Thomas S. Kleeh

Thomas Shawn Kleeh (born September 14, 1974) is the chief United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia.

Biography

Kleeh was born and raised in Wheeling, West Virginia and graduated from Wheeling Central High School. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from West Virginia University and his Juris Doctor from the West Virginia University College of Law, where he was inducted into the Order of the Coif.

Federal judicial service

In the summer of 2017, Kleeh met with Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin and received their recommendation to the Trump administration for a federal judgeship. On April 25, 2018, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee. On May 24, 2018, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 14–7 vote. On October 11, 2018, the United States Senate confirmed his nomination by a 65–30 vote. He received his judicial commission on November 5, 2018. He became Chief Judge on March 19, 2022.

Notable cases

In 2021, he sentenced serial killer Reta Mays to life in prison without parole plus 20 years for 7 murders and 1 attempted murder.

As of 2022, Kleeh is overseeing the trial for the murder of Whitey Bulger.

Second Amendment

On August 31, 2023, Kleeh upheld the Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban and the National Firearms Act as applied to short-barreled shotguns under New York State Rifle Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen.

On December 1, 2023, Kleeh declared that the minimum age requirement for handgun purchases is unconstitutional under New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen.