)
• Recent opinions from Findlaw (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=4th&navby=year&year=recent)
• Federal Judicial Center (http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/usca_04_frm?OpenFrameSet)