The Eleventh Circuit of the Federal Courts: Demographics--part 1

 I will confess straight away, I do love keeping up with the Third Branch of Government.  Until recent years, most Americans under-estimated the out-sized power the men and women who serve in these seemingly tedious and mundane jobs possess.  Clearly, not every day is a home run, but when they are asked to swing at a really big issue, the results of that "hit" can profoundly effect the lives of every single one of us.  

Quick tutorial: 

• The Federal Courts have three basic levels
• District 
• 90 in the states, plus
• 4 territories (Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands & Puerto Rico)
• Appellate
• 11 state-based Circuits, plus
• District of Columbia, and
• Federal
• Supreme
• 9 Judges, final stop
• The Eleventh Circuit
• Covers three states
• Alabama
• Georgia
• Florida
• Is comprised of 9 Districts
• Each state is divided into three jurisdictions
• Northern
• Middle
• Southern
• The smallest districts (M Alabama, S Alabama & S Georgia) each have 3 Judges
• The largest District (S Florida) has 18 (twice their combined total)

In the first set of graphics where Districts are delineated by thicker lines and states by lines that even thicker, you see the states in a rough configuration to their geographic proximity and shape.  Alabama is in the upper left (14 total judges in three Districts), Georgia is in the upper right (18 total judges in three Districts), and Florida is in the lower portion with 37 judges in three districts.

APPOINTED BY WHICH PRESIDENT

This graph does NOT indicate the total number of judges any president appointed, but only the judges whom they appointed who are still serving in a full-time capacity.  Judges do not have a mandatory retirement age.  Nor do they have a minimum age before eligibility.  Hence a president is free to appoint a person to a seat who is 32 or 72 with the consent of the United States Senate.  Most of whom's members are closer (on either side) to 72 than 32!

[Another point of design, each square represents both a seat within the district/state, but also a specific judge.  They are dis-aggregated left to right, top to bottom, within the constrains of the District from longest serving to most recent.]

I hope that both of these graphs is self-explanatory enough to leave to you to draw your own conclusions, I would, however point out one thing.  President George H. W. Bush served in office from January of 1989 to January 1993, and here as we approach January of 2022--Almost 30 years later--two of his appointees continue to serve full-time in the Districts of Middle and Southern Florida.  Judges are the longest living legacy any President has to offer this nation.