Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§ 17, 18, 22, 23, 301 (Mar. 3, 1911, ch. 231, §§ 13, 14, 18, 19, 188, 36 Stat. 1089, 1143; Oct. 3, 1913, ch. 18, 38 Stat. 203; Feb. 25, 1919, ch. 29, §§ 2, 5, 40 Stat. 1156, 1157; Sept. 14, 1922, ch. 306, §§ 3, 4, 5, 42 Stat. 839; Dec. 13, 1926, ch. 6, § 1, 44 Stat. 919; Mar. 2, 1929, ch. 488, § 1, 45 Stat. 1475; June 7, 1934, ch. 426, 48 Stat. 926; June 25, 1936, ch. 804, 49 Stat. 1921; Aug. 24, 1937, ch. 754, § 4, 50 Stat. 753; Dec. 29, 1942, ch. 835, §§ 1, 2, 5, 6, 56 Stat. 1094, 1095).

Section simplifies provisions of sections 17, 18, paragraphs (b) and (c) of section 22, and sections 23 and 301 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., relating to powers and duties of designated judges.

Other provisions of said sections 17 and 22 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., are incorporated in sections 291, 292, and 295 of this title.

Other provisions of said section 301 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., are incorporated in sections 211–213, 215, and 293 of this title.

Section is made applicable to retired justices of the Supreme Court by inclusion of reference to “justice,” on the theory that a justice should have the same powers and duties and be subject to the same limitations as designated and assigned circuit and district judges.

The second sentence of the revised section was substituted for the provision of section 18 of title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., which subjected circuit judges to the same assignments of duty as the circuit judges of the circuit to which they are designated and assigned. The revised section extends this requirement and makes it applicable to all designated and assigned judges.

The provision in the last paragraph of said section 22 that the action of the assigned judge in writing filed with the clerk of court where the trial or hearing was held shall be valid as if such action had been taken by him within the district and within the period of his designation, was omitted as surplusage. See section 295 of this title.

Editorial Notes
Amendments

2008—Pub. L. 110–177 inserted at end of second par. “However, a district judge who has retired from regular active service under section 371(b) of this title, when designated and assigned to the court to which such judge was appointed, having performed in the preceding calendar year an amount of work equal to or greater than the amount of work an average judge in active service on that court would perform in 6 months, and having elected to exercise such powers, shall have the powers of a judge of that court to participate in appointment of court officers and magistrate judges, rulemaking, governance, and administrative matters.”