U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana is a United States district court, a federal trial court where most federal civil and criminal cases are first heard. It lies within the Seventh 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sarah Evans Barker | Reagan (R) | 1984 |
| Richard L. Young | Clinton (D) | 1998 |
| William T. Lawrence | Bush (R) | 2008 |
| Jane Elizabeth Magnus-Stinson | Obama (D) | 2010 |
| Tanya Walton Pratt | Obama (D) | 2010 |
| James Patrick Hanlon | Trump (R) | 2018 |
| James Russell Sweeney II | Trump (R) | 2018 |
| Matthew Paul Brookman | Biden (D) | 2023 |
| Justin Ross Olson | Trump (R) | 2026 |
| Judge | Appointed by | Years |
|---|---|---|
| David Frank Hamilton | Clinton (D) | 1994–2009 |
| Larry J. McKinney | Reagan (R) | 1987–2017 |
| John Daniel Tinder | Reagan (R) | 1987–2007 |
| Gene Edward Brooks | Carter (D) | 1979–1996 |
| James Ellsworth Noland | Johnson (D) | 1966–1992 |
| Samuel Hugh Dillin | Kennedy (D) | 1961–2006 |
| Cale James Holder | Eisenhower (R) | 1954–1983 |
| William Elwood Steckler | Truman (D) | 1950–1995 |
| Robert C. Baltzell | (reassignment) (N) | 1928–1950 |
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.