U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota
U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota is a United States district court, a federal trial court where most federal civil and criminal cases are first heard. It lies within the Eighth Circuit, which reviews its decisions on appeal. This page lists every judge to serve on the court, current and former, with who appointed them and whom they succeeded.
| Judge | Appointed by | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Anthony Conmy | Reagan (R) | 1985 |
| Daniel L. Hovland | Bush (R) | 2002 |
| Peter David Welte | Trump (R) | 2019 |
| Daniel Mack Traynor | Trump (R) | 2020 |
| Judge | Appointed by | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Ralph R. Erickson | Bush (R) | 2003–2017 |
| Rodney Scott Webb | Reagan (R) | 1987–2009 |
| Paul Benson | Nixon (R) | 1971–2004 |
| Bruce Marion Van Sickle | Nixon (R) | 1971–2007 |
| Ronald Norwood Davies | Eisenhower (R) | 1955–1996 |
| George Scott Register | Eisenhower (R) | 1955–1972 |
| Charles Joseph Vogel | Roosevelt (D) | 1941–1954 |
| Andrew Miller | Harding (R) | 1922–1960 |
| Charles Fremont Amidon | Cleveland (D) | 1897–1937 |
| Alfred Delavan Thomas | Harrison (R) | 1890–1896 |
How a judge gets here. Each judge is nominated by a president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, then holds a numbered seat, for life, until they take senior status, or until they leave the bench. Open any judge to see who appointed them, how the Senate voted, and whom they succeeded, a chain that runs back to 1890.
Source: FJC Biographical Directory. Data last verified 2026-06-28. Verify against the primary source before relying.