by the Senate on July 18, 1983, and received his commission on July 19, 1983. He took senior status on May 1, 1996, and was succeeded by Rodney W. Sippel. He retired on July 31, 2008 to allow his son Stephen Jr. to serve on the same court (as federal rules prohibit members of the same family from serving on the same court). Selected judicial opinions National Football League v. McBee & Brunos, 621 F.Supp. 880 (E.D. Mo. 1985), affirmed as modified 792 F.2d 726 (8th Cir. 1986) (copyright satellite interception) Peabody Holding Co., Inc. v. Costain Group, PLC, 808 F.Supp. 1425 (E.D. Mo. 1992), 812 F.Supp. 1402 (E.D. Mo. 1993) (contracts Australian coal mines) Interactive Digital Software Association v. St. Louis County, 200 F. Supp. 2d 1126 (E.D. Mo. 2002), reversed 329 F.3d 954 (8th Cir. 2003) (video games and free speech protection) In Re American Milling Company, 270 F.Supp.2d 1068 (E.D. Mo. 2003), aff'd 409 F.3d 1005 (8th Cir. 2005) (admiralty) Washington University v. Catalona, 437 F.Supp2d 985 (E.D. Mo. 2006), aff'd 490 F3d 667 (8th Cir. 2007), cert denied 128 S.Ct. 1122 (2008) (ownership of tissue donated by patients for research) References External links 1927 births Living people American people of German descent Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri Judges of the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri Military personnel from Missouri People from Cape Girardeau, Missouri Southeast Missouri State University alumni United States district court judges appointed by Ronald Reagan 20th-century American judges University of Missouri School of Law alumni Limbaugh family