Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Judges
Cincinnati · 16 active judgeships · Hears appeals from the federal courts in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is one of the thirteen U.S. courts of appeals, the intermediate appellate tier of the federal judiciary. It hears appeals from the federal district courts within the Sixth Circuit, which covers Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. Its decisions bind those courts unless reviewed by the Supreme Court of the United States.
6th Circuit judges by appointing president
Of 17 active judges: 11 appointed by Republican presidents, 6 by Democratic.
| Judge | Appointed by | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Michael Flowers | Trump | Republican |
| Karen Nelson Moore | Clinton | Democratic |
| Eric L. Clay | Clinton | Democratic |
| Jeffrey S. Sutton | G.W. Bush | Republican |
| Richard Allen Griffin | G.W. Bush | Republican |
| Raymond M. Kethledge | G.W. Bush | Republican |
| John Kenneth Bush | Trump | Republican |
| Joan Louise Larsen | Trump | Republican |
| Amul Roger Thapar | Trump | Republican |
| John Baylor Nalbandian | Trump | Republican |
| Eric Earl Murphy | Trump | Republican |
| Chad Andrew Readler | Trump | Republican |
| Stephanie Dawkins Davis | Biden | Democratic |
| Andre Bernard Mathis | Biden | Democratic |
| Rachel Sarah Bloomekatz | Biden | Democratic |
| Kevin Gafford Ritz | Biden | Democratic |
| Whitney Downs Hermandorfer | Trump | Republican |
Party letters here are the appointing president’s, never a judge’s own: D Democratic, R Republican, N pre-modern-party era (Federalist, Whig, and other early parties); “–” means no recorded party. Counts cover the court’s entire history.
Judges in active service
- Benjamin M. Flowers
- Karen N. Moore
- Eric L. Clay
- Jeffrey S. Sutton
- Richard A. Griffin
- Raymond M. Kethledge
- John K. Bush
- Joan L. Larsen
- Amul R. Thapar
- John B. Nalbandian
- Eric E. Murphy
- Chad A. Readler
- Stephanie D. Davis
- Andre B. Mathis
- Rachel S. Bloomekatz
- Kevin G. Ritz
- Whitney D. Hermandorfer
Senior judges
Still members of the court: senior judges have stepped back from a full docket but continue to hear cases.
- James L. Ryan
- Danny J. Boggs
- Alan E. Norris
- Richard F. Suhrheinrich
- Alice M. Batchelder
- Eugene E. Siler Jr.
- Martha C. Daughtrey
- Ransey G. Cole Jr.
- Ronald L. Gilman
- Julia S. Gibbons
- John M. Rogers
- Deborah L. Cook
- David W. McKeague
- Helene N. White
- Jane B. Stranch
Seats over time
Each band is one judgeship, from the court’s founding to today. A segment’s width is the holder’s tenure; its color is the appointing president’s party. Gaps are vacancies.
Richard Fred Suhrheinrich (current) · David William McKeague (current) · Joan Louise Larsen (current) · Julia Smith Gibbons (current) · Kevin Gafford Ritz (current) · Karen Nelson Moore (current) · Alan Eugene Norris (current) · Deborah L. Cook (current) · Chad Andrew Readler (current) · James Leo Ryan (current) · Raymond M. Kethledge (current) · Eugene Edward Siler Jr. (current) · John M. Rogers (current) · John Baylor Nalbandian (current) · Ransey Guy Cole Jr. (current) · Rachel Sarah Bloomekatz (current) · Richard Allen Griffin (current) · Alice Moore Batchelder (current) · Eric Earl Murphy (current) · Amul Roger Thapar (current) · Helene N. White (current) · Stephanie Dawkins Davis (current) · Ronald Lee Gilman (current) · Andre Bernard Mathis (current) · Jeffrey S. Sutton (current) · Eric L. Clay (current) · Danny Julian Boggs (current) · John Kenneth Bush (current) · Martha Craig Daughtrey (current) · Jane Branstetter Stranch (current) · Whitney Downs Hermandorfer (current) · Gilbert Stroud Merritt Jr. · Pierce Lively · Damon Jerome Keith · Ralph B. Guy Jr.
Former judges
District courts in the Sixth Circuit
The federal trial courts whose appeals this circuit reviews.
Historical district courts
Earlier districts in this circuit’s territory that no longer operate: reorganized or split into today’s districts. Kept for the judges who served on them.
Practicing before this court
The rules that govern a case here (the Sixth Circuit’s local rules, standing orders, and each judge’s own procedures) live on the court’s official site. Direct links:
Links to the court’s own site, verified 2026-07-05. Rules change. Confirm against the court’s current posting before filing.
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 1891. Read more on how federal judges are appointed.
Source: FJC Biographical Directory. Data as of 2026-08-10 (FJC). Verify against the primary source before relying.