U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina is a United States district court, a federal trial court where most federal civil and criminal cases are first heard. It lies within the Fourth 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Norwood Carlton Tilley Jr. | Reagan (R) | 1988 |
| William Lindsay Osteen Jr. | Bush (R) | 2007 |
| Thomas D. Schroeder | Bush (R) | 2008 |
| Catherine Caldwell Eagles | Obama (D) | 2010 |
| Loretta Copeland Biggs | Obama (D) | 2014 |
| David Alan Bragdon | Trump (R) | 2025 |
| Lindsey Ann Freeman | Trump (R) | 2025 |
| Judge | Appointed by | Years |
|---|---|---|
| James A. Beaty Jr. | Clinton (D) | 1994–2018 |
| William Lindsay Osteen Sr. | Bush (R) | 1991–2007 |
| Frank William Bullock Jr. | Reagan (R) | 1982–2006 |
| Richard Cannon Erwin | Carter (D) | 1980–2006 |
| Hiram Hamilton Ward | Nixon (R) | 1972–2002 |
| Eugene Andrew Gordon | Johnson (D) | 1964–2002 |
| Lunsford Richardson Preyer | Kennedy (D) | 1962–1963 |
| Edwin Monroe Stanley | Eisenhower (R) | 1958–1971 |
| Johnson Jay Hayes | Coolidge (R) | 1928–1970 |
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 1928.
Source: FJC Biographical Directory. Data last verified 2026-06-28. Verify against the primary source before relying.