Christopher H. Steger has been appointed to the position of U.S. magistrate judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee, U.S. District Judge Thomas Varlan announced Sunday.
Steger was sworn in by Varlan during a private ceremony at the Joel W. Solomon Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Chattanooga.
Steger's term of office will begin Thursday. A public investiture ceremony will be held at a later date.
The U.S. district judges of the Eastern District of Tennessee appointed a nine-member panel to review applications, interview prospective candidates and recommend to the district judges the candidates they deemed best qualified for the position.
Magistrate judges are appointed by the district judges of the U.S. District Court for a term of eight years and are eligible for reappointment to successive terms.