Succession of Seats
The court has twelve seats for active judges, numbered in the order in which they were filled. Judges who retire into senior status remain on the bench but leave their seat vacant. That seat is filled by the next circuit judge appointed by the president.
Seat 1 |
Established on December 10, 1869 by the Judiciary Act of 1869 as a circuit judgeship for the Eighth Circuit |
Reassigned on June 16, 1891 to the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit by the Judiciary Act of 1891 |
Reassigned on February 28, 1929 to the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit by 45 Stat. 1346 |
R. Lewis |
CO |
1929–1940 |
Murrah |
OK |
1940–1970 |
Doyle |
CO |
1971–1984 |
Ebel |
CO |
1988–2006 |
Gorsuch |
CO |
2006–present |
|
Seat 2 |
Established on June 16, 1891 by the Judiciary Act of 1891 as a seat of the Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit |
Reassigned on February 28, 1929 to the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit by 45 Stat. 1346 |
Cotteral |
OK |
1929–1933 |
Bratton |
NM |
1933–1961 |
Seth |
NM |
1962–1984 |
Baldock |
NM |
1985–2001 |
Hartz |
NM |
2001–present |
|
Seat 3 |
Established on February 28, 1929 by 45 Stat. 1346 |
Phillips |
NM |
1929–1956 |
D. Lewis |
UT |
1956–1977 |
McKay |
UT |
1977–1993 |
Murphy |
UT |
1995–present |
|
Seat 4 |
Established on February 28, 1929 by 45 Stat. 1346 |
McDermott |
KS |
1929–1937 |
Williams |
OK |
1937–1939 |
Huxman |
KS |
1939–1957 |
Breitenstein |
CO |
1957–1970 |
McWilliams |
CO |
1970–1984 |
Porfilio |
CO |
1985–1999 |
Tymkovich |
CO |
2003–present |
|
Seat 5 |
Established on August 3, 1949 by 63 Stat. 493 |
Pickett |
WY |
1949–1966 |
Hickey |
WY |
1966–1970 |
Barrett |
WY |
1971–1987 |
Brorby |
WY |
1988–2001 |
O'Brien |
WY |
2002–present |
|
Seat 6 |
Established on May 19, 1961 by 75 Stat. 80 |
Hill |
KS |
1961–1977 |
Logan |
KS |
1977–1994 |
Briscoe |
KS |
1995–present |
|
Seat 7 |
Established on June 18, 1968 by 82 Stat. 184 |
Holloway |
OK |
1968–1992 |
Henry |
OK |
1994–2010 |
(vacant) |
2010–present |
|
Seat 8 |
Established on October 20, 1978 by 92 Stat. 1629 |
Seymour |
OK |
1979–2005 |
Holmes |
OK |
2006–present |
|
Seat 9 |
Established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333 |
Anderson |
UT |
1985–2000 |
McConnell |
UT |
2002–2009 |
Matheson |
UT |
2010–present |
|
Seat 10 |
Established on July 10, 1984 by 98 Stat. 333 |
Tacha |
KS |
1985–2011 |
(vacant) |
2011–present |
|
Seat 11 |
Established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 |
Kelly |
NM |
1992–present |
|
Seat 12 |
Established on December 1, 1990 by 104 Stat. 5089 |
Lucero |
CO |
1995–present |
|