On February 28, D. Brock Hornby of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine took inactive senior status after thirty-six years of service. A statement from the court on Hornby’s career is available here.
Hornby was appointed to the District of Maine in 1990 and served as chief judge from 1996 to 2003. He formerly was a justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court and a U.S. magistrate judge for the District of Maine.
Senator Angus King of Maine paid tribute to Hornby before the U.S. Senate on March 1:
“During his distinguished career, Judge Hornby has presided over thousands of criminal and civil cases. Some have grabbed headlines, others may only impact those involved, but in all his cases, his colleagues say that he brought a sense of fairness to the bench. Judge Hornby played a critical role in changing strict Federal sentencing guidelines, allowing judges to use their discretion in sentencing the defendants before them.
Through his career, Judge Hornby has been a fair and neutral arbiter of the law, offering respect to all who entered his courtroom. While we will miss his insight, intellect, and experience on the bench, he has earned this retirement. I extend my best wishes to Judge Hornby and thank him again for his unwavering service—the State of Maine is lucky to call him one of our own.”