William Byrd Traxler Jr.
William Byrd Traxler Jr. | |
---|---|
Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit | |
Assumed office August 31, 2018 | |
Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit | |
In office July 8, 2009 – July 8, 2016 | |
Preceded by | Karen J. Williams |
Succeeded by | Roger Gregory |
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit | |
In office October 1, 1998 – August 31, 2018 | |
Appointed by | Bill Clinton |
Preceded by | Donald S. Russell |
Succeeded by | A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr. |
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina | |
In office March 2, 1992 – October 21, 1998 | |
Appointed by | George H. W. Bush |
Preceded by | Clyde H. Hamilton |
Succeeded by | Margaret B. Seymour |
Personal details | |
Born | University of South Carolina School of Law (JD ) | May 1, 1948
William Byrd Traxler Jr. (born May 1, 1948) is an American jurist who currently serves as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Early life and education
Traxler was born in
Professional career
Traxler worked in the office of United States Army Reserve Adjutant General, from 1970 to 1978. He practiced private law in Greenville from 1973 to 1974 before working as a criminal prosecutor in the Office of the solicitor for South Carolina's 13th Judicial Circuit from 1975 to 1981.
From 1981 to 1985, he served as
Federal judicial service
Traxler was nominated by President George H. W. Bush in 1991, to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina vacated by Clyde H. Hamilton. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 27, 1992, and received his commission on March 2, 1992.[1] His service terminated on October 21, 1998, due to elevation to the court of appeals.[1]
Traxler presided over a significant First Amendment case, Hall vs. Marion School District 2. In 1993, Judge Traxler ruled in favor of the plaintiff in this important case. He ruled that defendant Mullins District 2 acted illegally in firing a teacher for exercising free speech in criticizing her superintendent and school board. The school district appealed the case to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals which affirmed. The case became one of the most important First Amendment cases to be decided by the 4th Circuit in over a decade.[2] [Shut Up and Teach: First Amendment Under Fire chronicles the lawsuit.]
On July 10, 1998, President
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Traxler, William Byrd, Jr. - Federal Judicial Center". fjc.gov. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
- ^ Traxler Joins School as Distinguished Visiting Professor, Charleston School of Law (Oct. 9, 2009), [1]
- ^ "Fourth Circuit Judge to Chair Judicial Conference Executive Committee". The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times.
- Daily Reporter. July 5, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
External links
- William Byrd Traxler Jr. at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.