Matthew W. McFarland
{{Short description|American judge (born 1967)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Matthew W. McFarland
| honorific-suffix =
| image = Matthew W. McFarland, U.S. District Court Judge.png
| alt =
| caption =
| office = Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
| term_start = December 31, 2019
| term_end =
| appointer = Donald Trump
| predecessor = Thomas M. Rose
| successor =
| office1 = Judge of the Ohio Fourth District Court of Appeals
| term_start1 = February 9, 2005
| term_end1 = December 31, 2019
| predecessor1 =
| successor1 = Kristy Wilkin
| pronunciation =
| birth_name = Matthew Walden McFarland
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1967|08|05}}
| birth_place = Portsmouth, Ohio, U.S.
| death_date =
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| education = Capital University (BA, JD)
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}}
Matthew Walden McFarland (born August 5, 1967) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and former Judge of the Ohio Fourth District Court of Appeals.
Education
McFarland received his Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Capital University, and his Juris Doctor from Capital University Law School.[https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/president-donald-j-trump-announces-eighteenth-wave-judicial-nominees-eighteenth-wave-united-states-attorney-nominees-thirteenth-wave-united-states-marshal-nominees/ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Eighteenth Wave of Judicial Nominees, Eighteenth Wave of United States Attorney Nominees, and Thirteenth Wave of United States Marshal Nominees" White House, October 10, 2018] {{PD-notice}}
Career
Prior to joining the bench, McFarland was a Scioto County assistant prosecutor and acted as special counsel for the Ohio Attorney General. He was also a Licking County assistant county prosecutor. He previously served as the magistrate in Scioto County Common Pleas Court Probate/Juvenile Division and as chairman of the Ohio Association of Magistrates, Juvenile Section. He is an adjunct professor for Shawnee State University and formerly taught constitutional law at Capital University.
= Federal judicial service =
On October 10, 2018, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate McFarland to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.{{cite news|url=https://www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com/top-stories/31979/mcfarland-is-nominatednch|title=McFarland is nominated|last=Corrigan|first=Tom|newspaper=Portsmouth Daily Times|date=October 11, 2018|access-date=October 15, 2018}} On November 13, 2018, his nomination was sent to the Senate. President Trump nominated McFarland to the seat vacated by Judge Thomas M. Rose, who assumed senior status on June 30, 2017.[https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/twenty-six-nominations-sent-senate/ "Twenty Six Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, November 13, 2018] On January 3, 2019, his nomination was returned to the president under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate.
On January 23, 2019, President Trump announced his intent to renominate McFarland for a federal judgeship.[https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/president-donald-j-trump-announces-intent-nominate-judicial-nominees/ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Judicial Nominees", White House, January 23, 2019] His nomination was sent to the Senate later that day.[https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/nominations-sent-senate-2/ "Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, January 23, 2019] On June 26, 2019, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/06/26/2019/nominations United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for June 26, 2019] On July 18, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote.[https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/071819%20Results%20of%20Executive%20Business%20Meeting.pdf Results of Executive Business Meeting – July 18, 2019, Senate Judiciary Committee] On December 18, 2019, the Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 55–38 vote.{{Cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=116&session=1&vote=00401|title=On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Matthew Walden McFarland, of Ohio, to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Ohio)|website=www.senate.gov|access-date=2019-12-18}} His nomination was confirmed later that day by a 56–38 vote.{{Cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=116&session=1&vote=00402|title=On the Nomination (Confirmation: Matthew Walden McFarland, of Ohio, to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Ohio)|website=www.senate.gov|access-date=2019-12-18}} He received his judicial commission on December 31, 2019.{{FJC Bio|nid=7539421|inline=yes}}
=Notable rulings=
In July 2022, McFarland ruled{{Cite news |last=Koeninger |first=Kevin |date=October 19, 2022 |title=Air Force urges panel to lift block on Covid vaccine mandate |work=Courthouse News Service |url=https://www.courthousenews.com/air-force-urges-panel-to-lift-block-on-covid-vaccine-mandate/}} that the U.S. Air Force's mandate of COVID-19 vaccinations for its members violated the First Amendment's free exercise clause. Later, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld{{Cite web |title=Court Opinion |url=https://www.opn.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/22a0255p-06.pdf}} the decision. Not long after McFarland's ruling and the appellate decision upholding it, the U.S. Department of Defense rescinded the mandate for all troops.{{Cite news |title=Pentagon ends coronavirus vaccine mandate that fueled political uproar |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/01/10/pentagon-ends-covid-vaccine-mandate/}}
Memberships
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{FJC Bio|nid=7539421}}
- {{Ballotpedia|Matthew_McFarland}}
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{{s-legal}}
{{s-bef|before=Thomas M. Rose}}
{{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio}}|years=2019–present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-end}}
{{United States 6th Circuit district judges}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McFarland, Matthew W.}}
Category:20th-century American lawyers
Category:21st-century American lawyers
Category:Capital University alumni
Category:Capital University faculty
Category:Capital University Law School alumni
Category:Judges of the Ohio District Courts of Appeals
Category:Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
Category:People from Portsmouth, Ohio
Category:United States district court judges appointed by Donald Trump