28 U.S.C. § 41 Number and Composition of Circuits

• Library: United States Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current through P.L. 118-34 (published on www.congress.gov on 12/26/2023), except for [P. L. 118-31]
• Year: 2023
• Citation: 28 U.S.C. § 41

The thirteen judicial circuits of the United States are constituted as follows:

<TABLE> <TR> <TD>Circuits</TD> <TD>Composition</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>District of Columbia</TD> <TD>District of Columbia.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>First</TD> <TD>Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>Second</TD> <TD>Connecticut, New York, Vermont.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>Third</TD> <TD>Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virgin Islands.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>Fourth</TD> <TD>Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>Fifth</TD> <TD>District of the Canal Zone, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>Sixth</TD> <TD>Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>Seventh</TD> <TD>Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>Eighth</TD> <TD>Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>Ninth</TD> <TD>Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Guam, Hawaii.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>Tenth</TD> <TD>Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, Wyoming.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>Eleventh</TD> <TD>Alabama, Florida, Georgia.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>Federal</TD> <TD>All Federal judicial districts.</TD> </TR> </TABLE>

Cite as 28 U.S.C. § 41

Source: June 25, 1948, ch. 646, 62 Stat. 870; Oct. 31, 1951, ch. 655, §34, 65 Stat. 723; Pub. L. 96-452, §2, Oct. 14, 1980, 94 Stat. 1994; Pub. L. 97-164, title I, §101, Apr. 2, 1982, 96 Stat. 25.

Notes from the Office of Law Revision Counsel

current through 5/22/2023

HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES

Based on title 28, U.S.C. 1940 ed., §211, and section 864 of title 48, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Territories and Insular Possessions (Apr. 12, 1900, ch. 191, §35, 31 Stat. 85; Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, §116, 36 Stat. 1131; Jan. 28, 1915, ch. 22, §§1, 2, 38 Stat. 803; Mar. 2, 1917, ch. 145, §42, 39 Stat. 966; Feb. 13, 1925, ch. 229, §§1, 13, 43 Stat. 936, 942; Jan. 31, 1928, ch. 14, §1, 45 Stat. 54; Feb. 28, 1929, ch. 363, §1, 45 Stat. 1346; May 17, 1932, ch. 190, 47 Stat. 158).

Form of section was simplified.

The District of Columbia was added as a separate circuit. This is in accord with the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States which held the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to be a circuit court of appeals within the Transfer Act of Sept. 14, 1922, ch. 305, 42 Stat. 837, incorporated in the Judicial Code as §238(a), but repealed by act Feb. 13, 1925, ch. 229, §13, 43 Stat. 942. (See Swift and Co. v. U.S., 1928, 48 S.Ct. 311, 276 U.S. 311, 72 L.Ed. 587.)

In recognizing the District of Columbia as a separate circuit, the Supreme Court recently used this language: "* * * the eleven circuits forming the single federal judicature * * *". Comm'r. v. Bedford's Estate, 65 S.Ct. 1157, at page 1160, 325 U.S. 283, 89 L.Ed. 611.