Ronald A. White

Ronald White
Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma
Assumed office
January 27, 2026
Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma
In office
February 10, 2017 – January 27, 2026
Preceded byJames H. Payne
Succeeded byJohn F. Heil III
Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma
In office
October 2, 2003 – January 27, 2026
Appointed byGeorge W. Bush
Preceded byFrank Howell Seay
Succeeded byvacant
Personal details
BornRonald Allen White
(1961-01-27) January 27, 1961
EducationUniversity of Oklahoma (BA, JD)

Ronald Allen White (born January 27, 1961) is a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

Education and career

White was born in Sapulpa, Oklahoma. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1983 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1986. He was in private practice in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from 1986 to 2003.[1]

Federal judicial service

On May 15, 2003, White was nominated by President George W. Bush to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma vacated by Judge Frank Howell Seay. White was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 30, 2003, and received his commission on October 2, 2003. He became chief judge in 2017.[1] He assumed senior status on January 27, 2026.[1]

Notable case

On September 30, 2014, White ruled that the Affordable Care Act subsidies should not be made available in states that did not choose to set up their own health care exchanges.[2] His opinion was noteworthy, as he became the first federal judge to rule on the issue after two different appeals courts issued conflicting rulings. He interacts with both rulings in his own opinion.

References

  1. ^ a b c Ronald A. White at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
  2. ^ "Order in Oklahoma v Burwell" (PDF).

Sources