28 U.S.C. § 458: Relative of justice or judge…

Summary

Stops a person from being hired or appointed to any job in a court if they are a first cousin, by blood or by marriage, of a judge or justice who serves in that same court. For federal Article III judges (not the Supreme Court), the rule means you cannot be made a judge if you are a first cousin of any judge who is on that same court. "Same court" means a single judicial district for district courts and a single circuit for courts of appeals. A "member" means an active judge or a judge on senior status.

Title 28, §458

Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)No person shall be appointed to or employed in any office or duty in any court who is related by affinity or consanguinity within the degree of first cousin to any justice or judge of such court.

(2)With respect to the appointment of a judge of a court exercising judicial power under article III of the United States Constitution (other than the Supreme Court), subsection (b) shall apply in lieu of this subsection.

(b)(1)In this subsection, the term—

(A)“same court” means—

(i)in the case of a district court, the court of a single judicial district; and

(ii)in the case of a court of appeals, the court of appeals of a single circuit; and

(B)“member”—

(i)means an active judge or a judge retired in senior status under section 371(b); and

(ii)shall not include a retired judge, except as described under clause (i).

(2)No person may be appointed to the position of judge of a court exercising judicial power under article III of the United States Constitution (other than the Supreme Court) who is related by affinity or consanguinity within the degree of first cousin to any judge who is a member of the same court.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 126 (Mar. 3, 1887, ch. 373, § 7, 24 Stat. 555; Aug. 13, 1888, ch. 866, § 7, 25 Stat. 437; Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, § 67, 36 Stat. 1105; Dec. 21, 1911, ch. 4, 37 Stat. 46). A provision referring to circuit court employees as of December 21, 1911, was omitted as obsolete. Changes in phraseology were made.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1998—Pub. L. 105–300 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a)(1) and added subsecs. (a)(2) and (b).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1998 Amendment Pub. L. 105–300, § 1(b), Oct. 27, 1998, 112 Stat. 2837, provided that: “This Act [amending this section] shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 27, 1998] and shall apply only to any individual whose nomination is submitted to the Senate on or after such date.”

§458 Relative of Justice or Judge Ineligible to Appointment