Tanya Walton Pratt

Tanya Marie Walton Pratt (born 1959) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.

Early life and education

Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Pratt graduated from Cathedral High School, then went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from Spelman College in 1981 and a Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law in 1984.

Career

In 1981 she was a security guard at Brink's in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1982 she was a summer intern for the center township assessor's office in Indianapolis, Indiana. From 1986 to 1991 she was a deputy public defender for Marion County, Indiana. From 1993 to 1996 she was a pro tempore judge for the Marion County Superior Court. From 1984 until 1992, Pratt worked as an associate attorney for the Moss & Walton law firm in Indianapolis. From 1992 until 1996, Pratt was with the same firm with the title of attorney. In 1997, Pratt became a judge in Marion County, Indiana, working in the Criminal Division and presiding over major felony matters from 1997 until 2008. She was assigned to Marion County's probate court in 2009, and served there from 2009 until 2010. The Senate confirmed Pratt by a 95–0 vote on June 15, 2010. She received her commission the same day. Pratt is the first African American federal judge in Indiana's history. She became chief judge on March 20, 2021, until on July 11, 2025. With her swearing in, she became the first African-American chief judge of the Southern District of Indiana.

Notable rulings

In 2016, she ruled against Governor Mike Pence's order to cut federally allocated funds for the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Indiana. In 2018, she ruled against a pregnant woman who was mauled by a police dog because she was not the intended target.

Notable cases U.S. v. Jared Fogle, Case No. 1:15-cr-159 (2015)