{ "id": "ep2ch08hpw", "slug": "s-m-hicks-jr", "title": "S. M. Hicks, Jr.", "updated": "2026-10-15", "topic_path": [ { "id": "society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society" }, { "id": "society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law" }, { "id": "society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3", "label": "Article III judges (district and appellate)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges", "label": "United States district court judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges" }, { "id": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-h", "label": "Surnames H", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-h" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-h", "label": "United States · 2021 and later: Surnames H", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-h", "path": [ { "id": "geo.us", "label": "United States", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021", "label": "United States · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society", "label": "Society and history", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law", "label": "Law and justice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice", "label": "Courts and legal practice", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people", "label": "Legal biographies", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us", "label": "United States judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal", "label": "US federal judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges", "label": "United States district court judges", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges" }, { "id": "geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-h", "label": "Surnames H", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.us.t2021.society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-h" } ] } ], "excerpt": "S. Maurice Hicks, Jr., born in 1952, is an American jurist serving as a United States district judge for the Western District of Louisiana since 2003.", "snippet": "S. Maurice Hicks, Jr., born in 1952, is an American jurist serving as a United States district judge for the Western District of Louisiana since 2003.", "node": "society.law.practice.people.people.judges.us.federal.article3.district-judges.alpha-h", "markdown": "# S. M. Hicks, Jr.\n\nS. Maurice Hicks, Jr. (born 1952) is an American jurist serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana since 2003.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391831) He was appointed by President George W. Bush and served as chief judge of the court from 2017 to 2022.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391831) He remains in active service on the Shreveport Division of the court.[2](https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/article-iii-judges)\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Court | U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391831) |\n| Appointed by | George W. Bush[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391831) |\n| Confirmed | May 19, 2003 (86 to 0)[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391831) • [3](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1080184) |\n| Chief judge | 2017 to 2022[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391831) |\n| Born | 1952, New Orleans, Louisiana[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391831) |\n| Education | B.A., Texas Christian University, 1974; J.D., Louisiana State University Law School (now Paul M. Hebert Law Center), 1977[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391831) |\n\n## Early life and education\n\nHicks was born in 1952 in New Orleans, Louisiana.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391831) He received a [Bachelor of Arts](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-arts) degree from [Texas Christian University](https://www.edgepedia.org/texas-christian-university) in 1974 and a [Juris Doctor](https://www.edgepedia.org/juris-doctor) from Louisiana State University Law School, now the Paul M. Hebert Law Center, in 1977.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391831)\n\n## Legal career\n\nFrom 1975 to 1977, Hicks worked as a law clerk and staff attorney for the Louisiana Legislative Council.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391831) After completing his law degree, he entered private practice in [Shreveport, Louisiana](https://www.edgepedia.org/shreveport-louisiana), where he worked from 1977 until his appointment to the federal bench in 2003.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391831) He later served as a member of the [Judicial Conference of the United States](https://www.edgepedia.org/judicial-conference-of-the-united-states) from 2020 to 2023.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391831)\n\n## Federal judicial service\n\nPresident [George W. Bush](https://www.edgepedia.org/george-w-bush) first nominated Hicks to the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana on September 12, 2002; no Senate vote was held on that nomination.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391831) Bush renominated him on January 7, 2003.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391831) The Senate confirmed Hicks on May 19, 2003, by a vote of 86 to 0.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391831) • [3](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1080184) He received his commission on May 21, 2003.[1](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391831) He was appointed to serve in the Shreveport Division of the court and continues to serve there.[2](https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/article-iii-judges) Hicks served as chief judge of the Western District of Louisiana from 2017 to 2022, succeeding Judge Dee D. Drell; he was succeeded as chief judge by Judge Terry A. Doughty.[2](https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/article-iii-judges)\n\n## Notable cases\n\nAccording to a compilation of published opinions, Hicks authored 27 published opinions for the district court between 2003 and 2011.[4](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/s-hicks-jr) His most-cited opinion in that compilation was *Mayes v. Office Depot, Inc.*, which was recorded as having 14 inbound citations in the CourtListener corpus.[4](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/s-hicks-jr) The same compilation counted 456 of Hicks's decisions reviewed on the merits by the [United States courts of appeals](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-courts-of-appeals), of which 327 were affirmed, 19 were reversed or vacated, and 110 were affirmed in part and reversed in part; the compilation describes these as historical counts of appellate outcomes, not a judgment of the judge.[4](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/s-hicks-jr)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Biographical Directory of Article III Federal Judges: S. Maurice Hicks, Jr.](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1391831)\n2. [Article III Judges, United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana](https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/article-iii-judges)\n3. [Senate Roll Call Vote, May 19, 2003](https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS1080184)\n4. [Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr., JudicialFinder](https://judicialfinder.com/judges/s-hicks-jr)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Law and justice › Courts and legal practice › Legal biographies › United States judges › US federal judges › Article III judges (district and appellate) › United States district court judges › Surnames H*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/s-m-hicks-jr", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/s-m-hicks-jr.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"S. M. Hicks, Jr.\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/s-m-hicks-jr. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[S. M. Hicks, Jr.](https://www.edgepedia.org/s-m-hicks-jr)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/s-m-hicks-jr](https://www.edgepedia.org/s-m-hicks-jr). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"S. M. Hicks, Jr.\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/s-m-hicks-jr. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "S. Maurice Hicks, Jr., born in 1952, is an American jurist serving as a United States district judge for the Western District of Louisiana since 2003." }