Thomas O. Rice

Thomas Owen Rice (born December 9, 1960) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington.

Early life and education

Born in Spokane, Washington, Rice earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Gonzaga University in 1983 and a Juris Doctor from Gonzaga University School of Law in 1986.

Career

From 1986 until early 1987, Rice worked for the United States Department of Justice as a trial attorney in Washington in the department's tax division. He received a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 20, 2011. His nomination was reported out of committee on October 13, 2011 by voice vote. On March 6, 2012, the United States Senate confirmed Rice's nomination by a 93–4 vote. He received his commission on March 8, 2012.

In April 2023, in a lawsuit brought by 17 states and the District of Columbia, Rice issued a temporary injunction that the Food and Drug Administration should not reduce access to the abortion medication mifepristone in these states and the district.