Taylor B. McNeel

McNeel earned his Bachelor of Business Administration, cum laude, from the University of Mississippi, and his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Mississippi School of Law, where he served on the Mississippi Law Journal.[https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/president-donald-j-trump-announces-judicial-nominees-15/ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Judicial Nominees" White House, June 15, 2020] {{PD-notice}} At the University of Mississippi, he served as Senior Class President (2004 – 2005) and was on the Varsity Football Team (2001 – 2003). As quarterback of his high school football team, he helped lead the team to its four straight state titles. McNeel was also elected Governor of Mississippi American Legion Boys State (2000) and was an Eagle Scout (1999).

From 2008 to 2020, he was a member at Brunini, Grantham, Grower & Hewes, PLLC, in Biloxi, Mississippi, where his practice focused on complex commercial litigation. He was the Partner in Charge of the Mississippi Gulf Coast office. While in private practice, he was involved in pro bono work, including trying a both a jury trial and a bench trial pro bono.

McNeel was also AV rated by Martindale Hubbard and featured in publications such as Benchmark Litigation and Super Lawyers. He served on the Pascagoula-Gautier School District Board of Trustees from 2019-2020.

On June 15, 2020, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate McNeel to serve as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. On July 2, 2020, his nomination was sent to the Senate. President Trump nominated McNeel to the seat vacated by Judge Louis Guirola Jr., who assumed senior status on March 23, 2018.[https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/two-nominations-sent-senate-7/ "Two Nominations Sent to the Senate", White House, July 2, 2020] On September 9, 2020, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/09/09/2020/nominations United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary: Nominations for September 9, 2020] On October 22, 2020, the Judiciary Committee reported his nomination by a 12–0 vote.{{Cite web|url=https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Results%20of%20Executive%20Business%20Meeting%20October%2022,%202020.pdf|title=Results of Executive Business Meeting – October 22, 2020|publisher=Senate Judiciary Committee}} On November 30, 2020, the United States Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a 52–36 vote.{{Cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1162/vote_116_2_00240.htm|title=On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Taylor B. McNeel to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi)|website=United States Senate|date=November 30, 2020}} On December 1, 2020, his nomination was confirmed by a 53–39 vote.{{Cite web|url=https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=116&session=2&vote=00241|title=On the Nomination (Confirmation: Taylor B. McNeel, of Mississippi, to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi)|website=United States Senate|date=December 1, 2020}} He received his judicial commission on December 14, 2020.{{FJC Bio|nid=9280216|inline=yes}}

McNeel was involved in a number of professional and bar association committees and organizations. He was also involved with his local Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, and other civil and charitable organizations. He is a member of the Federalist Society.

On April 30, 2021, McNeel dismissed most claims in a case filed by a man who was acquitted of manslaughter in the death of his former girlfriend.{{cite web |last1=Thornton |first1=Mark |title=Federal judge shoots down most of Burroughs' claims |url=https://www.leader-call.com/news/free_news/federal-judge-shoots-down-most-of-burroughs-claims/article_90743e62-addd-11eb-8e2b-bbd72363cabb.html |website=Laurel Leader-Call |access-date=2024-08-04 |language=en |date=5 May 2021}}

On June 28, 2021, McNeel denied a motion for summary judgment and allowed a case to proceed where a young man was allegedly falsely accused of murder and jailed for approximately eight months.{{cite web |last1=Knowles |first1=Lindsay |last2=Spann |first2=Alison |title=Falsely Accused: Man spends months in jail despite video showing he wasn't at crime scene |url=https://www.wlox.com/2021/07/15/falsely-accused-man-spends-months-jail-despite-video-showing-he-wasnt-crime-scene/ |website=wlox.com |access-date=2024-08-04 |language=en |date=15 July 2021}}

In April 2022, McNeel sentenced a man, who posed as a neurologist, to {{frac|2|1|2}} years in prison for health care fraud for submitting false statements to Medicare for reimbursement. Restitution in excess of $1.53 million was ordered.{{cite web |title=Mississippi man gets prison for health care fraud |url=https://apnews.com/article/mississippi-biloxi-crime-medicare-prisons-620c4e08cb9a30e683695c5d4aa093c9 |website=AP News |language=en |date=14 April 2022}}

On May 19, 2023, McNeel denied a motion for a temporary restraining order in a case filed by a trans girl against her school district for enforcing a policy requiring boys to wear "boys" clothes to the high school graduation.[https://www.wlox.com/2023/05/20/court-upholds-school-district-policy-not-allowing-transgender-student-wear-dress-graduation/]L.B. v. Harrison County School District, No. 1:23-cv-00124-TBM-BWR (Doc. No. 14) (S.D.M.S.), https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mssd.118690/gov.uscourts.mssd.118690.14.0.pdf{{Cite web |last=Pittman |first=Ashton |date=2023-05-19 |title=School Can Force Trans Girl to Dress As Boy At Graduation, Judge Rules |url=https://www.mississippifreepress.org/33223/trans-girl-sues-over-order-to-dress-as-boy-at-harrison-county-graduation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230520213254/https://www.mississippifreepress.org/33223/trans-girl-sues-over-order-to-dress-as-boy-at-harrison-county-graduation |archive-date=2023-05-20 |access-date=2023-05-20 |website=Mississippi Free Press |language=en-US}} The student did not appeal.

In February 2024, McNeel dismissed a lawsuit filed by commercial fishers in an attempt to block a quota reduction on amberjack limits.{{cite web |last1=Greene |first1=Shayna |title=Fishers' Constitutional Suit Against Catch Limit Is Unsuccessful |url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/fishers-constitutional-suit-against-catch-limit-is-unsuccessful |website=Bloomberg Law |access-date=2024-08-04}} The question involved whether members of a regulatory council were constitutionally appointed pursuant to the Appointments Clause.

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{{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi}}|years=2020–present}}

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Category:1983 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century American lawyers

Category:Judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi

Category:Mississippi lawyers

Category:People from Louisville, Mississippi

Category:United States district court judges appointed by Donald Trump

Category:University of Mississippi alumni

Category:University of Mississippi School of Law alumni

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