Tanya Walton Pratt
2010 - Present
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Tanya Walton Pratt is the chief judge with the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. Pratt became chief judge in 2021.[1] Pratt was nominated to the court by President Barack Obama on January 20, 2010, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on June 15, 2013.[2] Pratt was the first Black judge to serve on the Southern District of Indiana.[3]
Education
Pratt graduated from Spelman College in 1981 with her bachelor's degree and earned her J.D. in 1984 from Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C.[3]
Professional career
- 2010-Present: Judge, United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
- 2021 - Present: Chief judge
- 1997-2010: Judge, Marion County Superior Court
- 2009-2010: Probate division
- 1997-2008: Criminal division
- 1984-1996: Attorney in private practice, Indianapolis, Indiana[3][4][2]
Judicial career
Southern District of Indiana
 |
| Nominee Information |
| Name: Tanya Walton Pratt |
| Court: Southern District of Indiana |
| Progress |
| Confirmed 146 days after nomination. |
| Questionnaire: Questionnaire |
| QFRs: QFRs (Hover over QFRs to read more) |
On January 18, 2010, Pratt was nominated for a federal judgeship for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. She was recommended for the court by Senator Evan Bayh. The seat was vacated when Judge David Hamilton was elevated to the Seventh Circuit.[3][5][6][7] Pratt received a substantial majority rating of Well Qualified and a minority rating of Qualified from the American Bar Association.[8]
Pratt became chief judge in 2021.[1]
Confirmation
On June 15, 2010, Pratt was confirmed 95-0 by the Senate and received her commission the same day.[9]
Awards and associations
- 2001-2007: Chair of the Dr. Martin Luther King Holiday Commission in Indiana
- Member of the Marion Superior Court Executive Committee
- Member of the House of Delegates for the Indiana Bar Association[5]
Noteworthy cases
Planned Parenthood case in Indiana (2012-2013)
In June of 2011, Judge Tanya Walton Pratt granted a preliminary injunction against the state of Indiana from enforcing a law prohobiting Planned Parenthood from receiving funding from medicaid recipients. The law would also require doctors to "notify women seeking abortions that the fetus can feel pain."[10] The ruling, which was only a temporary injunction and did not overturn the law permanently, was based on the recommendation of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which felt that the new Indiana law was contrary to federal law. The notification requirements were blocked as a violation of the doctors' individual right to free speech under the First Amendment. The state appealed the injunction to the Seventh Circuit. On October 23, 2012, the Seventh Circuit affirmed Walton's decision.[10][11] The injunction was made permanent on July 30, 2013.[12]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Indiana Lawyer, "Pratt named Indiana Southern District Court chief judge," March 22, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Federal Judicial Center, "Tanya Walton Pratt Biography"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Indianapolis Star, "Marion County judge could make history," January 18, 2010
- ↑ Indy Star, 'Bayh recommends 2 women for U.S. judgeships," January 18, 2010
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 White House Press Release, "President Obama Nominates Five to Serve on the United States District Court Bench," January 20, 2010
- ↑ Bayh Press Release, "Senator Bayh Makes Historic Judicial Announcements," January 18, 2010
- ↑ WIBC, "Two Indianapolis Judges to Be Nominated to Federal Bench," January 18, 2010
- ↑ Senate Judiciary Committee, "Judicial Nomination Materials"
- ↑ Indianapolis Business Journal, "U.S. Senate confirms Indiana's Pratt as federal judge," June 15, 2010
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Courier Press, "Judge rules state cannot block funding for Planned Parenthood," June 24, 2011
- ↑ Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, "Planned Parenthood of Indiana, Inc., v. Commissioner of the Indiana State Department of Health, et al.," October 23, 2012
- ↑ ACLU, "Medicaid Patients Win Right to Receive Services at Planned Parenthood Clinic," July 30, 2013
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana 2010-Present |
Succeeded by - |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Nominated | |||
Federal courts:
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Indiana, Southern District of Indiana • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Indiana, Southern District of Indiana
State courts:
Indiana Supreme Court • Indiana Court of Appeals • Indiana Tax Court • Indiana Superior Courts • Indiana Circuit Courts • Indiana City Courts • Indiana County Courts • Indiana Municipal Courts • Indiana Small Claims Courts • St. Joseph County Probate Court • Indiana Town Courts
State resources:
Courts in Indiana • Indiana judicial elections • Judicial selection in Indiana