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Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

Hon. Karen Nelson Moore

Bench Watch Brief · Profile in brief

Karen Nelson Moore is a judge on the federal appeals court for the Sixth Circuit. President Clinton nominated her; the Senate confirmed her in 1995. She joined the 2-1 order pausing Christa Pike's execution on Sept. 30, 2026. A former Supreme Court clerk, she was a law professor before the bench.

Before the bench

Law clerk to Justice Harry Blackmun; law professor at Case Western Reserve University.

Highlights and issues

  1. Notable ruling

    Joins the order staying Christa Pike's execution

Cases we follow in this courtroom

  • Video · WBIR Channel 10
    Supreme CourtWatching

    Pike v. Tennessee

    U.S. Supreme Court · No. 26-5696

    Christa Gail Pike, sentenced to death in Tennessee for a 1995 murder, survived an attempted lethal injection on Sept. 30, 2026, hours after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted a stay over three justices' dissent. She is back in prison, and in an Oct. 30 statement she said she has been in pain since that night. The governor ordered an outside review; no new execution date has been set.

    Updated November 14, 2026 · 4 min read

Sources