HUFFAKER NAMED CHIEF JUDGE OF THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA

Last updated: February 11, 2026
Bench

On February 1, 2026, Judge R. Austin Huffaker, Jr. became the chief judge of the Middle District of Alabama. The chief judge is the chief judicial officer of the district and manages the day-to-day operations of the court. Court operations include the hands-on review of the fiscal and personnel structure of the court, along with oversight of all case management, information technology, and space and facility matters. The Middle District of Alabama operates primarily from the Frank M. Johnson, Jr. Courthouse Complex in downtown Montgomery, Alabama, but also conducts judicial proceedings in courthouses located in Dothan and Opelika. The Middle District of Alabama is one of three federal trial court districts in the State of Alabama and is one of nine district courts that comprise the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals (Alabama, Florida and Georgia). Chief Judge Huffaker succeeds Judge Emily Marks who served the district honorably as chief judge since 2019.

 

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to serve the citizens of the Middle District of Alabama and the counties that comprise our federal judicial district,” noted Chief Judge Huffaker at a recent convocation at the Federal Courthouse in Dothan. He continued, “I am honored to have served on the federal bench for the last six years and look forward to working with my colleagues and our Clerk of Court to build upon the good works, stewardship and civic engagement initiatives that distinguish the Middle District of Alabama.”  The Middle District of Alabama, under Chief Judge Huffaker’s leadership, is working to enhance the operational viability of the federal courthouses in both Dothan and Opelika to provide service to the citizens of East Alabama and the Alabama Wiregrass. The stabilization and restoration of those two courthouses along with an enhanced, streamlined and patriotic experience for those called for jury service are among the early priorities noted by the new chief judge of the Middle District of Alabama.