Michael James Davis at a glance
- Current role
- Judge
- Court
- U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
- Jurisdiction
- Minnesota · Federal
- Judicial service
- March 28, 1994–present
Michael James Davis
Judge · U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota
Available research
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Biography
Professional career
- Instructor, Minnesota Institute of Legal Education, 1990-present
- Judge, Minnesota District Court, Fourth Judicial District, 1984-1994
- Judge, Hennepin County Minnesota Municipal Court, 1983-1984
- Adjunct professor, University of Minnesota Law School, 1982-present
- Attorney, Hennepin County Minnesota Public Defender's Office, 1978-1983
- Attorney/commissioner, Minneapolis Minnesota Civil Rights Commission, 1977-1981
- Instructor, William Mitchell School of Law, 1977-1981
- Attorney, Legal Rights Center, 1975-1978
- Criminal defense lawyer, Neighborhood Justice Center, Inc., 1974-present
- Attorney, U.S. Social Security Administration, Baltimore, MD, 1973-present
- Law clerk, Legal Rights Center, 1971-1973
Judicial service
- Judge, District Court, D. Minnesota, 1994-present
- United States District Court for the District of Minnesota
Education
- Macalester College · B.A., 1969
- East Aurora High School
- University of Minnesota Law School
Personal record
Born 1947 · Cincinnati, OH
Courtroom rules and guidance
Civil Remote Testimony
In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards.
For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location.Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court ↗
Criminal Recording And Broadcasting
Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception.
Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom.Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited ↗
Sources
Federal Judicial Center biography
Identity source · HTML · checked July 25, 2026
https://www.fjc.gov/node/1379851CourtListener judicial biographical directory
Identity source · HTML · checked August 2, 2026
https://www.courtlistener.com/person/823/michael-james-davis/Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court
Judge research source · HTML · checked July 26, 2026
https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedureFederal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited
Judge research source · HTML · checked July 26, 2026
https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts