Mark Wolf Federal

Mark Wolf, a senior U.S. District Judge in Massachusetts appointed in 1985, retired in November 2025 after more than 40 years on the federal bench. In a public essay for The Atlantic, Wolf framed his departure as a matter of principle, writing: "My reason is simple: I no longer can bear to be restrained by what judges can say publicly or do outside the courtroom" — tying his exit to the Trump administration.

But NPR's subsequent reporting on newly released court records revealed that First Circuit Chief Judge David Barron had opened a confidential misconduct inquiry into an anonymous district judge shortly before Wolf's resignation, after receiving a letter describing "reasonable grounds" to investigate conduct that could include "treating litigants, attorneys, judicial employees or others in a demonstrably egregious and hostile manner." A source familiar with the matter confirmed the judge under review was Wolf, and that his resignation terminated the inquiry before it reached a conclusion.