--- title: "Thomas Owen Rice | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-o-rice" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-08-02" --- # Thomas Owen Rice U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington · Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington - State: Washington - Role: Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-25 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, District Court, E.D. Washington, 2012-present - United States district judge for the Eastern District of Washington, appointed in 2012 and currently active on the bench - In April 2023, Judge Rice issued a temporary injunction in a lawsuit brought by 17 states and the District of Columbia, ordering the FDA not to reduce access to the abortion medication mifepristone in those jurisdictions - 1987–2012: Assistant U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Washington Deputy Criminal Chief (2000–2003) Criminal Chief (2003–2006) First Assistant U.S. Attorney (2006–2012) - 1986–1987: Trial attorney, U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division ### Education - B.A. in Business Administration, Gonzaga University (1983) J.D., Gonzaga University School of Law (1986) - B.B.A. — Gonzaga University — 1983 ### Additional information - Chief Judge: January 27, 2016 – July 24, 2020 - Commissioned: March 8, 2012 - Senate Confirmation: March 6, 2012, by a 93–4 vote - Nominated: June 29, 2011, by President Barack Obama to replace Robert H. Whaley - chief, Criminal Division, 2003-2006 - deputy chief, Criminal Division, 2000-2003 - Born: December 9, 1960, in Spokane, Washington - Date of birth: 1960-01-01 - Birth place: Spokane, WA ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### courtroom technology Scope: courtwide Courtwide presentation-related guidance applies to this judge. Evidence excerpt: District Court for the Eastern District of Washington uses a system that allows evidence admitted for a trial to be viewed electronically in the jury deliberation room upon the conclusion of the trial. The Jury Evidence Recording System (JERS) provides easy access to evidence during the deliberations through the use of a touchscreen monitor in… [JERS Information | Eastern District of Washington | United States District Court](https://www.waed.uscourts.gov/about-court/courtroom-support/courtroom-technology/jers-information) Source checked: 2026-07-24 ### courtroom technology Scope: courtwide Courtwide presentation-related guidance applies to this judge. Evidence excerpt: . The Eastern District of Washington has electronic evidence display systems in all courtrooms in Spokane, Yakima, and Richland. While the functions of the equipment are the same, some of the equipment may differ between the courtrooms. [Electronic Evidence Display in the Courtrooms | Eastern District of Washington | United States District Court](https://www.waed.uscourts.gov/about-court/courtroom-support/courtroom-technology/electronic-evidence-display-courtrooms) Source checked: 2026-07-24 ### courtroom technology Scope: courtwide Courtwide presentation-related guidance applies to this judge. Evidence excerpt: . Jury Evidence Recording System (JERS) Information . Electronic Evidence Display . [Courtroom Technology | Eastern District of Washington | United States District Court](https://www.waed.uscourts.gov/about-court/courtroom-support/courtroom-technology) Source checked: 2026-07-24 ### civil remote testimony Scope: courtwide 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. Evidence excerpt: 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](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### criminal recording and broadcasting Scope: courtwide Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception. Evidence excerpt: 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](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393911) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393911) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393911) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2708/thomas-owen-rice/) - [JERS Information | Eastern District of Washington | United States District Court](https://www.waed.uscourts.gov/about-court/courtroom-support/courtroom-technology/jers-information) - [Electronic Evidence Display in the Courtrooms | Eastern District of Washington | United States District Court](https://www.waed.uscourts.gov/about-court/courtroom-support/courtroom-technology/electronic-evidence-display-courtrooms) - [Courtroom Technology | Eastern District of Washington | United States District Court](https://www.waed.uscourts.gov/about-court/courtroom-support/courtroom-technology) - [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) - [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2708/thomas-owen-rice/) - [Wikidata: Thomas O. Rice](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7792846) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-o-rice", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-o-rice", "name": "Thomas Owen Rice | KnowJudges", "description": "Thomas Owen Rice, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-08-02", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-o-rice#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-o-rice#judge", "name": "Thomas Owen Rice", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-o-rice", "jobTitle": "Judge", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington" }, "sameAs": [ "https://www.fjc.gov/node/1393911", "https://www.courtlistener.com/person/2708/thomas-owen-rice/" ], "birthDate": "1960", "birthPlace": "Spokane, WA", "alumniOf": [ { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Gonzaga University" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Gonzaga University" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "Gonzaga University" } ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Washington", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/washington" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Thomas Owen Rice", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/thomas-o-rice" } ] } ] } ``` ## Federal civil docket activity Dataset updated through 2026-06-30. | Period | Assigned cases | Terminated cases | Median disposition (months) | Median sample | | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | | 1y | 160 | 1 | Not available | 1 | | 2y | 318 | 70 | 2.8 | 70 | | 5y | 837 | 545 | 4.6 | 545 | | 10y | 1520 | 1225 | 5.3 | 1225 | Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/ ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-651872d6e45e0d82319ecccc) — Civil actions in United States District Courts; Rule 81 exceptions apply. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.