U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky is a United States district court, a federal trial court where most federal civil and criminal cases are first heard. It lies within the Sixth 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 |
|---|---|---|
| William Odis Bertelsman | Carter (D) | 1979 |
| Joseph Martin Hood | Bush (R) | 1990 |
| Karen K. Caldwell | Bush (R) | 2001 |
| Danny C. Reeves | Bush (R) | 2001 |
| David L. Bunning | Bush (R) | 2002 |
| Gregory Frederick Van Tatenhove | Bush (R) | 2006 |
| Claria Horn Boom | Trump (R) | 2018 |
| Robert Earl Wier | Trump (R) | 2018 |
| Stephen Chad Meredith | Trump (R) | 2025 |
| Judge | Appointed by | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Amul Roger Thapar | Bush (R) | 2008–2017 |
| Jennifer B. Coffman | Clinton (D) | 1993–2013 |
| Karl Spillman Forester | Reagan (R) | 1988–2014 |
| Henry Rupert Wilhoit Jr. | Reagan (R) | 1981–2022 |
| Green Wix Unthank | Carter (D) | 1980–2013 |
| Scott Elgin Reed | Carter (D) | 1979–1994 |
| Eugene Edward Siler Jr. | Ford (R) | 1975–1991 |
| H[oward] David Hermansdorfer | Nixon (R) | 1972–1981 |
| Bernard Thomas Moynahan Jr. | Kennedy (D) | 1963–1999 |
| Mac Swinford | Roosevelt (D) | 1937–1975 |
| Hiram Church Ford | Roosevelt (D) | 1935–1969 |
| Andrew McConnell January Cochran | McKinley (R) | 1901–1934 |
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 1901.
Source: FJC Biographical Directory. Data last verified 2026-06-28. Verify against the primary source before relying.