a single district. The latter combination was occasionally referred to by the cumbersome title of the United States District Court for the Albemarle, Cape Fear & Pamptico Districts of North Carolina. On June 4, 1872, North Carolina was re-divided into two Districts, Eastern and Western, by . The presiding judge of the District of North Carolina, George Washington Brooks, was then reassigned to preside over only the Eastern District. The Middle District was created from portions of the Eastern and Western Districts on March 2, 1927, by . On July 6, 2021, under , Hoke, Moore, Scotland, and Richmond counties were transferred into the Eastern District from the Western District to end the previous situation where Fort Bragg was covered by two different districts. Current judges : Former judges Chief judges Succession of seats U.S. Attorneys for the Eastern District Richard C. Badger (1872–1878) J. W. Albertson (1878–1882) W. S. O. Robinson (1882–1885) Fabius H. Busbee (1885–1889) Charles A. Cooke (1889–1893) Charles B. Aycock (1893–1898) Claude M. Bernard (1898–1902) Harry Skinner (1902–1910) Herbert F. Seawell (1910–1913) Francis D. Winston (1913–1916) James O. Carr (1916–19) Thomas D. Warren (1919–20) E. F. Aydlett (1920–21) Irvin B. Tucker (1921–30) Walter H. Fisher (1930–34) James O. Carr (1934–45) Charles F. Rouse (1945–46) John H. Manning (1946–51) Charles P. Green (1951–53) Julian T. Gaskill (1953–61) Robert H. Cowen (1961–69) Warren H. Coolidge (1969–73) Thomas P. McNamara (1973–76) Carl L. Tilghman (1976–77) George M. Anderson (1977–1980) James L. Blackburn (1980–81) Sam Currin (1981–1987) J. Douglas McCullough (acting 1987-88) Margaret Currin (1988–1993; wife of Sam Currin) J. Douglas McCullough (acting 1993) Janice McKenzie Cole (1994–2001) Frank Whitney (2002–2005) George Holding (2005–2011) Thomas Walker (2011–2016) John Stuart Bruce (acting 2016) Robert Higdon Jr. (2017–2021) Michael F. Easley Jr. (2021–present) See also Courts of North Carolina List of current United States district judges List of United States federal courthouses in North Carolina References External links Official website News & Observer: Past political patrons for U.S. Attorneys North Carolina, Eastern District North Carolina law Pasquotank County, North Carolina Fayetteville, North Carolina Greenville, North Carolina Craven County, North Carolina Wilmington, North Carolina Organizations based in Raleigh, North Carolina New Bern, North Carolina 1872 establishments in North Carolina Courthouses in North Carolina Courts and tribunals established in 1872