Jeffrey L. Viken

The Honorable Jeffrey Viken
Portrait of Jeffrey L. Viken

Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota
Incumbent
Assumed office 2013
Preceded by	Karen Schreier
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota
Incumbent
Assumed office September 30, 2009
Appointed by	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Lawrence Piersol
Personal details
Born	1952 (age 63–64) Huron, South Dakota, U.S.
Alma mater	University of South Dakota School of Law

Jeffrey Lynn Viken (born 1952) is the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota. He has been the federal public defender for North Dakota and South Dakota.

Early life and education

Born in Huron, South Dakota, Viken earned a bachelor's degree from the University of South Dakota in May 1974 and a law degree from the University of South Dakota School of Law in May 1977.

Professional career

From 1977 until 1981, Viken served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of South Dakota and in 1981 became the Acting United States Attorney for the District of South Dakota.^[1] From 1981 to 1982, Viken was a partner in the Rapid City, South Dakota law firm of Finch, Viken & Viken, and then from 1981 to 1992, Viken was a partner in the Rapid City firm of Finch, Viken, Viken & Pechota. From 1992 until 2003, Viken served as a partner in the Rapid City law firm of Viken, Viken, Pechota, Leach & Dewell, LLP.^[1]

In 2003, Viken was appointed federal public defender for the District of South Dakota by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.^[1] In 2005, the Eighth Circuit appointed Viken the federal public defender for the District of North Dakota as well to lead a combined-district organization for both North Dakota and South Dakota.

Federal judicial service

On June 25, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Viken to a vacant seat on the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota that was created when Judge Lawrence L. Piersol took senior status.^[1] The United States Senate confirmed Viken in a 99-0 vote on September 29, 2009.^[2] He received his commission the following day. He has served as Chief Judge since 2013.

References

1 2 3 4 President Obama Nominates Charlene Honeywell and Jeffrey Viken to Serve on the Federal District Court Bench, whitehouse.gov (June 25, 2009).
↑ http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/B?r111:@FIELD%28FLD003+d%29+@FIELD%28DDATE+20090925%29

External links

Jeffrey L. Viken at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.

Legal offices
Preceded by Karen Schreier	Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota 2013–present	Incumbent
		Incumbent
Preceded by Lawrence Piersol	Judge of the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota 2009–present

Current active district judges of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals

E. Arkansas	Miller Holmes Marshall Baker Moody

W. Arkansas	Holmes Hickey Brooks

N. Iowa	Reade Strand

S. Iowa	Jarvey Rose Ebinger

Minnesota	Tunheim Ericksen Schiltz Nelson Wright 2 seats vacant

E. Missouri	Sippel Jackson Perry Autrey Limbaugh Fleissig Ross Wimes White

W. Missouri	Kays Sippel Phillips Wimes Harpool Bough Ketchmark

Nebraska	Camp Gerrard Rossiter Jr.

North Dakota	Hovland Erickson

South Dakota	Viken Schreier Lange

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